Ab Method

AB Method

A workflow system for Claude Code and Codex. It grills a problem into a domain-grounded plan, then either drives it through test-driven missions you review one at a time, or hands it to an autonomous /goal loop that runs to a verifiable stop condition.

Install

The installer detects .claude/ and/or .agents/ and installs slash commands and skills for Claude Code, Codex, or both (it asks if neither exists). It also adds .ab-method/ (workflow definitions and the path index), docs/ scaffolding, AGENTS.md for Codex, and optional subagents for Claude Code.

Or as a plugin

Nothing is copied into your project; the plugin updates on its own.

Skills are namespaced ab-method:: run /ab-method:ab-create-task (Claude Code) or $ab-method:ab-create-task (Codex), or describe what you want. A project's own .ab-method/structure/index.yaml overrides the bundled one. The plugin ships no slash commands or subagents. Don't combine it with npx ab-method in one project, or every workflow shows up twice.

Commands

On Claude Code, run a workflow as a slash command. Codex has no shared slash commands, so use the matching skill ($ab-create-task) or describe your intent.

Task, goal or roadmap? A task keeps you in the loop mission by mission. A goal is one objective with a checkable stop condition, run unattended. A roadmap is several ordered tasks; it can leave open decisions and uncharted areas for later.

How it works

1. Always grill. Every task and goal starts with grill-with-docs, which checks your terms against UBIQUITOUS_LANGUAGE.md and CONTEXT.md and records decisions as ADRs.
2. Plan before code. Each task gets a test plan, a placement decision per capability (reuse, extend or extract), and, for new UI, a throwaway HTML prototype with several variants to pick from.
3. Test…