Add Template

Scaffold a new document template inside an existing addon or framework.

Triggers

Alternate expressions and non-obvious activations (primary phrases are matched automatically from the skill description):

• "I need a new template" → scaffold template in specified target
• "add a document template" → prompt for name, category, and target
• "create a template for X documents" → derive name from X, prompt for target
• "template for use cases" → name=use-case, prompt for target and category

Trigger Patterns Reference

Pattern	Example	Action
Named add	"add template adr --to sdlc-complete"	Scaffold directly
Category specified	"add template threat-model --to sdlc-complete --category security"	Place in category subdir
Interactive	"add template --interactive --to sdlc-complete"	Guided design mode
Target omitted	"add template risk-register"	Ask which addon or framework

Process

1. Parse Arguments

Extract from $ARGUMENTS:

• <name> — kebab-case template name (required)
• --to <target> — addon or framework directory name (required)
• --category <category> — subdirectory within templates/ (optional; e.g., requirements, architecture, security)
• --interactive — enable guided design questions

If either <name> or --to is missing, ask before proceeding.

2. Validate Target

Confirm the target exists:

# Check addons
ls agentic/code/addons/<target>/templates/

# Check frameworks
ls agentic/code/frameworks/<target>/templates/

3. Determine Category

If --category is not provided and the target has existing category subdirectories, list them and ask. Common categories in sdlc-complete:

Category	Contents
requirements	Use cases, user stories, NFRs
architecture	SAD, ADRs, C4 diagrams
security	Threat models, security gates
testing	Test plans, test cases, test reports
deployment	Deployment plans, runbooks
planning	Phase plans, iteration plans, risk registers
analysis-design	Domain models, sequence diagrams

If no category is appropriate, place directly in templates/.

4. Interactive Design (if --interactive)

Ask before generating:

1. Purpose: What SDLC artifact does this template produce?
2. Audience: Who fills in this template? (developer, architect, project manager)
3. Required sections: What sections must every instance include?
4. Optional sections: What sections depend on the specific project?
5. Variables: What {{placeholder}} variables should be pre-populated by tooling?
6. Examples: Should the template include inline examples?

5. Run Scaffolding

aiwg add-template <name> --to <target> [--category <category>]

6. Customize the Generated Template

Templates use Markdown with YAML frontmatter and {{variable}} placeholders:

---
template: <name>
version: 1.0.0
category: <category>
description: <one-sentence purpose>
variables:
  - project_name
  - author
  - date
---

# <Template Title>

**Project**: {{project_name}}
**Author**: {{author}}
**Date**: {{date}}
**Version**: 1.0

---

## Purpose

[What this document is for and when to create it]

## Section 1: <Required Section>

[Instructions for completing this section]

> **Guidance**: [What a good answer looks like]

## Section 2: <Required Section>

[Instructions]

## Section 3: <Optional Section> *(if applicable)*

[Instructions]

---

## Review Checklist

Before finalizing this document:

- [ ] All required sections completed
- [ ] Variables replaced with actual values
- [ ] Reviewed by [role]
- [ ] Approved by [role]

7. Register in Templates Manifest

The CLI tool updates the templates manifest. Verify:

{
  "templates": {
    "<category>": ["existing-template", "<name>"]
  }
}

Generated Structure

<target>/templates/<category>/<name>-template.md

Or at root if no category:

<target>/templates/<name>-template.md

Manifest updated: <target>/manifest.json (or templates/manifest.json if present)

Output Format

Template Created: <name>
────────────────────────
Location: <target>/templates/<category>/<name>-template.md
Category:  <category>

Created:
  ✓ <name>-template.md

Manifest updated: <target>/manifest.json

Next Steps:
  1. Define required sections and guidance text
  2. Add {{variable}} placeholders for automation
  3. Include review checklist
  4. Test: aiwg template-engine apply <name> --to .aiwg/<category>/

Examples

Example 1: Architecture decision record

User: "add template adr --to sdlc-complete --category architecture"

Action:

aiwg add-template adr --to sdlc-complete --category architecture

Result: agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/architecture/adr-template.md scaffolded with standard ADR sections (Context, Decision, Consequences, Alternatives).

Example 2: Security threat model

User: "create a threat model template for sdlc-complete"

Extraction: name=threat-model, target=sdlc-complete, category=security

Action:

aiwg add-template threat-model --to sdlc-complete --category security

Example 3: Interactive template design

User: "add template --interactive --to sdlc-complete"

Process: Guided questions establish the artifact type, required sections, variables, and whether examples should be embedded.

References

• @$AIWG_ROOT/src/cli/handlers/scaffolding.ts — CLI handler implementation
• @$AIWG_ROOT/docs/cli-reference.md — Full CLI reference
• @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/frameworks/sdlc-complete/templates/ — Example templates
• @$AIWG_ROOT/agentic/code/addons/aiwg-utils/skills/devkit-create-skill/SKILL.md — Related scaffolding pattern