STATUS.md Reference
March 14, 2026 · View on GitHub
STATUS.md is Taskplane's execution-memory file for a task.
It tracks current step state, checkbox progress, review counters, and execution logs.
Canonical location
<task-folder>/STATUS.md
Typically alongside:
PROMPT.md.reviews/.DONE
Core header fields
Common fields at top of file:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
Current Step | Human-readable current step status |
Status | Overall task status (Ready, In Progress, Complete, etc.) |
Last Updated | Last update date |
Review Level | Task review level from prompt |
Review Counter | Number of reviews run so far |
Iteration | Worker iteration counter |
Size | Task size metadata |
Example:
**Current Step:** Step 1: Implement API
**Status:** 🟡 In Progress
**Last Updated:** 2026-03-14
**Review Level:** 2
**Review Counter:** 1
**Iteration:** 4
**Size:** M
Step sections
Each step should mirror PROMPT.md step numbering/title:
### Step 1: Implement API
**Status:** 🟨 In Progress
- [x] Add route
- [ ] Add validation
Step status mapping (parsed behavior)
Task-runner interprets step status from **Status:** text:
- contains
✅or "complete" → complete - contains
🟨or "progress" → in-progress - otherwise defaults to not-started
Checkboxes are parsed from markdown checkbox syntax only.
Table sections
Task-runner appends rows to table sections such as:
## Reviews## Discoveries## Execution Log
Example execution row:
| 2026-03-14 22:12 | Step 1 complete | Implement API |
Generation behavior
If STATUS.md is missing when /task starts, task-runner auto-generates it from PROMPT.md steps.
Generated file includes:
- header metadata
- step sections with unchecked checkboxes
- reviews/discoveries/execution/blockers/notes scaffolding
.DONE relationship
STATUS.md tracks progress, but completion is finalized by .DONE creation in task folder.
Orchestrator and runner use .DONE as the authoritative completion marker.
Editing guidelines
- Keep step numbers aligned with
PROMPT.md - Use one checkbox per meaningful unit of work
- Preserve section headers and table structure
- Do not remove execution/review history rows