Build a Feature

/mk:cook is the primary workflow for building features. It runs the full 7-phase pipeline — you describe what you want, and MeowKit handles planning, testing, building, reviewing, and shipping.

Quick start

/mk:cook add user authentication with JWT

That's it. MeowKit detects your intent, creates a plan, and walks through each phase. You approve at two checkpoints (Gate 1 and Gate 2).

Common workflows

From a natural language description

/mk:cook add pagination to the user list API

MeowKit classifies the task, selects the right model tier, and creates a plan. You review and approve the plan before any code is written.

From an existing plan file

/mk:cook tasks/plans/260501-pagination/plan.md

Skips the planning phase. The plan must already be approved (Gate 1).

With TDD

/mk:cook build payment processor --tdd

Failing tests are written before implementation. The developer cannot write code until tests exist and fail. Use --tdd for production-critical features.

Fast mode

/mk:cook add login form --fast

Skips research. The planner still creates a plan, but without deep codebase analysis. Good for well-understood features with clear scope.

Parallel mode

/mk:cook implement checkout system --parallel

Spawns up to 3 agents in isolated git worktrees for independent subtasks. Use when the plan has clearly independent components.

What happens at each phase

Phase	What you see	What you do
0 — Orient	Task classified, model tier declared	Nothing — automatic
1 — Plan	Plan created with acceptance criteria	Approve the plan (Gate 1)
2 — Test	Tests written from acceptance criteria	Review test coverage
3 — Build	Implementation proceeds	Watch for self-healing attempts
4 — Review	5-dimension audit with verdict	Approve the review (Gate 2)
5 — Ship	PR created, CI triggered	Merge when CI passes
6 — Reflect	Patterns captured to memory	Nothing — automatic

Choosing the right mode

Situation	Mode
New feature, clear scope	Default: /mk:cook "description"
Production-critical feature	--tdd for strict test-first discipline
Well-understood feature	--fast to skip research
Feature with independent parts	--parallel for parallel agents
Feature from existing plan	Pass the plan path directly
Docs-only change	--no-test to skip Phase 2

Gotchas

• Simple features grow. Always let MeowKit create a plan — a "simple" feature that touches 3 files needs planning.
• Gate 2 is never auto-approved. The --auto flag fixes issues but still requires your review approval.
• Long sessions lose context. The plan's Agent State section auto-updates — read it if you resume mid-build.

Next steps

• Fix a bug — structured debugging with /mk:fix
• Autonomous builds — green-field products with /mk:harness
• Understand the workflow — the 7-phase pipeline in detail