# Expand Tasks

Expand all TaskMaster tasks with deep research before coding begins.

- Repository: https://github.com/anombyte93/prd-taskmaster (606 stars)
- Category: AI and agents
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-08-14
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add anombyte93/prd-taskmaster --skill expand-tasks -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add anombyte93/prd-taskmaster --skill expand-tasks -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add anombyte93/prd-taskmaster --skill expand-tasks -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add anombyte93/prd-taskmaster --skill expand-tasks -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add anombyte93/prd-taskmaster`

## Description

Expand all TaskMaster tasks with deep research before coding begins. Reads tasks.json, launches parallel research agents per task in waves using the research-expander agent. Writes findings back to tasks.json. Part of the prd-taskmaster toolkit. Use after PRD is parsed and before implementation. Invoke with /expand-tasks.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Expand Tasks with Research v1.0

Expands TaskMaster tasks with research before coding begins.
Deterministic operations handled by `script.py`; AI handles judgment.

**Script location**: `skills/expand-tasks/script.py` (relative to plugin root)
**Part of**: `prd-taskmaster` plugin
**Depends on**: `research-expander` agent (parallel research worker), any research
provider configured via `task-master models --set-research` or registered as an
MCP research tool.

## When to Use

Activate when user says: expand tasks, research tasks, research before coding for all, expand subtasks.
Do NOT activate for: single task research (use /research-before-coding), PRD generation (use /prd:go).

## Native-parallel first (token economy)

Before launching agent waves, check the cheaper path: the native engine expands tasks
in parallel for free. Prefer `python3 script.py expand`, backend op expand (native api), or the `expand_tasks` MCP tool: it runs structured `expand` across pending tasks
concurrently (inheriting the engine's ThreadPoolExecutor) on economy-tier models /
keyless host CLIs and merges atomically.
Use THIS skill's agent waves when: no provider/CLI is available, native expand reports
failures for specific tasks (rerun just those here), or the research must be repo-grounded
(agents can read the codebase; native expand cannot).

## Prerequisites

- TaskMaster `tasks.json` must exist (run `/prd:go` first)
- A research provider is configured, either (a) `task-master models --set-research <model> --<provider>` for any task-master provider family, or (b) an MCP research tool registered in `~/.claude.json` that Claude Code can call directly (for example `mcp__plugin_prd_go__*` tools or an external search/reason MCP)
- At least 1 task in `tasks.json`

---

## Workflow (5 Steps)

### Step 1: Preflight

```bash
python3 skills/expand-tasks/script.py read-tasks
```

Returns JSON: `total`, `expanded`, `pending_expansion`, `tasks[]`.

The rest: https://github.com/anombyte93/prd-taskmaster/blob/HEAD/skills/expand-tasks/SKILL.md