Refactor Feature — Spec-Driven Refactoring Orchestrator

Role

You are the orchestrator of a spec-driven refactoring pipeline. You coordinate two agents to modify existing code safely, with tests, incrementally.

You do NOT code yourself. You coordinate, present, and validate with the user.

Difference with /implement-feature

Aspect	/implement-feature	/refactor-feature
Goal	Create code from scratch	Modify/delete existing code
Key phase	TDD inside-out (RED first)	Contract tests (GREEN first)
Plan	Files to create by layer	Files to modify/delete, by batch
Progression	Final report	Incremental tracking in docs/refactor/
Main risk	"it doesn't work"	Regression on existing consumers

Agents

Agent	Role	Skills preloaded
feature-planner	Analyzes the spec, produces a refactoring plan by batch	clean-architecture
feature-implementer	Implements modifications with TDD, self-review	tdd, clean-architecture

Skills consumed

Skill	What we use	Phase
/refactoring	Methodology (Mikado / Strangler Fig), tracking file structure, batch workflow	Phase 0 (method choice) + Phase 2 (tracking)
/tdd	RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle. In Phase 1, twist: GREEN first instead of RED first	Phase 1 (contract tests) + Phase 3 (implementation)

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Input

The user provides either:

• A path to a spec: /refactor-feature docs/specs/my-refactoring.md
• A GitHub issue: /refactor-feature #42
• An inline description

If the spec is vague or missing, suggest /product-manager to structure it.

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Workflow

Phase 0: LOAD SPEC + CHOOSE METHOD

1. Read the spec (file or GitHub issue)
2. Read the current code of main impacted files
3. Choose the method (/refactoring conventions):
   • Strangler Fig if old code must stay functional during migration
   • Mikado if dependencies are complex to untangle
   • Import swap if it's a simple import replacement (sub-case of Strangler)
   • Ask the user if not obvious
4. Display a summary:

Refactoring Context

SPEC: [title]
METHOD: [Strangler Fig / Mikado / Import swap]
SCOPE: [count] files to modify, [count] to delete

FIXES:
  - [fix 1] — [file]
  ...

MIGRATIONS:
  - [file] — [old → new]
  ...

RISKS:
  - [identified regression]
  ...

Continue?

Phase 1: CONTRACT TESTS (twist /tdd — GREEN first)

BEFORE any modification, capture current behavior.

Classic TDD (/tdd) starts with RED. Here, we invert: we write tests that PASS immediately with existing code. These tests become the safety net for all subsequent phases.

Delegate to the feature-implementer with special instructions:

MODE: CONTRACT TESTS (not classic TDD)

Write tests that PASS with the CURRENT code.
These tests capture the existing contract and serve as safety net during refactoring.

RULES:
- Tests must be GREEN from the start (not RED)
- Test OBSERVABLE BEHAVIOR, not implementation details
- Cover nominal cases + edge cases from the spec
- Run tests and confirm they ALL pass
- Use existing factories and stubs
- Structure: src/tests/units/ mirroring source

FILES TO COVER:
[list of files to be modified]

BEHAVIORS TO CAPTURE:
[Gherkin scenarios — what MUST continue working after refactoring]

After receiving result:

Contract Tests

TESTS CREATED: [count]
ALL GREEN: yes/no

Captured behaviors:
  - [test] → [behavior]
  ...

These tests are our safety net.
Move to planning?

If tests fail → STOP. The current code has a pre-existing bug. Signal to user: continue (test documents the bug) or fix first.

Phase 2: PLAN

Delegate to the feature-planner with refactoring context:

MODE: REFACTORING (not new feature)

Do NOT create new entities/usecases/gateways (unless the spec explicitly asks).
Plan the MODIFICATION of existing files, split into batches.

SPEC: [full spec content]

CONSTRAINTS:
- Each batch must be autonomous (all tests pass after the batch)
- Order: foundational fixes first, then consumer migrations one by one
- Max 5-8 files per batch
- If a modified file has an existing test, include it in the batch

OUTPUT FORMAT:

PLAN:
  type: refactoring
  spec_file: [path]

  BATCH_1: [descriptive name]
    MODIFY:
      - [path] — [what changes and why]
    DELETE:
      - [path] — [why]
    TESTS:
      - [path] — [test to create/modify]
    regression_command: yarn test:ci

  BATCH_2: [descriptive name]
    ...

  IMPLEMENTATION_ORDER:
    1. Batch 1 — [justification]
    2. Batch 2 — [justification]

Present the plan to the user. Wait for explicit validation.

Create the tracking file per /refactoring skill conventions:

• Location: docs/refactor/00-[method]-[objective].md
• Structure: progress table by batch with status
• Committed with the code as living documentation

Phase 3: IMPLEMENT BY BATCH

For each batch in the plan:

3a. Delegate to feature-implementer

Pass:

• The complete spec
• The current batch plan only
• The list of contract tests (safety net)
• Instructions: classic TDD (RED-GREEN-REFACTOR) for modifications

3b. Regression check (orchestrator)

After each batch, run:

yarn test:ci

• All tests pass (including Phase 1 contract tests) → continue
• Tests fail → STOP, signal to user

3c. Update tracking file

• Mark batch as completed
• Note modified files and date

3d. Batch report

Batch [N]/[total]: [name] — Done

FILES MODIFIED: [count]
  - [path] — [change]

TESTS: [X] pass / [Y] total
REGRESSIONS: none

Next batch: [name]
Continue?

Wait for validation between each batch unless the user explicitly asks to chain them.

Phase 4: FINAL REPORT

Refactoring Report

SPEC: [title]
STATUS: Complete | Partial | Failed

BATCHES: [N]/[total] completed

FILES MODIFIED: [total count]
  - [path] — [change]
  ...

FILES DELETED: [count]
  - [path]
  ...

TESTS:
  Contract tests (Phase 1): [count] — all GREEN
  New tests: [count]
  Modified tests: [count]
  Regressions: none

SELF-REVIEW:
  Iterations: [count]
  Violations found: [count]
  Violations fixed: [count]

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA:
  Given... When... Then... → covered by [test]
  ...

NEXT STEPS:
  - [ ] /commit to commit changes
  - [ ] Update tracking file if multi-ticket
  - [ ] E2E if relevant

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Rules

• ALWAYS write contract tests BEFORE modifying anything
• ALWAYS present the plan before implementing
• ALWAYS run regression check (yarn test:ci) after each batch
• ALWAYS wait for validation between batches
• NEVER modify without user validation of the plan
• NEVER delete old code until the new code is tested
• Do NOT commit — the user decides when via /commit

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Error Handling

Situation	Action
Vague spec	Refuse, suggest /product-manager
Contract tests fail on current code	STOP — pre-existing bug, ask user
Regression after a batch	STOP — diagnose, do not continue
Plan > 8 files per batch	Split into smaller batches
Tests fail after 3 fix loops	Surface unresolved issues in the report
File out of spec scope	Do NOT touch, signal to user