Templates Reference

Templates define the structure of artifacts produced by SNIPER agents during protocol execution. They ensure consistent output format across projects. Templates are stored in .sniper/templates/.

Available Templates

Core Artifacts

Template	Format	Description
Architecture	Markdown	System architecture with diagrams, data models, and API design
Specification	Markdown	Project specification with requirements and acceptance criteria
Story	Markdown	Self-contained story with embedded context and acceptance criteria
Codebase Overview	Markdown	Overview of existing codebase structure and patterns

Review & Quality

Template	Format	Description
Review Report	Markdown	Phase review gate results and scoring
Multi-Faceted Review Report	Markdown	Three-dimension review: scope, standards, risk

Runtime State

Template	Format	Description
Checkpoint	YAML	Phase checkpoint — snapshot of protocol state
Live Status	YAML	Real-time protocol progress

Signals & Knowledge

Template	Format	Description
Signal Record	YAML	Captures learning from CI failures, PR reviews, production errors
Knowledge Manifest	YAML	Domain knowledge sources for agent injection

Workspace & Configuration

Template	Format	Description
Workspace Config	YAML	Multi-project workspace configuration
Custom Protocol	YAML	Custom protocol definition template

Template Usage

Templates are automatically used by agents during phase execution. The agent reads the template, fills in project-specific content, and writes the artifact to the .sniper/ directory.

TIP

Templates define structure, not content. Agents use them as scaffolding and fill in details based on the project context, prior artifacts, and their role.

Related

• Core Concepts — artifacts and how they fit the lifecycle
• Full Lifecycle — which templates are used in each phase
• Schemas — validation schemas for YAML artifacts