π PARA Workspace is an open-source workspace framework that defines how humans and AI agents organize knowledge and collaborate on projects. It ships as a repo containing a kernel (constitution), CLI tools, and templates β which generates workspaces where you actually work.
PARA Workspace
The Workspace Framework for Humans & AI Agents
πΊπΈ English β’ π»π³ TiαΊΏng Viα»t β’ π¨π³ δΈζ β’ πͺπΈ EspaΓ±ol β’ π«π· FranΓ§ais
| Section | Description | | :--- | :--- | | π Overview | What it is, three foundational principles | | π Architecture | Repo structure + generated workspace structure | | π₯ Installation | Prerequisites, setup, profiles, troubleshooting | | π§ The Kernel | Invariants, heuristics, contracts | | π οΈ CLI Reference | All CLI commands | | π Workflow Catalog | 32 governed workflows | | π‘οΈ Rule Catalog | 14 governance rules | | π§© Skill Catalog | 21 reusable skills | | π Tool System | Install external agentic plugins | | π§© Task Management | Hybrid 3-File model | | π Upgrading | Auto update + clean slate | | πΊοΈ Roadmap | Version history + planned features |
π Overview
PARA Workspace is an open-source workspace framework that defines how humans and AI agents organize knowledge and collaborate on projects. It ships as a repo containing a kernel (constitution), CLI tools, and templates β which generates workspaces where you actually work. The kernel enforces invariants and heuristics so every workspace is predictable, auditable, and agent-friendly.
Three Foundational Principles
- Repo β Workspace β The repo contains governance (kernel, CLI, templates). It never contains user data.
- Workspace = Runtime β Generated by
para init, each workspace is a standalone instance where you and your agent work. - Kernel = Constitution β Immutable rules that all workspaces follow. Changes require an RFC + version bump.
flowchart TD
R["ποΈ Repo\n(Constitution + Compiler)"]
W["π» Workspace\n(OS Runtime)"]
A["π€ Agent\n(Execution Environment)"]
R -->|para init| W
W -->|agent attach| A
style R fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c5f8a,color:#fff style W fill:#50c878,stroke:#2e8b57,color:#fff style A fill:#ff8c42,stroke:#cc6633,color:#fff
π Architecture
Repo Structure (This Repository)
para-workspace/
βββ .github/ # π€ CI/CD β validate-pr.yml, CODEOWNERS
βββ rfcs/ # π RFC Process β TEMPLATE.md, status in header
βββ kernel/ # π§ Constitution
β βββ KERNEL.md
β βββ invariants.md # 10 hard rules (MAJOR bump)
β βββ heuristics.md # 10 soft conventions
β βββ schema/ # workspace, project, backlog, catalog schemas
β βββ examples/ # valid/ + invalid/ compliance vectors
βββ cli/ # π§ Compiler
β βββ para # Entry point (Bash 3.2+ compatible)
β βββ lib/ # logger.sh, validator.sh, rollback.sh, fs.sh
β βββ commands/ # init, scaffold, status, migrate, archive, install, update
βββ templates/ # π¦ Scaffolding & Governed Libraries
β βββ common/agents/ # Centralized workflows/, rules/, skills/ + catalog.yml
β β βββ projects/ # .project.yml template
β βββ profiles/ # dev, general presets
βββ tests/ # π§ͺ kernel/ + cli/ integration tests
βββ docs/ # π Documentation
β βββ architecture/ # Architecture: overview, kernel, ecosystem
β βββ guides/ # How-to: development, planning, meta-project
β βββ reference/ # Lookup: CLI, workflows, project-rules
β βββ rules/ # Individual rule documentation (11 files)
β βββ workflows/ # Individual workflow docs (22 files)
βββ CONTRIBUTING.md
βββ VERSIONING.md
βββ CHANGELOG.md
βββ VERSION
Workspace Structure (Generated by para init)
<your-workspace>/
βββ Projects/ # Goal-oriented tasks
β βββ my-app/ # Standard project (type: standard)
β β βββ repo/ # Source code (git repo)
β β βββ artifacts/ # Plans, tasks, decisions
β β βββ sessions/ # Session logs
β β βββ docs/ # Project documentation
β β βββ project.md # Project contract
β βββ my-ecosystem/ # Ecosystem project (type: ecosystem) β v1.6.0+
β βββ artifacts/ # Cross-project plans & backlog
β βββ sessions/ # Session logs
β βββ docs/ # Strategy & shared docs
β βββ project.md # satellites: [app, api, ...], NO repo/
βββ Areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities (e.g., health, finance)
β βββ Workspace/ # Master session log, audits, SYNC queue
β βββ Learning/ # Shared knowledge (from /learn)
βββ Resources/ # Reference material & tools
β βββ ai-agents/ # Kernel snapshot + governed library snapshots
β βββ references/ # The original PARA repository (read-only)
βββ Archive/ # Cold storage for completed items
βββ _inbox/ # Temporary landing zone for external downloads
βββ .agents/ # Governed library copies (Auto-synced)
β βββ rules.md # Workspace Rules Trigger Index (always loaded)
β βββ skills.md # Workspace Skills Trigger Index (v1.6.2+)
β βββ rules/ # Active agent rules (.md)
β βββ skills/ # Active agent skills (.md, /scripts)
β βββ workflows/ # Active agent workflows (.md)
βββ .para/ # System state (DO NOT EDIT)
β βββ archive/ # Smart Archive vault for deprecated files
β βββ migrations/ # Migration execution logs
β βββ backups/ # Date-stamped workflow & project backups
β βββ audit.log # Action history
βββ para # Bootstrapper CLI
βββ .para-workspace.yml # Workspace root metadata config
π₯ Installation
Prerequisites
- An AI Agent platform (see compatibility table below)
- Git (required β to clone and update)
- Bash 3.2+ (Linux/macOS native, Windows via Git Bash or WSL)
Platform Compatibility
| Platform | Integration Point | Status | Notes | | :----------------- | :----------------------------- | :---------- | :--------------------------------------------------- | | Google Antigravity | .agents/ (skills, workflows) | β
Verified | Designed and tested for this platform | | Claude Code | CLAUDE.md + .agents/ | βͺ Untested | May read .agents/rules/ directly β needs validation | | Cursor | .cursor/rules/ | βͺ Untested | Theory: copy rules to .cursor/rules/ | | VS Code + Copilot | .github/copilot-instructions | βͺ Untested | Theory: instructions only, no auto-trigger |
Step 1: Clone & Install
Bash (Linux / macOS / Windows Git Bash / WSL):
# Clone repo into the correct location
mkdir -p Resources/references
git clone https://github.com/pageel/para-workspace.git Resources/references/para-workspace
Set executable permissions
chmod +x Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para
chmod +x Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/commands/*.sh
Initialize your workspace with a profile
./Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para init --profile=dev --lang=en
PowerShell (alternative for Windows):
mkdir -Force Resources\references
git clone https://github.com/pageel/para-workspace.git Resources\references\para-workspace
Then open Git Bash or WSL at workspace root:
./Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para init --profile=dev --lang=en
Step 2: Verify
./para status
β
If you see a health report β installation successful
What just happened?>
1. The repo lives at Resources/references/para-workspace/ β it's a read-only reference source, not a user project.
2. chmod +x ensures all CLI scripts are executable (required on Linux/macOS).
3.para initcreates the full PARA directory structure, runsinstall.shautomatically to sync kernel, workflows, governance rules, and generates a./parawrapper.
4. You can now use ./para from your workspace root for all commands.
Updating
# Pull latest from GitHub and re-sync workspace
./para update
Preview changes before applying
./para update --dry-run
This will git pull the repo, run version-gated migrations, and re-sync all governed libraries. Existing user-customized files are backed up to .bak before overwriting (Smart Sync). If the install fails mid-operation, all changes are automatically rolled back.
What happens during update:
git pullfetches latest code (self-restarts if scripts changed)migrate.shruns version-gated migration steps (only what's needed)install.shsyncs kernel, workflows, rules, skills to workspace (with atomic rollback)- Audit log is updated in
.para/audit.log
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution | | :------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------- | | macOS: permission denied | Run chmod +x on CLI scripts (Step 3 above) | | Windows: file lock on update | See Windows Recovery below | | Stale workspace (v1.3.x) | Use Manual Clean Slate |
Windows Recovery
If para update fails on Windows due to NTFS file locking:
cd Resources\references\para-workspace
git checkout -- .
git pull origin main
cd ..\..\..
.\para install
Available Profiles
| Profile | Description | Best For | | :---------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------- | :---------------------- | | general | Minimal PARA structure | Personal PKM | | dev | Technical Areas + AI tooling | Software developers |
What para init Does
- β
Creates
Projects/,Areas/,Resources/,Archive/, and_inbox/ - β Sets executable permissions on all CLI scripts
- β
Runs
install.shautomatically, which:
catalog.yml into .agents/workflows/
- Syncs governed rules from catalog.yml into .agents/rules/
- Syncs workspace rules index into .agents/rules.md (trigger index)
- Syncs skills into .agents/skills/ (if profile includes them)
- Creates ./para wrapper at workspace root
- Backs up conflicting files to .bak
- β
Generates
.para-workspace.ymlwith kernel version tracking - β
Initializes
.para/state (audit.log, migrations/, backups/) for full auditability
π§ The Kernel
The Kernel is the constitution of PARA Workspace β the rules that all workspaces must follow.
Invariants (Hard Rules β change = MAJOR bump)
| # | Rule | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | I1 | PARA directory structure is mandatory | | I2 | Hybrid 3-file task model (backlog = canonical, hot lane, /end sync) | | I3 | kebab-case project naming | | I4 | No active tasks = inactive project | | I5 | Areas contain no runtime tasks | | I6 | Archive is immutable cold storage | | I7 | Seeds are raw ideas, not tasks | | I8 | No loose files at workspace root | | I9 | Resources are read-only references | | I10 | Repo β Workspace separation | | I11 | Workflow language compliance |
Heuristics (Soft Rules β change = MINOR/PATCH)
| # | Guideline | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | H1 | Naming conventions (kebab-case, PascalCase) | | H2 | Context loading priority | | H3 | Semantic versioning with approval levels | | H4 | Standard project directory structure | | H5 | Beads lifecycle | | H6 | VCS & Git boundaries | | H7 | Cross-project references + Ecosystem + Meta-Project (v1.7.6) | | H8 | Workflow kernel compatibility | | H9 | Governed libraries require catalog.yml with kernel_min | | H10 | Knowledge Items β schema, scope, slug validation (v1.7.0) |
Kernel β Workspace Contracts
| File | Schema | Enforced By | | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------ | | .para-workspace.yml | workspace.schema.json | para init, para status | | Projects/*/.project.yml | project.schema.json | para scaffold, para review | | artifacts/tasks/backlog.md | backlog.schema.json | para verify | | */catalog.yml | catalog.schema.json | para install, para update |
π οΈ CLI Reference
# Core Commands
para init [--profile] [--lang] # Create workspace
para status [--json] # System health
para update # Auto-update & migrate
para scaffold <type> <name> # Create structured paths
para install [--force] # Sync governed libraries
para archive <type> <name> # Graduation review
para migrate [--from] [--to] # Workspace migration
Configuration
para config [key] [value] # Manage workspace settings
Tool Management (v1.8.0)
para install-tool <name> # Install a plugin from registry
para remove-tool <name> # Remove installed plugin
para list-tools # List installed plugins
MCP Server Management (v1.8.2)
para mcp-setup <tool> # Auto-configure MCP in IDE
para mcp-list # List MCP-capable tools
para mcp-remove <tool> # Remove MCP config from IDE
Agent Capabilities
@[/para-workflow] list # Manage workflows
@[/para-rule] list # Manage rules
Platform Support: Linux, macOS (Bash 3.2+), Windows (Git Bash / WSL).
π Workflow Catalog
| Command | Description | | :-------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------- | | /backlog | Manage project tasks via canonical backlog.md | | /backup | Backup workflows, rules, config, and project data | | /brainstorm | Collaborative ideation with structured output | | /para-config | Manage workspace configuration | | /end | Close session with PARA classification + automated cleanup | | /inbox | Categorize files from inbox/ into PARA | | /install | Intelligent installer (handles updates/merges) | | /learn | Capture lessons into Areas/Learning | | /merge | Semantic merge for workflow conflicts | | /new-project | Initialize new project with scaffolding | | /open | Start session with context + plan phase loading | | /para | Master controller for workspace management | | /docs | Generate, review, and publish technical documentation | | /para-audit | Macro Assessor for tracking workspace structural drift | | /para-rule | Manage, install, and standardize agent rules | | /para-workflow | Manage, install, and standardize agent workflows | | /plan | Create, review, and update implementation plans | | /push | Fast commit and push to GitHub | | /qa | Systematic Red Team Q&A review loop for plans and specs | | /release | Pre-release quality gate | | /retro | Project retrospective before archiving | | /spec | Write structured specifications before coding | | /update | Agent-guided safe workspace update with error recovery | | /verify | Verify task completion with walkthroughs | | /para-knowledge | Manage Knowledge Items β dashboard, create, audit, archive | | /para-skill | Co-Author engine for creating, validating, and testing AI Agent skills | | /write | Write deep-dive content with structured sidecar templates | | /logs | Session telemetry diagnostics and context budget analytics | | /staging | Stage workspace assets into a project's repo (v1.8.11) | | /vibecode | Manage interactive/loop execution modes for coding tasks (v1.8.11) | | /scan-sec | Scan codebase for security vulnerabilities (v1.8.11) | | /resource | Orchestrate resource import, graph generation, and pattern learning (v1.8.11) |
π‘οΈ Rule Catalog
Rules govern agent behavior, security, and compliance. Loaded on-demand via a Two-Tier trigger index (~200 tokens). Skills are loaded via a parallel skills trigger index (v1.6.2). See Rules & Context Loading for the loading mechanism.
| Rule | Description | Priority | | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------ | :----------- | | governance | Kernel invariants, scope containment, safety guardrails | π΄ Critical | | vcs | Git safety: commit, branch, merge, PR, secrets | π΄ Critical | | knowledge | KI operations β write gate, approval, namespace (v1.7.0)| π΄ Critical | | graph-first-policy | Proactive code analysis using para-graph MCP tools | π΄ Critical | | hybrid-3-file-integrity | 6 constraints (C1βC6) for task management | π‘ Important | | agent-behavior | Proactive Trigger Check, Context Recovery (v1.6.2) | π‘ Important | | context-rules | Agent Index Loading (rules + skills), Two-Tier trigger | π‘ Important | | para-discipline | PARA architecture compliance, 7 rules | π‘ Important | | agent-persona | Custom conversational style and agent personality | π‘ Important | | artifact-standard | Plans, walkthroughs, persistent mirroring | π’ Standard | | naming | kebab-case, PascalCase, camelCase conventions | π’ Standard | | versioning | SemVer, autonomy levels, multi-location sync | π’ Standard | | exports-data | Data export: inbox/, UTF-8 BOM, naming | π’ Standard | | tool-routing | Heuristic guide for selecting Native API, Bash, and MCP | π’ Standard |
π§© Skill Catalog
Skills are reusable knowledge modules loaded on-demand via the skills trigger index. Unlike rules (which enforce constraints), skills provide templates, patterns, and reference material.
| Skill | Description | | :--- | :--- | | PARA Kit | PARA workspace structure reference β schema, layout, kernel governance, intelligence routing | | Formatting | Tables, diagrams, tree listings, ASCII box art | | Page Map | Website visual structure management using PAGEMAP.md and BLUEPRINT.md | | PARA Skill | Governance skill for creating and validating PARA skills via Co-Author engine | | Plan Templates | Detail Plan & Roadmap templates (Sidecar, v1.7.8) | | Docs Templates | Architecture, CLI, Strategy templates (Sidecar, v1.7.8) | | Brainstorm Templates | Decision & Research templates (Sidecar, v1.7.12) | | Write Templates | Content type templates and writing rules (Sidecar, v1.7.14) | | Harness Guards | Guard catalog and auto-scan protocol for context-aware safety guards (Sidecar, v1.7.15) | | Spec Templates | Spec templates, assumption surfacing, boundary definitions (Sidecar, v1.7.16) | | QA Review Templates | Red Team personas, dimension checklists, and QA report templates (Sidecar, v1.8.6) | | TDD Guidelines | Strict Test-Driven Development workflow rules and anti-patterns (v1.8.7) | | Logs Audit Extensions | Audit templates for TDD/Spec compliance verification (Sidecar, v1.8.7) | | HTML Renderer | Modular HTML rendering engine for themed static docs & graph views (v1.8.9) | | New Project | Sidecar skill for the /new-project workflow (Sidecar, v1.8.10) | | para-graph | Centralized Graph Intelligence Router and semantic memory curation (Sidecar, v1.8.10) | | Staging Templates | Sidecar data for the /staging template release (Sidecar, v1.8.11) | | Vibecode Execution Templates | Sidecar data for the /vibecode execution (Sidecar, v1.8.11) | | Vulnerability Scanner Templates | Sidecar data for the /scan-sec scanner (Sidecar, v1.8.11) | | Resource Study Templates | Sidecar data for the /resource learning (Sidecar, v1.8.11) | | Sidecar Skill Governance | Architectural rules and standards for sidecar skills (v1.8.11) |
ποΈ Rule Architecture β Two-Tier Loading & Defense-in-Depth
Rules and skills aren't dumped into context all at once. PARA Workspace uses a progressive disclosure architecture that loads indices on-demand, saving ~90% of token budget while maintaining full compliance.
How It Works: Two-Tier Trigger Index (v1.6.2)
flowchart TD
START["π /open starts session"] --> R
subgraph T1["Tier 1 β ALWAYS"] R["π .agents/rules.md\n~20 lines Β· ~200 tokens"] S["π§© .agents/skills.md\n~10 lines Β· ~100 tokens"] end
R --> MEMO1["Agent memorizes triggers\nβ loads rules ON DEMAND"] S --> MEMO2["Agent memorizes triggers\nβ loads skills ON DEMAND"]
START --> S MEMO1 --> CHECK MEMO2 --> CHECK
subgraph T2["Tier 2 β CONDITIONAL"] CHECK{"Check project.md\nagent map"} CHECK -->|agent.rules: true| PR["π Project rules.md"] CHECK -->|agent.skills: true| PS["π§© Project skills.md"] CHECK -->|neither| SKIP["Skip β no project indices"] end
style T1 fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#4a90d9,color:#e0e0e0 style T2 fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#50c878,color:#e0e0e0 style START fill:#ff8c42,stroke:#cc6633,color:#fff style CHECK fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c5f8a,color:#fff
π‘ Total cost: ~350 tokens (vs ~2,000 if all loaded upfront)
Defense-in-Depth: 4-Layer Protection
After a long conversation, AI agents lose context (truncation). PARA Workspace has 4 independent layers to ensure rules and skills survive:
block-beta
columns 4
block:header:4
columns 4
h1["Layer"] h2["What"] h3["Where"] h4["Survives"]
end
l1["1"] w1["Index instructions"] p1["agent-behavior.md Β§4"] s1["β οΈ Lost"]
l2["2"] w2["Safety block"] p2["/open Step 8 report"] s2["β
Checkpoint"]
l3["3"] w3["Pre-flight"] p3["Step 0: re-read"] s3["β
Disk"]
l4["4"] w4["File guards"] p4["<!-- β οΈ --> inline"] s4["β
In-file"]
style s1 fill:#d32f2f,color:#fff style s2 fill:#388e3c,color:#fff style s3 fill:#388e3c,color:#fff style s4 fill:#388e3c,color:#fff
Layer 3 uses Proactive Trigger Check (v1.6.2): BEFORE any side-effect, agent scans all trigger tables and loads matching rules/skills FIRST.
Layer 4 supports 6 guard types: STATUS GATE, MANDATORY, HARNESS GUARD, FILE GUARD (C1-C3, I9, GOVERNED), WORKFLOW GATE, CONTEXT RECOVERY.
Scenario: Agent forgets rules after truncation
sequenceDiagram
participant C as π¬ Long Conversation
participant T as βοΈ Truncation
participant P as π Agent runs /push
participant D as π Agent edits done.md
C->>T: Context window full T--xP: β οΈ Rules lost! T--xD: β οΈ Rules lost!
Note over P: Layer 3 catches P->>P: Step 0 re-reads .agents/rules.md P->>P: VCS rules loaded β safe commit β
Note over D: Layer 4 catches D->>D: Reads <!-- β οΈ APPEND-ONLY --> D->>D: Obeys C2 β append only β
π Full architecture: Context Recovery Β· Defense-in-Depth Β· Rule Layers
π§© Task Management (Hybrid 3-File Model)
PARA Workspace uses a proprietary Hybrid 3-File Architecture (v1.5.3: Hot Lane) to solve the AI Agent "Context Window vs. Amnesia" problem.
Instead of forcing the agent to read one massive backlog file every time it opens a project (which wastes tokens and causes hallucination), tasks are distributed across three highly specialized files:
artifacts/tasks/
βββ backlog.md # π CANONICAL β Operational Authority. All strategic tasks live here.
βββ sprint-current.md # π₯ HOT LANE β Agent-writable buffer for ad-hoc quick tasks.
βββ done.md # β
ARCHIVE β Append-only log with origin tags (#backlog / #session).
How It Works
- Backlog Summary β
/openreads only the Summary table (~10 lines) + top active items viagrep. Never the full file. - Hot Lane β Agent writes ad-hoc quick tasks (
- [ ] Fix CSS) tosprint-current.mdand ticks[x]when done. Strategic tasks from backlog are read directly, not copied. /endis the Sole Sync Point β At session close,/endruns Hot Lane Sync:
[x] tasks β done.md (tagged #session)
- Quick [ ] tasks β ask user: keep or promote to backlog?
- Smart Suggest β reads session log, finds mentioned task IDs, suggests marking strategic tasks as Done (tagged #backlog)
- Zero Ceremony During Coding β No
/backlog updateneeded mid-session. Just code. /backlog clean= Compress, Not Delete β Done items are compressed into 1 line per plan in backlog'sβ Completedsection. Details live indone.md(grouped by plan, linking toplans/done/). Lookup chain:backlog β done.md β plans/done/.
π Knowledge System (v1.7.0)
AI agents lose context between sessions. Knowledge Items (KIs) are a core feature of Google Antigravity β the AI coding agent platform β that provides persistent memory across sessions, projects, and conversations.
KIs live outside the workspace, in Antigravity's platform-managed KI Store (~/.gemini/antigravity/knowledge/). This mirrors PARA Workspace's foundational principle: just as the repo governs but does not contain user data, PARA Workspace governs KI operations (schema, rules, lifecycle workflows) without owning the storage layer.
flowchart LR
subgraph Platform["Antigravity Platform"]
KI["π¦ KI Store\n~/.gemini/antigravity/\nknowledge/"]
end
subgraph WS["PARA Workspace"]
GOV["π‘οΈ Governance\nschema Β· rules\n/para-knowledge"]
end
GOV -->|governs| KI
style Platform fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#ff8c42,color:#e0e0e0 style WS fill:#1a1a2e,stroke:#4a90d9,color:#e0e0e0 style KI fill:#ff8c42,stroke:#cc6633,color:#fff style GOV fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c5f8a,color:#fff
How It Works
flowchart LR
S1["π Session 1\nAgent discovers insight"]
S2["β»οΈ Session 2\nAuto-loaded"]
SN["β‘ Session N\nApplies instantly"]
KI[("πΎ KI Store\nPlatform-managed")]
S1 -->|save as KI| KI KI -->|auto-inject| S2 S2 -->|refine| KI KI -->|auto-inject| SN
style S1 fill:#4a90d9,stroke:#2c5f8a,color:#fff style S2 fill:#50c878,stroke:#2e8b57,color:#fff style SN fill:#ff8c42,stroke:#cc6633,color:#fff style KI fill:#9b59b6,stroke:#7d3c98,color:#fff
Unlike session logs (lost after truncation) or learning files (project-scoped), KIs are:
- Auto-injected at session start by the platform
- Cross-project β workspace-scoped KIs apply to all projects
- Graph-ready β domain Γ purpose taxonomy with
relates_toandconceptsfields
KI Taxonomy
Each KI is classified along two axes β domain (what) Γ purpose (how):
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PURPOSE β
ββββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββ€
β context β reference β pitfall β playbook β
β (priming) β (lookup) β (gotchas) β (how-to) β
ββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββΌββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββ€
β workspace β PARA arch β kernel specs β update bugs β audit proc β
β engineeringβ tech stack β API docs β dep gotchas β deploy SOP β
D β operations β infra setup β CI/CD ref β env traps β rollback β
O β content β writing std β style guide β SEO traps β publish β
M β strategy β org context β roadmap β scope creep β planning β
A β ... β β β β β
I ββββββββββββββ β β β β
N β (open β define your own) β β β β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββββ΄ββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββ
Domain is an open string β define custom domains as needed.
Purpose is a fixed enum:context,reference,pitfall,playbook.
Lifecycle & Integration
| Workflow | KI Integration | |:---------|:---------------| | /open | Platform-injected KI context, scope matching for report | | /plan | Pitfall KIs β Risks, Playbook KIs β Phase references | | /end | Suggests creating/updating KIs from session insights | | /brainstorm | Option F: Extract insight as KI | | /retro | Graduates cross-project patterns to KIs | | /para-knowledge | Full lifecycle: create, update, audit, archive |
Governance
KI operations are governed by 7 rules (KR1βKR7) and validated against H10 (11 clauses):
- KR1 Write Gate: Only
/para-knowledgeworkflow can create/modify KIs - KR2 User Approval: Every KI creation requires explicit user consent
- KR3 Namespace:
para_prefix reserved for system KIs - KR5 Recoverability: All KI operations are reversible
- KR7 Ephemeral Ban: No ephemeral file paths in KI references (v1.7.5)
π Full schema:ki.schema.jsonΒ· Governance:heuristics.mdH10
π Tool System (v1.8.0)
PARA Workspace supports an extensible Dynamic Tool System that allows you to install external, language-agnostic plugins (like para-graph) directly into your workspace.
Tools are managed via a central registry (registry/tools.yml) and are installed as standalone tarballs.
How it works
- Zero Global Dependencies: Tools are installed locally into
.para/tools/for isolation. - Multi-Runtime Support: The CLI auto-generates wrapper scripts (e.g.
repo/cli/commands/graph.sh) that know how to invoke Node, Python, or binary executables. - Dev/Prod Fallback: If a tool's source code exists inside the workspace (Dev mode), the wrapper routes execution there. Otherwise, it falls back to the extracted tarball (Prod mode).
Available Tools
| Tool | Description | | :--- | :--- | | para-graph | Hybrid Code-Knowledge Graph for PARA Workspace |
π‘ Version is resolved dynamically from registry/tools.yml β always installs the latest registered release.
Usage
# Install the para-graph plugin (structural code analysis & MCP server)
./para install-tool para-graph
List installed tools
./para list-tools
Run the installed tool
./para graph --help
Remove tool
./para remove-tool para-graph
Tool Intelligence Installer (v1.8.1)
Tools can bundle AI intelligence (workflows, skills, rules) directly in their tool.manifest.yml:
agents:
workflows:
- source: templates/agents/workflows/para-graph.md
target: para-graph.md
version: "1.8.0"
skills:
- source: templates/agents/skills/graph-enrichment/
target: graph-enrichment/
version: "1.0.0"
When you run ./para install-tool <name>, the CLI will automatically parse this manifest and prompt you to install the bundled intelligence. You can use --agents to install only the agents, or --no-agents to skip the prompt. remove-tool will also offer to clean up any bundled agents it installed.
MCP Auto-Setup (v1.8.2)
Tools can declare an MCP server in their manifest via the mcp: block. PARA Workspace provides three CLI commands to manage MCP configurations across IDEs:
# Auto-configure MCP server for a tool in your IDE
./para mcp-setup <tool-name>
Print the JSON snippet without modifying IDE config
./para mcp-setup <tool-name> --print-only
List all tools with MCP servers available
./para mcp-list
Remove an MCP server entry from IDE config
./para mcp-remove <tool-name>
Supported IDEs:
| IDE | Config Path | | :--- | :--- | | Google Antigravity | ~/.gemini/antigravity/mcp_config.json | | Claude Desktop | ~/.config/claude/claudedesktopconfig.json (Linux) | | Cursor | ~/.cursor/mcp.json |
The setup uses 2-Tier path resolution (Dev path β Prod path) to point to the correct entry, and jq-based atomic JSON merge with automatic backup.
π Upgrading Versions
π Note: For a detailed breakdown of all features, fixes, and updates in each version, please read our CHANGELOG.
PARA Workspace offers two official mechanisms to upgrade to a newer version:
Mechanism 1: Auto Update (Recommended)
For most healthy workspaces, the built-in update mechanism handles everything safely.
./para update
This will automatically pull the newest core code, run version-gated migrations (only steps relevant to your current version), sync the libraries, and securely move obsolete structural files to the .para/archive/ vault without deleting your custom data (Smart Archive). User-customized rules are protected with .bak backups.
Mechanism 2: Manual Clean Slate (For heavily modified workspaces)
If your workspace is very old (v1.3.x) or has been heavily customized, start fresh:
- Run
para init --profile=dev --lang=enin a completely new directory. - Copy your old
Projects/directories into the_inbox/of the new workspace. - Use the
/inboxworkflow or let your AI agent sort them into the new correct structure.
πΊοΈ Roadmap
- [x] Cross-Project Sync Queue (shipped in v1.3.6)
- [x] Kernel Extraction & Repo Restructure (shipped in v1.4.0)
- [x] Governed Libraries, RFC Process, Workspace Runtime Safety (shipped in v1.4.1)
- [x] Landing Page
paraworkspace.dev(shipped in v1.4.1) - [x] Plan-Aware Workflows & Token Optimization (shipped in v1.4.2)
- [x] Automated Plan Cleanup via
/end [done](shipped in v1.4.3) - [x] Safety Guardrails & Terminal Allowlist (shipped in v1.4.5)
- [x] Smart Archive & Version Migration (shipped in v1.4.6)
- [x] macOS Compatibility & Safe Migration Pipeline (shipped in v1.4.7)
- [x] Atomic Rollback, Dry-run Pipeline & README Rewrite (shipped in v1.4.8)
- [x] Centralized Backup & Workspace Cleanup (shipped in v1.4.9)
- [x] Project Rules Loading & Safe Update Workflow (shipped in v1.5.0)
- [x] Hybrid 3-File Synchronization & Fast Mode (shipped in v1.5.1)
- [x] Hybrid 3-File Integrity, Working Checkmarks & Docs Overhaul (shipped in v1.5.2)
- [x] Hot Lane Refactor, /end Sync Point & Token Optimization (shipped in v1.5.3)
- [x] Context Recovery, Workflow Pre-flight & Defense-in-Depth (shipped in v1.5.4)
- [x] Meta-Project & Ecosystem Support (shipped in v1.6.0)
- [x] Unified Strategy β Plan Flow (shipped in v1.6.1)
- [x] Unified Agent Index β Skills Loading & Proactive Trigger Check (shipped in v1.6.2)
- [x] Central Gate β project.md as single source for context loading (shipped in v1.6.3)
- [x] Para-Kit Skill v1.1.0, Recursive Sync & Git Hash Detection (shipped in v1.6.4)
- [x] Update Flow Fix β Version Direction Detection & Migration History (shipped in v1.6.5)
- [x] Knowledge System β KI schema, /knowledge workflow, graph-ready taxonomy (shipped in v1.7.0)
- [x] System KI Governed Lifecycle β namespace guard, template sync, CLI hooks (shipped in v1.7.1)
- [x] KI Index Schema Upgrade, Workflow Simplification & Knowledge Graph Seed (shipped in v1.7.2)
- [x] Agent Path Convention Fix (BUG-28) & Rule Frontmatter (shipped in v1.7.3)
- [x] Repo Path Standardization, Pending TODO Fix & Project Profile Skill (shipped in v1.7.4)
- [x] KR7 Ephemeral Ban & /knowledge β /para-knowledge Rename (shipped in v1.7.5)
- [x] Skill Catalog Architecture & Meta-Project Type (shipped in v1.7.6)
- [x] Brainstorm Consolidation, Sidecar Skill & /docs (shipped in v1.7.7-1.7.8)
- [x] Proactive Trigger Check & Cognitive Bypass Fix (shipped in v1.7.9-1.7.10)
- [x] Backlog Governance & Extract Paradigm (shipped in v1.7.11-1.7.12)
- [x] VERSIONS.yml Migration & Anti-Token Decay (shipped in v1.7.13)
- [x] Content Authoring Ecosystem & Session Telemetry (shipped in v1.7.14)
- [x] Harness Skill, Plan Status Gate & Roadmap Prefix Convention (shipped in v1.7.15)
- [x] Spec Workflow, Dual-Format Guards & CLI Fixes (shipped in v1.7.16)
- [x] Dynamic Tool System & para-graph integration (shipped in v1.8.0)
- [x] Tool Intelligence Installer & manifest-declared AI intelligence (shipped in v1.8.1)
- [x] MCP Auto-Setup β
mcp-setup,mcp-list,mcp-removeCLI commands (shipped in v1.8.2) - [x] QA Governance Workflow & Sidecar Skill Integration (shipped in v1.8.6)
- [x] TDD Governance Workflow (shipped in v1.8.7)
- [x] Ecosystem-wide Para-Graph MCP Integration β Memory Ops lifecycle, Project Sidecar Skill, 43% workflow coverage (shipped in v1.8.9)
- [x] Release Hardening, HTML Renderer Integration, Spec Rules & TDD Gate (shipped in v1.8.10)
- [x] Release Hardening: dirty-check template override prompts in install-tool CLI, conflict diff detection, and staging/scan-sec/vibecode/resource workflows catalog integration (shipped in v1.8.11)
- [x] Antigravity IDE 2.x and v1.x Config Migration & TDD hardening (shipped in v1.8.12)
- [x] Node Path Resolution (NVM/fnm/Volta) & Rule/KI Artifact Authority improvements (shipped in v1.8.13)
- [x] MCP Windows Path Conversion (BUG-37) & Plan Auto-Activation (shipped in v1.8.14)
- [x] Vibecode DSP & Template Consolidation (shipped in v1.8.15)
- [x] Platform Tracker Exemption & Decoupled Project Plans (shipped in v1.9.0)
- [x] Plan/Session-Plan Templates & Dual-Format Guards (shipped in v1.9.1)
- [x] Standards & Roadmaps Optimization (shipped in v1.9.2)
- [x] Unified CSA HTML-Renderer Upgrade (shipped in v1.9.3)
- [x] Local Development Sync & AI Index Auto-Sync (shipped in v1.9.4)
- [x] Template Consolidation & Release (Diagnostics Debug, Self-Improvement, Remote, Report, Research) (shipped in v1.9.5)
- [ ] Plugin Hooks & vibecodesession extensions (v1.10.0 β planned)_
- [ ] Department System (v1.x.x β planned)
π€ Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines. Key points:
- Kernel invariant changes require an RFC + MAJOR bump β See rfcs/TEMPLATE.md
- Heuristic changes require a PR + MINOR/PATCH bump
- All changes must pass test vectors in
kernel/examples/
π License & References
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
The /scan-sec security audit module (governed under scan-sec SKILL.md) is built upon and references:
- The vbsec repository (core execution architecture).
- The OWASP Top 10 project (security standards and classifications).
Third-Party Dependencies
Core CLI Utilities
- jq (JSON CLI parser, required for configuration updates).
- Git (Required for version control and workspace updates).
- Node.js (Runtime for graph analysis and HTML document renderers).
Frontend CDN Libraries (used in HTML rendering)
- marked (Markdown parser).
- mermaid (Flowchart/diagram engine).
- force-graph (2D force-directed graph engine for code graph visualization).
- lucide (UI icons).
- Google Fonts (Inter, Outfit, Roboto, Fira Code typography).
Built with β€οΈ by Pageel. Standardizing the future of Agentic PKM.
Version: 1.9.5