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title description sidebar_position author ms.date ms.topic keywords estimated_reading_time
Task Implementor Guide
Use the Task Implementor custom agent to execute implementation plans with precision and tracking
6
Microsoft
2026-01-24
tutorial
task implementor
rpi workflow
implementation phase
github copilot
4

The Task Implementor custom agent transforms planning files into working code. It executes plans task by task, tracks all changes, and supports stop controls for review between phases.

When to Use Task Implementor

Use Task Implementor after completing planning when you need:

  • ⚡ Precise execution following the plan exactly
  • 📝 Change tracking documenting all modifications
  • ⏸️ Stop controls for review between phases
  • ✅ Verification that success criteria are met

What Task Implementor Does

  1. Reads the plan phase by phase, task by task
  2. Loads only needed details using line ranges
  3. Implements code following workspace conventions
  4. Tracks changes in a changes log
  5. Verifies success criteria before marking complete
  6. Pauses at stop points for your review

Note

Why the constraint matters: Task Implementor has one job: execute the plan using patterns documented in research. No time wasted rediscovering conventions, no "creative" decisions that break existing patterns. Just verified facts applied methodically.

Output Artifacts

Task Implementor creates working code and a changes log:

.copilot-tracking/
└── changes/
    └── {{YYYY-MM-DD}}-<topic>-changes.md    # Log of all changes made

Plus all the actual code files created or modified during implementation.

How to Use Task Implementor

Step 1: Clear Context and Open the Plan

🔴 Start with /clear or a new chat after Task Planner completes.

After clearing, open your plan file (.copilot-tracking/plans/<topic>-plan.instructions.md) in the editor before invoking Task Implementor. This ensures the agent can locate and follow the plan without relying on chat history.

Tip

Context management is an engineering practice, not a ritual. Clearing context removes accumulated tokens that cause the model to ignore its instructions. See Context Engineering for the full explanation.

Step 2: Select the Custom Agent

  1. Open GitHub Copilot Chat (Ctrl+Alt+I)
  2. Click the agent picker dropdown
  3. Select Task Implementor

Step 3: Reference Your Plan

Use /task-implement to start execution. The prompt automatically locates the plan and switches to Task Implementor. Alternatively, provide the path to your plan file directly.

Step 4: Set Stop Controls

Choose your review cadence:

  • phaseStop=true (default): Pause after each phase
  • taskStop=true: Pause after each task
  • Both false: Run to completion

Step 5: Review and Continue

At each stop point:

  1. Review the changes made
  2. Verify code compiles and lints
  3. Approve or request adjustments
  4. Continue to next phase/task

Example Prompt

/task-implement

Or reference a specific generated prompt:

/implement-blob-storage

Understanding Stop Controls

Phase Stop (Default: true)

Pauses after completing all tasks in a phase:

Phase 1: [x] Task 1.1, [x] Task 1.2 → STOP for review
Phase 2: [ ] Task 2.1, [ ] Task 2.2

Task Stop (Default: false)

Pauses after each individual task:

Phase 1: [x] Task 1.1 → STOP
         [ ] Task 1.2

Tips for Better Implementation

✅ Do:

  • Review changes at each stop point
  • Run linters and validators
  • Check that success criteria are met
  • Ask for adjustments before continuing

❌ Don't:

  • Skip reviewing changes
  • Ignore failing tests or lints
  • Rush through all phases without checking

The Changes Log

Task Implementor maintains a changes log with sections:

## Changes

### Added
* src/storage/blob_client.py - Azure Blob Storage client class

### Modified
* src/pipeline/config.py - Added blob storage configuration

### Removed
* (none this implementation)

At Completion

When all phases are complete, Task Implementor provides:

  1. Summary of all changes from the changes log
  2. Links to planning files for reference
  3. Recommendation to proceed to review

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall Solution
Plan not found Complete Task Planner first
Skipping reviews Use phaseStop=true for important changes
Not running validations Check lint/test after each phase
Context issues Use /clear before starting; see Context Engineering

Next Steps

After Task Implementor completes:

  1. Clear context using /clear or starting a new chat
  2. Review using /task-review to switch to Task Reviewer
  3. Address findings from the review before committing
  4. Commit your changes with a descriptive message
  5. Clean up planning files if no longer needed

Tip

Use the ✅ Review handoff button when available to transition directly to Task Reviewer with context.

For your next task, you can start the RPI workflow again with Task Researcher.

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.