BMAD-METHOD/bmad/bmb/workflows/create-agent/checklist.md

Build Agent Validation Checklist

Agent Structure Validation

XML Structure

• Valid XML syntax with proper opening and closing tags
• Agent tag has required attributes: id, name, title, icon
• All XML tags properly nested and closed
• No duplicate attribute names within same element

Core Components

• <!-- Powered by BMAD-CORE™ --> header present at top of file
• Title section with agent name exists after header
• Main <agent> wrapper element present
• <persona> section exists and is not empty
• <cmds> section exists with at least 2 commands

Persona Completeness

Required Persona Elements

• <role> tag present with 1-2 line description of agent's professional role
• <identity> tag present with 3-5 lines describing background and expertise
• <communication_style> tag present with 3-5 lines describing interaction approach
• <principles> tag present with 5-8 lines of core beliefs and methodology

Persona Quality

• Role clearly defines primary expertise area
• Identity includes relevant experience indicators
• Communication style describes how agent interacts with users
• Principles start with "I believe" or "I operate" or similar first-person statement
• No placeholder text like "TODO" or "FILL THIS IN" remains

Command Structure

Required Commands

• *help command present to show command list
• *exit command present to exit agent persona
• All commands start with asterisk (*) prefix
• Each command has descriptive text explaining its purpose

Command Validation

• No duplicate command triggers (each cmd attribute is unique)
• Commands are properly formatted as <c cmd="*trigger">Description</c>
• For workflow commands: run-workflow attribute has valid path or "todo"
• For task commands: exec attribute has valid path
• No malformed command attributes

Agent Type Specific

Simple Agent

• Self-contained with no external workflow dependencies OR marked as "todo"
• Any embedded data properly structured
• Logic description clear if embedded functionality exists

Expert Agent

• Sidecar resources clearly defined if applicable
• Domain restrictions documented in critical-actions or sidecar-resources
• Memory/knowledge file paths specified if used
• Access patterns (read/write) defined for resources

Module Agent

• Module path correctly references existing module (bmm/bmb/cis or custom)
• Config loading path in critical-actions matches module structure
• At least one workflow or task reference (or marked "todo")
• Module-specific conventions followed

Critical Actions (if present)

Standard Actions

• Config loading path is valid: {project-root}/bmad/{module}/config.yaml
• User name variable reference: {user_name}
• Communication language reference: {communication_language}
• All variable references use proper syntax: {variable_name}

Custom Actions

• Custom initialization clearly described
• No syntax errors in action statements
• All file paths use {project-root} or other valid variables

Optional Elements

Activation Rules (if custom)

• Initialization sequence clearly defined
• Command resolution logic specified
• Input handling rules documented
• All custom rules properly structured

Config File (if created)

• Located in correct path: {project-root}/bmad/_cfg/agents/
• Follows config override structure
• Name matches agent filename

Final Validation

File Quality

• No syntax errors that would prevent agent loading
• All placeholders replaced with actual values
• File saved to correct location as specified in workflow
• Filename follows kebab-case convention

Usability

• Agent purpose is clear from title and persona
• Commands logically match agent's expertise
• User would understand how to interact with agent
• Next steps for implementation are clear

Issues Found

Critical Issues

Warnings

Improvements