Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Choosing a Workflow agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Choosing a Workflow is a router skill from JetBrains' ThinkRail workflow family. When an agent receives a new request, it decides whether the work is project onboarding, pull request lifecycle work, or a change to product behavior, then hands off to the matching workflow skill. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what else it needs to work.
Choosing a WorkflowJetBrains/thinkrail · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the choosing-a-workflow ZIP from this skill's page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ for one repository.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 4Install the related workflow skills. Add setting-up-a-project, shipping-a-pr, brainstorming, and asking-user-questions so routing has targets.
- 5Make a natural request. Describe your task in plain language, such as a new feature, a PR to open, or a fresh project to set up.
- 6Let the agent route the work. The agent classifies the request and reads the matching workflow skill, or proceeds directly if no workflow applies.
What is an agent skill, and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that gives an AI coding agent instructions for a task. The agent reads the skill when the task matches the skill's description.
Choosing a Workflow does not write code or run the work itself. It classifies a new request by asking three questions: is this project onboarding, is this PR lifecycle work, or does it change what the product does (a feature, a behavior change, or a bug fix). It then names the workflow skill that governs the work.
- Project onboarding: routes to setting-up-a-project
- PR lifecycle work, including PR checks and review comments: routes to shipping-a-pr
- Feature, behavior change, or bug fix: routes to brainstorming
- Work that changes no behavior (questions, explanations, checks, typo or documentation edits, renames): no workflow is started
Install the choosing-a-workflow skill
Download the ZIP from the skill's page on this site. Unzip it into your personal skills folder, ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill limited to one repository.
You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and add the ZIP there.
The package contains a single file, SKILL.md. Remember that the other ThinkRail workflow skills must also be installed, or routing has nowhere to send the work.
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The agent loads the skill when a request matches its description, so describe the work the way you normally would.
The skill is meant for the start of new work. It is not meant for continuing work that is already routed to a workflow, so when you return to an in-progress task, the agent should resume that workflow instead of routing again.
- "Set up this repo for the ThinkRail workflows, I only have a rough idea so far."
- "Open a PR for the login fix and watch the checks."
- "Address the review comments on my pull request."
- "Add a dark mode toggle to the settings page."
- "Fix the crash when the cart is empty."
What the skill needs to work
Choosing a Workflow only routes. Routing leads somewhere only when the target skills are present: setting-up-a-project, shipping-a-pr, brainstorming, and asking-user-questions.
If a request is genuinely ambiguous, the skill tells the agent to ask one short clarifying question instead of guessing. The question is composed using the asking-user-questions skill.
- Install the other ThinkRail workflow skills alongside this one
- Use an agent that supports skills in the folders or Claude app described above
Safety notes: scripts and network access
According to the skill's listing, this skill runs no scripts and uses no network access. Its only file is SKILL.md, which contains instructions.
Because the skill only decides which workflow applies, the work itself is still done by the routed skill. Review the workflow skills you install as you would any instructions your agent follows.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
Tips for getting good routing
Give the agent enough context in the first message. The skill uses what is already known about the request and the workspace to classify it.
Do not expect it to help with pure questions or one-line edits. The skill excludes them on purpose, so the agent should answer or edit directly.
If work mixes implementation and PR work, the skill sends the implementation through brainstorming first and returns to shipping-a-pr after it lands.
- State whether the project is new or already has specs
- Say clearly if a change is a bug fix, a behavior change, or a rename
- Expect only one route per piece of work
What people use it for
- Starting onboarding on a new repository that has only a rough idea and no specs yet
- Opening a pull request and having the agent watch its checks and address review comments
- Making a behavior change or bug fix that goes through design discussion before implementation
- Confirming that a rename or documentation edit proceeds without starting a workflow
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the choosing-a-workflow skill?
Download the ZIP from this skill's page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What are the requirements for choosing-a-workflow?
The skill needs the other ThinkRail workflow skills installed: setting-up-a-project, shipping-a-pr, brainstorming, and asking-user-questions. Without them, routing has no target to hand off to.
Is choosing-a-workflow free to use, and what is its licence?
The skill is listed under the Apache-2.0 licence. The source does not state any price, so check the repository for details beyond the licence.
Does this skill run scripts or access the network?
No. According to the listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. It consists of a single SKILL.md file.
Can I use this skill outside the ThinkRail workflow family?
Not usefully. It only routes requests to ThinkRail workflow skills and does not perform the work itself, so it has little value on its own.
Why does the agent not start a workflow for my question or rename?
The skill only classifies work that changes product behavior, PR lifecycle work, or project onboarding. Questions, explanations, checks, typo or documentation edits, configuration-only edits, and mechanical refactors such as renames are excluded on purpose.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you work with the ThinkRail workflow family and want an agent to choose the right process for each new request, such as design discussion before a behavior change. Skip it if you want a general-purpose coding helper, or if you mainly ask quick questions or make one-line edits, since the skill deliberately stays out of that work.
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