/blockers

Analyze and track all blockers across the project with categorization, root cause analysis, and actionable resolution suggestions.

Quick Start

Copy/agileflow:blockers

Parameters

Examples

View All Blockers

Copy/agileflow:blockers

Display all active blockers across all agents with summary stats and suggested actions.

Filter by Agent

Copy/agileflow:blockers AGENT=AG-UI

Show only blockers affecting the UI team.

Include Resolved Blockers

Copy/agileflow:blockers SHOW_RESOLVED=true

Display both active and recently resolved blockers (last 7 days) to track unblocking progress.

View Full Details

Copy/agileflow:blockers DETAILED=true

Show extended information including related ADRs, research notes, and resolution recommendations.

Blocker Categories

Blockers are categorized by type to help identify resolution patterns:

Technical Blockers

Missing APIs, infrastructure, or dependencies that aren't complete. Often unblock when dependent story completes.

Example: AG-UI blocked waiting for AG-API to implement /auth/login endpoint

Resolution: Check if AG-API story is in-progress, estimate completion time, or use mock data as workaround.

Coordination Blockers

Waiting on other agents or requiring handoff. Requires cross-team communication.

Example: AG-UI blocked waiting on AG-API priority decision

Resolution: Schedule sync, clarify priorities, or redistribute work to balance capacity.

Clarification Blockers

Requirements unclear or acceptance criteria incomplete. Can't proceed without more information.

Example: Deployment target unclear (Vercel vs AWS vs Docker)

Resolution: Ask specific questions, check epic goals, or create spike story for investigation.

External Blockers

Third-party service, approval, or access required. Often outside team control.

Example: Waiting for payment gateway API keys from vendor

Resolution: Escalate to stakeholder, document assumptions to work in parallel.

Capacity Blockers

Team member at WIP limit and can't start new stories. Others waiting for their availability.

Example: AG-API at 2/2 stories, 3 ready stories waiting

Resolution: Redistribute to other agents, focus on completing current work, or add team capacity.

Research Blockers

Need investigation before proceeding. Stale research may need updating.

Example: Deployment comparison research outdated (90+ days old)

Resolution: Run /agileflow:research:ask for current best practices, update research notes.

Output Format

Summary Section

Copy🚧 Blocker Dashboard
====================
Generated: 2025-12-24 14:30
Filter: All agents
 
📊 SUMMARY
----------
Total Active Blockers: 8
  - Technical: 3
  - Coordination: 2
  - Clarification: 1
  - External: 0
  - Capacity: 2
  - Research: 0
 
Critical (>14 days): 1
Cross-Agent Blockers: 2

Critical Blockers Section

Blockers stale for >14 days requiring immediate attention:

Copy🔴 CRITICAL BLOCKERS (>14 days)
-------------------------------
US-0051 | AG-DEVOPS | Blocked for 16 days
  Reason: Unclear deployment target
  Impact: Blocking EP-0012 CI/CD Pipeline (10% complete)
 
  💡 Resolution:
     - Ask stakeholder: Which platform? (Vercel, AWS, Docker)
     - Related research: docs/10-research/deployment-comparison.md (90 days old)
     - Suggest: /agileflow:research:ask TOPIC="Modern deployment 2025"

Active Blockers Section

Grouped by category with resolution suggestions and estimated unblock times.

Capacity Blockers Section

Agents at WIP limit with stories waiting:

Copy💪 CAPACITY BLOCKERS
--------------------
AG-API at WIP limit (2/2):
  - US-0038 (in-progress, est. 1d remaining)
  - US-0041 (in-progress, est. 2d remaining)
 
Ready stories waiting for AG-API: 3
  - US-0055 (EP-0011, est: 1d)
  - US-0060 (EP-0013, est: 2d)
  - US-0062 (EP-0010, est: 0.5d)
 
💡 Suggestion: Wait for US-0038 to complete (tomorrow),
   then pick up US-0062 (smallest and fastest win)

Recently Resolved Section (if SHOW_RESOLVED=true)

Copy✅ RECENTLY RESOLVED (last 7 days)
----------------------------------
2025-12-21 14:30 - AG-API unblocked US-0042: "POST /auth/login endpoint complete"
2025-12-20 09:15 - AG-UI unblocked US-0033: "Design system tokens extracted"
2025-12-19 16:45 - AG-CI unblocked US-0028: "Test environment configured"

Action Items Section

Prioritized next steps with specific commands:

Copy🎯 PRIORITIZED ACTIONS
----------------------
1. [High] Resolve US-0051 clarification blocker (16 days old)
   Command: /agileflow:status STORY=US-0051 STATUS=ready NOTE="Clarified: Vercel"
 
2. [High] Complete US-0038 (70% done, unblocks US-0042)
   Command: /agileflow:status STORY=US-0038 STATUS=in-review
 
3. [Medium] Update stale deployment research (90 days old)
   Command: /agileflow:research:ask TOPIC="Deployment platforms"
 
4. [Low] Redistribute AG-API backlog when capacity opens
   Command: /agileflow:assign STORY=US-0055 NEW_OWNER=AG-API

Key Insights

The blocker command highlights:

• Critical blockers - Anything stale >14 days needs immediate action
• Cross-agent blockers - Shows AG-API ↔ AG-UI coordination opportunities
• Capacity constraints - Identifies bottlenecks in team capacity
• Dependency chains - Unblocking story A will free up stories B and C
• Research gaps - Shows when research is outdated and needs refresh

Best Practices

1. Check blockers daily - During standup or in the morning
2. Unblock immediately - Don't let blockers sit longer than necessary
3. Communicate blockers - Update status as soon as blocked, not after
4. Escalate critical - Anything >7 days needs escalation
5. Document root cause - Help future reference with clear blocker reasons

Related Commands

• /agileflow:status - Update blocker status when resolved
• /agileflow:board - Visualize blockers in kanban view
• /agileflow:metrics - Analyze blocker impact on metrics
• /agileflow:research:ask - Generate detailed research prompt for blocker investigation
• /story-new - Create unblocking stories

FAQ