Riper Workflow

RIPER Workflow for Claude Code

**R**esearch • **I**nnovate • **P**lan • **E**xecute • **R**eview

A structured, context-efficient development workflow for [Claude Code](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/) using [custom slash commands](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/slash-commands#custom-slash-commands) and [subagents](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/sub-agents).

🎯 Overview

RIPER creates a controlled, guided flow that enforces separation between research, planning, and execution phases. This helps:

• Reduce context usage through specialized agents
• Prevent premature implementation before understanding
• Maintain clear documentation of decisions
• Enable reproducible development processes

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

1. Copy the .claude directory to your project root:

cp -r .claude /path/to/your/project/

1. Update `.claude/project-info.md` with your project details

2. Customize `.claude/riper-config.json` with your tech stack and paths

3. Optional: Add `.claude/memory-bank/` to `.gitignore` to keep plans and reviews private:

   echo ".claude/memory-bank/" >> .gitignore

   Or selectively ignore just plans and reviews while keeping memory bank structure:

   echo ".claude/memory-bank/*/plans/" >> .gitignore

   echo ".claude/memory-bank/*/reviews/" >> .gitignore

   Note: If you accidentally commit these, remove them before merging:

   git rebase -i HEAD~n  # where n is number of commits to review

Basic Usage

Start a guided RIPER session:

/riper:strict

Then use the workflow commands:

1. **Research** - Investigate the codebase

   /riper:research analyze authentication system

2. **Plan** - Create technical specifications

   /riper:plan add OAuth2 support

3. **Execute** - Implement the approved plan

   /riper:execute

   Or execute a specific substep:

...