set_epic_status
Update an epic's lifecycle status with built-in guards that enforce logical progression: all stories must be complete to mark 'done', and backward transitions require explicit confirmation.
Instructions
Update the lifecycle status of an epic. Use this tool to manage the epic's own status — not the status of individual stories within it (use set_story_status for that). Typical progression: draft → in-progress (when the first story starts) → done (when all stories are complete) or deferred (if the epic is postponed). Status meanings: 'draft' = epic created but no work started; 'in-progress' = actively being worked on; 'done' = all stories complete and the epic is closed; 'blocked' = progress prevented by an external dependency; 'deferred' = postponed indefinitely. Guards: (1) Setting 'done' requires a summary and checks all stories are done. If any are not done, the call fails — set override_incomplete=true only after the user explicitly confirms this is acceptable. (2) Moving backwards (e.g. done → in-progress, in-progress → draft) asks you to create new stories to justify the regression first. Set confirm_regression=true only if the user explicitly insists on skipping story creation. Returns {epic_id, old_status, new_status}.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| confirm_regression | No | Set to true to allow a backwards status transition (e.g. done → in-progress) without first creating new stories. Only set if the user explicitly insists on skipping story creation. | |
| epic_id | Yes | Epic ID to update, e.g. EPIC-003 | |
| override_incomplete | No | Set to true to mark the epic 'done' even when some stories are not done. Only set after the user explicitly confirms the incomplete stories are intentionally omitted. | |
| status | Yes | New status to assign. Must be one of: draft, in-progress, done, blocked, deferred. | |
| summary | No | Required when setting status to 'done'. Describes what was accomplished by this epic. Appended as a timestamped note to the epic file. |