# PAUL

> PAUL (Plan-Apply-Unify Loop) is a structured AI-assisted development framework for Claude Code that enforces loop integrity, in-session context management, and acceptance-driven development.

PAUL (Plan-Apply-Unify Loop) is an open-source CLI framework that brings structured, reliable AI-assisted development to Claude Code. It solves "context rot" — the quality degradation that happens as AI sessions fill up — by enforcing a strict Plan → Apply → Unify loop with mandatory closure on every unit of work. PAUL supports not just software development but also marketing campaigns, funnel builds, email sequences, and automation workflows.

- **Plan-Apply-Unify Loop** — *Every plan must be closed with UNIFY, which reconciles what was planned vs. what happened, updates STATE.md, and logs decisions — no orphan plans.*
- **Acceptance-Driven Development (A.D.D.)** — *Define acceptance criteria in BDD format (Given/When/Then) before tasks begin; every task references its AC and requires a verify step.*
- **Scope-Adaptive Planning** — *Auto-routes plans into quick-fix (1 task), standard (2–5 tasks), or complex (6+ tasks) tiers with appropriate ceremony for each.*
- **Execute/Qualify Loop** — *Each task in APPLY is independently verified against the spec and linked AC after execution, catching drift and false completions before they compound.*
- **Escalation Statuses** — *Tasks report DONE, DONE_WITH_CONCERNS, NEEDS_CONTEXT, or BLOCKED instead of binary pass/fail, surfacing uncertainty honestly.*
- **Diagnostic Failure Routing** — *Classifies failures as intent, spec, or code issues before attempting fixes, preventing the common mistake of patching code when the plan itself was wrong.*
- **Coherence Validation** — *Plans are automatically checked against PROJECT.md, STATE.md, recent file changes, and ROADMAP.md before approval.*
- **Session Continuity** — *STATE.md tracks loop position, decisions, and blockers; `/paul:resume` reads state and suggests exactly one next action after any break.*
- **CARL Integration** — *Works with CARL (Context Augmentation & Reinforcement Layer) for dynamic, just-in-time rule injection — keeping context lean without static prompt bloat.*
- **26 Commands** — *Organized into Core Loop, Session, Roadmap, Milestone, Pre-Planning, Research, Specialized, and Quality categories; run `/paul:help` for the full reference.*
- **Install in seconds** — *Run `npx paul-framework` and choose global (`~/.claude/`) or local (`./.claude/`) installation; verify with `/paul:help` inside Claude Code.*

## Features
- Plan-Apply-Unify loop enforcement
- Acceptance-Driven Development (BDD format)
- Scope-adaptive planning (quick-fix, standard, complex)
- Execute/Qualify loop per task
- Escalation statuses (DONE, DONE_WITH_CONCERNS, NEEDS_CONTEXT, BLOCKED)
- Diagnostic failure routing
- Coherence validation before plan approval
- Session continuity via STATE.md
- 26 slash commands for Claude Code
- CARL dynamic rule injection integration
- Structured project state management
- Milestone and roadmap management
- Research agent deployment
- Codebase mapping
- Manual acceptance testing guidance

## Integrations
Claude Code, CARL (Context Augmentation & Reinforcement Layer), AEGIS, BASE, SEED, Skillsmith, SonarQube, npm

## Platforms
WINDOWS, MACOS, LINUX, API, CLI

## Pricing
Open Source

## Links
- Website: https://github.com/ChristopherKahler/paul/blob/main/PAUL-VS-GSD.md
- Documentation: https://github.com/ChristopherKahler/paul
- Repository: https://github.com/ChristopherKahler/paul
- EveryDev.ai: https://www.everydev.ai/tools/paul-framework