# Estimation (shared)

Authoritative estimation rule, referenced by the planning, PRD, architecture,
implementation-plan, request-intake, and local-integration skills, and pointed to
from `AGENTS.md` / `CLAUDE.md`.

## The rule

**Do not use time or duration estimates** — no "1-2 weeks", "3-5 months", "a few
days", "by Friday", "in 2 sprints". They are guesses that read as commitments and
age badly.

Rate work with these instead:

- **Complexity**: `trivial` · `small` · `medium` · `large` · `x-large`.
- **Confidence**: `low` · `medium` · `high` (how sure you are about the approach
  and the complexity rating).
- **Risk** (when relevant): `low` · `medium` · `high` · `critical`.

Example: "medium complexity, low confidence (unfamiliar subsystem), medium risk"
— not "about 3 days".

## Exception

Only use a timescale when the user or repo **explicitly asks for a schedule** or
provides schedule fields. Even then, pair it with complexity and confidence, and
mark it as requested.

## Enforcement

`prd_gate.py check` warns when request, tracking, or decision text contains a
duration estimate (e.g. `2-3 weeks`, `in 5 days`), so estimates do not silently
enter project truth.