feat: separate backlog from actionable items in daily briefing

Backlog items were mixed into the high-priority list, making it hard to
distinguish actionable work from parked items. Now backlog is a separate
bucket with per-project open/backlog counts, and the skill instructs
Claude to present a structured table overview.

Author: SanderMoon

pkg/api/briefing.go

@@ -10,15 +10,18 @@ import (
 
 // ProjectBriefing summarises a single project for the daily briefing.
 type ProjectBriefing struct {
-	Name      string `json:"name"`
-	TaskCount int    `json:"task_count"`
-	Summary   string `json:"summary,omitempty"` // text from ## Summary section of description.md
+	Name         string `json:"name"`
+	TaskCount    int    `json:"task_count"`
+	OpenCount    int    `json:"open_count"`
+	BacklogCount int    `json:"backlog_count"`
+	Summary      string `json:"summary,omitempty"` // text from ## Summary section of description.md
 }
 
 // DailyBriefing provides a comprehensive overview for starting the day.
 type DailyBriefing struct {
 	Summary struct {
 		TotalOpen            int               `json:"total_open"`
+		TotalBacklog         int               `json:"total_backlog"`
 		Overdue              int               `json:"overdue"`
 		DueToday             int               `json:"due_today"`
 		DueThisWeek          int               `json:"due_this_week"`
@@ -39,6 +42,7 @@ type DailyBriefing struct {
 	HighPriority []TodoItem      `json:"high_priority"`
 	InProgress   []TodoItem      `json:"in_progress"`
 	Blocked      []TodoItem      `json:"blocked"`
+	Backlog      []TodoItem      `json:"backlog"`
 	Context      BriefingContext `json:"context"`
 }
 
@@ -114,8 +118,11 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 
 	// Single-pass categorisation
 	var openTodos []TodoItem
+	var backlogTodos []TodoItem
 	var completedRecently []TodoItem
 	projectTaskCount := make(map[string]int)
+	projectOpenCount := make(map[string]int)
+	projectBacklogCount := make(map[string]int)
 
 	// urgentIDs tracks items already in overdue/due_today to deduplicate HighPriority
 	urgentIDs := make(map[string]bool)
@@ -128,9 +135,18 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 
-		openTodos = append(openTodos, todo)
 		projectTaskCount[todo.Project]++
 
+		// Backlog items are tracked separately — they don't appear in actionable buckets
+		if todo.Status == "backlog" {
+			backlogTodos = append(backlogTodos, todo)
+			projectBacklogCount[todo.Project]++
+			continue
+		}
+
+		openTodos = append(openTodos, todo)
+		projectOpenCount[todo.Project]++
+
 		// Date-based urgency categorisation
 		if todo.DueDate != "" {
 			if todo.DueDate < today {
@@ -206,6 +222,10 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 		return priorityLess(briefing.Blocked[i].Priority, briefing.Blocked[j].Priority)
 	})
 
+	sort.Slice(backlogTodos, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return priorityLess(backlogTodos[i].Priority, backlogTodos[j].Priority)
+	})
+
 	sort.Slice(completedRecently, func(i, j int) bool {
 		return completedRecently[i].CompletedDate > completedRecently[j].CompletedDate
 	})
@@ -219,6 +239,7 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 	briefing.Summary.InProgress = len(briefing.InProgress)
 	briefing.Summary.Blocked = len(briefing.Blocked)
 	briefing.Summary.InboxCount = len(dumpItems)
+	briefing.Summary.TotalBacklog = len(backlogTodos)
 	briefing.Summary.CompletionsLast3Days = len(completedRecently)
 	// DueNextMonth was incremented inline above
 
@@ -240,9 +261,11 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 				summary = extractSummarySection(desc)
 			}
 			briefing.Summary.ProjectSummaries = append(briefing.Summary.ProjectSummaries, ProjectBriefing{
-				Name:      name,
-				TaskCount: taskCount,
-				Summary:   summary,
+				Name:         name,
+				TaskCount:    taskCount,
+				OpenCount:    projectOpenCount[name],
+				BacklogCount: projectBacklogCount[name],
+				Summary:      summary,
 			})
 		}
 		// Sort by task count descending (most active project first)
@@ -277,6 +300,9 @@ func GetDailyBriefing(activeDir, dumpPath string) (*DailyBriefing, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Fill backlog
+	briefing.Backlog = backlogTodos
+
 	// Fill context
 	briefing.Context.RecentCompletions = completedRecently
 	briefing.Context.InboxItems = dumpItems

pkg/api/briefing_test.go

@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ func TestGetDailyBriefing_Categorization(t *testing.T) {
 		"- [ ] High priority task p:1",
 		"- [>] In progress task",
 		"- [-] Blocked task",
+		"- [~] Backlog task",
 	}
 	completedLines := []string{
 		fmt.Sprintf("- [x] Completed task <!-- done:%s -->", threeDaysAgo),
@@ -120,10 +121,17 @@ func TestGetDailyBriefing_Categorization(t *testing.T) {
 	if got := briefing.Summary.CompletionsLast3Days; got != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("expected 1 recent completion, got %d", got)
 	}
-	// 7 open tasks (overdue + today + this week + upcoming + high-prio + in-progress + blocked)
+	// 7 open (non-backlog) tasks
 	if got := briefing.Summary.TotalOpen; got != 7 {
 		t.Errorf("expected 7 total open, got %d", got)
 	}
+	// 1 backlog task
+	if got := briefing.Summary.TotalBacklog; got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 total backlog, got %d", got)
+	}
+	if got := len(briefing.Backlog); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 backlog item, got %d", got)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestGetDailyBriefing_Deduplication(t *testing.T) {
@@ -181,6 +189,59 @@ func TestGetDailyBriefing_Deduplication(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetDailyBriefing_BacklogExcludedFromHighPriority(t *testing.T) {
+	tb := testutil.SetupTestBrain(t)
+
+	projectDir := tb.AddProject("backlog-test")
+	tb.WriteFile(filepath.Join(projectDir, "todo.md"), makeTodoMD(
+		"- [ ] Open high priority p:1",
+		"- [~] Backlog high priority p:1",
+		"- [~] Backlog normal task",
+		"- [ ] Open normal task",
+	))
+
+	briefing, err := GetDailyBriefing(tb.ActiveDirPath, tb.DumpPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Only the open p:1 item should be in HighPriority
+	if got := len(briefing.HighPriority); got != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 1 high priority (open only), got %d", got)
+	}
+	if len(briefing.HighPriority) > 0 && briefing.HighPriority[0].Status != "open" {
+		t.Errorf("expected high priority item to be open, got %q", briefing.HighPriority[0].Status)
+	}
+
+	// Backlog should contain both backlog items
+	if got := len(briefing.Backlog); got != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 2 backlog items, got %d", got)
+	}
+
+	// TotalOpen should not include backlog
+	if got := briefing.Summary.TotalOpen; got != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 2 total open (excluding backlog), got %d", got)
+	}
+	if got := briefing.Summary.TotalBacklog; got != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected 2 total backlog, got %d", got)
+	}
+
+	// Project summary should show open/backlog split
+	if got := len(briefing.Summary.ProjectSummaries); got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 project summary, got %d", got)
+	}
+	ps := briefing.Summary.ProjectSummaries[0]
+	if ps.OpenCount != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected open_count=2, got %d", ps.OpenCount)
+	}
+	if ps.BacklogCount != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("expected backlog_count=2, got %d", ps.BacklogCount)
+	}
+	if ps.TaskCount != 4 {
+		t.Errorf("expected task_count=4, got %d", ps.TaskCount)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetDailyBriefing_Sorting(t *testing.T) {
 	tb := testutil.SetupTestBrain(t)
 	now := time.Now()

pkg/skillscatalog/skills/brain-daily/SKILL.md

@@ -37,16 +37,37 @@ Call `get_daily_briefing` to retrieve:
 
 ### Step 2 — Summarize Clearly
 
-Present a concise, scannable summary. Do not dump raw data. Group by urgency:
+Present a concise, scannable summary. Do not dump raw data.
 
-1. **Overdue** — flag prominently with task IDs
+#### Project Overview Table
+
+Always start with a project overview table showing the distribution of tasks. Use the `project_summaries` data:
+
+```
+| Project            | Open | Backlog | Total |
+|--------------------|------|---------|-------|
+| agentic-project    |   15 |       6 |    21 |
+| nsa2d              |    8 |       3 |    11 |
+| ...                |  ... |     ... |   ... |
+```
+
+**Open** = actionable tasks (status: open, in-progress, blocked). **Backlog** = parked for later (status: backlog). This distinction is critical — backlog items are not on the user's plate today.
+
+#### Actionable Items
+
+After the table, list actionable items grouped by urgency. Only show items with status `open`, `in-progress`, or `blocked` — never backlog:
+
+1. **Overdue** — flag prominently with task IDs and due dates
 2. **Due today** — list with IDs
-3. **High priority** — P1 tasks without due dates
-4. **In progress** — what was already underway
-5. **Backlog** — count of items in backlog across projects (brief; this is for awareness, not action)
-6. **Inbox** — count of quick-capture items waiting
+3. **In progress** — what is already underway
+4. **High priority (open)** — P1 tasks that are open (not backlog), without due dates
+5. **Blocked** — items needing unblock
+
+Keep it to 10 actionable items max; offer to drill into a project if there's more.
+
+#### Backlog Awareness
 
-Keep it to 10 items max; offer to drill into an area if there's more.
+End with a single line like: "**Backlog:** 12 items across 4 projects parked for later." Do not list individual backlog items unless the user asks.
 
 If everything is clear (nothing overdue, nothing due, low inbox):
 > "Clean slate today. Here's what's in progress and what you could pick up next."