Entry Modes

The Security Planner supports two entry modes that control how Phase 1 scoping begins. The agent selects the mode from your opening request and any artifacts you supply, which sets the initial state and determines how much context it gathers before starting the analysis.

From-PRD Mode

From-PRD mode seeds Phase 1 from PRD or BRD artifacts already present in the workspace. Use this mode when formal requirements documents exist under .copilot-tracking/prd-sessions/ or .copilot-tracking/brd-sessions/.

How It Works

1. The agent scans .copilot-tracking/prd-sessions/ and .copilot-tracking/brd-sessions/ for planning artifacts, with a secondary scan for files matching prd-*.md, *-prd.md, brd-*.md, *-brd.md, and product-definition*.md.
2. Discovered candidates are presented for confirmation with ✅/❌ markers: ✅ for an artifact to use, ❌ for a false positive to discard. When neither scan finds an artifact, the agent offers capture mode or asks you for a file path instead of proceeding without a confirmed source.
3. The agent extracts project scope, technology stack, deployment targets, data classification levels, compliance requirements, and stakeholder roles. AI/ML component detection happens later in Phase 1.
4. State is initialized with entryMode: "from-prd" and the extracted references stored in referencesProcessed.
5. Phase 1 begins with a checklist of pre-filled items and 3-5 clarifying questions for gaps.

Starting From-PRD Mode

Select the Security Planner agent and ask it to start from your product or business requirements, or attach the PRD or BRD you want to use. The agent derives the project slug from the confirmed artifacts and asks for one when they do not name the project.

Start security planning from our PRD for the contoso-api project.

When to Choose From-PRD Mode

Situation	Fit
PRD or BRD artifacts exist under prd-sessions/ or brd-sessions/	✅
Product requirements are well-documented	✅
Early-stage project without formal docs	❌
Quick exploration of the agent's workflow	❌

Capture Mode

Capture mode starts with a blank Phase 1 interview. Use this mode when no formal requirements documents exist or when you want to walk through scoping from scratch.

How It Works

1. The agent creates the project directory under .copilot-tracking/security-plans/.
2. State is initialized with entryMode: "capture" and empty referencesProcessed.
3. Phase 1 begins with a structured interview, asking 3-5 questions per turn.
4. The agent accumulates scope information across multiple turns until the user confirms Phase 1 is complete.

Starting Capture Mode

Select the Security Planner agent and describe the project you want to assess. Paste any existing security notes or threat assessments into the first message so the agent can pre-populate Phase 1, and give the project a name when asked.

Start a security plan for our payments service. Here are our current threat notes: ...

If the user provides existing security notes or context in the initial message, the agent incorporates them into the interview rather than asking redundant questions.

When to Choose Capture Mode

Situation	Fit
No PRD or BRD artifacts available	✅
Team wants to explore the workflow interactively	✅
Existing informal notes to incorporate	✅
Well-documented project with formal artifacts	❌

Comparing the Two Modes

Both modes converge at the same Phase 1 output. The difference is how much context the agent starts with.

Aspect	From-PRD	Capture
Initial context	Extracted from PRD/BRD	Gathered through interview
Number of questions	Fewer (gaps only)	More (full scope interview)
Time to Phase 2	Faster	Slower but more thorough
State initialization	entryMode: "from-prd"	entryMode: "capture"
Best for	Projects with existing documentation	Projects in early stages

Switching Between Modes

Entry mode is set once during Phase 1 initialization and cannot be changed mid-plan. To switch modes, start a new chat session with the Security Planner, request the other mode, and use a different project slug (or the same slug after removing the existing state directory).

NOTE

Both modes produce identical Phase 2-6 workflows. The choice only affects how Phase 1 scope is gathered.

🤖 Crafted with precision by ✨Copilot following brilliant human instruction, then carefully refined by our team of discerning human reviewers.