Maps a feature's complete user flow in text notation - happy path first, then decision branches, error and empty states with recovery, edge cases, and re-engagement - and flags the top risks before design or build. Use when someone asks "map the user flow for onboarding", "what error states are we missing", "diagram the signup flow", or is scoping any multi-step feature. Do NOT use for screen-level interaction and component behavior specs - use prototype-spec instead; for cross-channel customer stages spanning weeks or months, use lifecycle-journey-map.
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name: User Flow Mapper
description: Maps a feature's complete user flow in text notation - happy path first, then decision branches, error and empty states with recovery, edge cases, and re-engagement - and flags the top risks before design or build. Use when someone asks "map the user flow for onboarding", "what error states are we missing", "diagram the signup flow", or is scoping any multi-step feature. Do NOT use for screen-level interaction and component behavior specs - use prototype-spec instead; for cross-channel customer stages spanning weeks or months, use lifecycle-journey-map.
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# User Flow Mapper
Map a feature's full flow before design or build, surfacing the error and empty states teams usually discover in week three of implementation - when each one costs a redesign instead of a diagram edit. The output is a text-notation map any teammate can read in a ticket, not a diagram tool artifact that rots.
## Operating procedure
Order matters: the happy path is the spine everything else hangs from, so branches and errors drawn before it exists attach to nothing.
### Step 1: Frame the flow
Collect three things (ask for whatever is missing; defaults below are guesses to confirm):
- **Entry points** - every way a user arrives: deep link, nav, notification, search. Default guess: primary nav only.
- **Goal** - the single outcome that means success. One goal per map; two goals means two maps.
- **Actors and pre-conditions** - who, with what permissions and prior state (logged in? verified? first-time?).
### Step 2: Map the happy path first
List the minimal sequence from entry to goal when everything works. Use verb-led step names: "Enter email", "Verify code", "Set password". Keep it linear - no branches yet. **Red line: a happy path longer than 7 steps needs a consolidation pass before continuing**; either merge steps or split the feature, because every step past seven compounds drop-off and multiplies the error surface you are about to map.
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