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Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/XxYouDeaDPunKxX/GPT-PF-Chat-GPT-Project-Forge/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The manual method puts every decision directly in your hands. Instead of using an AI session or the web compiler to guide the process, you open the template files, fill in the fields, and produce the opening package yourself. This approach is best when the project is already well-understood and you want exact control over what enters each artifact.

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When to use this method

The manual method works best when you:
  • Already know the objective, scope, and expected outputs before you sit down
  • Have a clear source perimeter and know which materials count as official basis
  • Are working on a small or contained project where guided compilation would add overhead without adding clarity
  • Want maximum control over what enters each field and prefer not to negotiate scope with an AI session
  • Need to produce a clean package quickly from a well-understood situation
If the project is ambiguous, the scope is still contested, or the source perimeter is unclear, a guided session in ChatGPT or the web compiler will surface those gaps more reliably than filling templates alone.

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Templates

The template files live in the artifact_templates/ directory of the Project Forge repository. These are the five surfaces available:
Template filePurpose
artifact_templates/ENTRY_POINT.mdConfigures how the target project reads the opening package
artifact_templates/TARGET_PROJECT_BRIEF_ARTIFACT.template.mdDefines objective, scope, required outputs, and project-specific constraints
artifact_templates/INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACT.template.mdFreezes the initial official basis: approved materials, sources, and base constraints
artifact_templates/HANDOFF_ARTIFACT.template.mdTransfers current run state when continuity cannot be reconstructed safely
artifact_templates/SOURCE_OR_MATERIAL_TRANSFER_ARTIFACT.template.mdCarries candidate materials to the target project without promoting them to official basis
The templates are startup surfaces only. They help you cover required fields and stay close to the artifact grammar. They do not create authority by themselves — authority still comes from the canonicals.

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Filling the templates

1

Fill ENTRY_POINT.md

Start with the entry point. This file tells the target project how to interpret the opening package. Configure the package read order, identify what each surface is for, define what counts as official basis, and specify what must not be inferred. The entry point is a package-reading guide, not a brief or a second SSOT.
2

Fill TARGET_PROJECT_BRIEF_ARTIFACT

Define the operational shape of the target project. Complete the following fields:
  • objective — what the target project is and must do
  • scope_in — what is explicitly inside the project boundary
  • scope_out — what is explicitly excluded
  • required_outputs — what the project must produce or deliver at close
  • project_specific_constraints — any constraints that apply specifically to this project and are not already covered by the canonicals
Keep the brief tight. Do not use it as a notebook or a place to store candidate material.
3

Fill INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACT

Freeze the initial official basis of the target project. Fill in:
  • official_materials — which materials count as official at opening
  • approved_sources — which sources are approved for use
  • base_constraints — constraints that apply to the starting ground
  • version_or_date — the version or date that defines the basis
Validate each entry before it goes in. No unvalidated source may become official project basis. Keep candidate material out of this surface — use the transfer artifact for anything that has not yet earned promotion.
4

Add HANDOFF_ARTIFACT only when continuity truly requires it

Add the handoff artifact only when the next run of the target project cannot be safely reconstructed from the canonicals and stable artifacts alone. The HANDOFF_REQUIRED criteria are defined in the canonicals — do not emit handoff by default. If you find yourself writing a handoff out of habit or as a precaution, stop and check whether the criteria are actually met.
5

Add SOURCE_OR_MATERIAL_TRANSFER_ARTIFACT only when candidate material must travel

Add the transfer artifact when candidate materials need to reach the target project without being promoted to official basis yet. Each entry should identify the material, its type, its validation status, and whether it should be attached or only reviewed. Do not use this surface as a substitute for the SSOT.

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The minimum pack

One entry point, one target brief, and one initial SSOT is usually enough. Add the handoff only when continuity genuinely requires it. Add the transfer artifact only when candidate material must travel without promotion.
SurfaceRequired?
ENTRY_POINT.mdAlways
TARGET_PROJECT_BRIEF_ARTIFACTAlways
INITIAL_SSOT_ARTIFACTAlways
HANDOFF_ARTIFACTOnly when HANDOFF_REQUIRED criteria are met
SOURCE_OR_MATERIAL_TRANSFER_ARTIFACTOnly when candidate material must travel without promotion
If you find yourself generating every surface every time, slow down and ask whether you are externalizing genuine need or just anxiety.
The web compiler provides a browser-based guided surface for filling the same artifact structures. If you prefer a structured form over editing files directly, or if you are new to Project Forge, the compiler produces the same artifact output without requiring you to open the template files manually.

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