> Markdown twin of https://adna.network/learn/tutorials/run-a-campaign/
> Index: https://adna.network/llms.txt · Full corpus: https://adna.network/llms-full.txt
> State is a build-time snapshot generated 2026-08-30 (UTC); nothing here is live.

# Run a Campaign — aDNA Tutorial

## What You'll Build

A campaign document with phased execution, a mission board, and quality gates. By the end, you'll have a strategic plan that can coordinate multiple agents across multiple sessions toward a shared goal.

## Prerequisites

- [Convergence Model](/learn/concepts/convergence) — how campaigns narrow to missions to objectives
- [Mission Decomposition](/patterns/mission-decomposition) — breaking work into claimable objectives
- [Design a Mission](/learn/tutorials/design-a-mission) — writing individual mission files

## Steps

### Step 1: Define the Strategic Goal

A campaign is bigger than a mission. It coordinates multiple missions toward a strategic outcome. Write the goal as one sentence:

> "Build a self-referential aDNA documentation vault with 80+ content files across 5 phases."

If the goal can be achieved in a single mission (3-8 objectives), it doesn't need a campaign.

### Step 2: Design the Phases

Break the campaign into phases — each phase is a coherent stage with a gate before the next:

| Phase | Focus | Why It's Separate |
|-------|-------|------------------|
| 0 | Scaffold | Infrastructure before content |
| 1 | Core Content | Concepts, patterns, comparisons — the vocabulary |
| 2 | Human Path | Tutorials, use cases — the learning path |
| 3 | Community | People, governance — the social layer |
| 4 | Operations | Publishing, workshops — the delivery mechanisms |

**Phase gate rule**: phases don't auto-advance. A human approves the transition. This prevents runaway execution and ensures strategic alignment at each boundary.

### Step 3: Create the Mission Board

Within each phase, list the missions:

```markdown
### Phase 1: Core Content

| Mission | Title | Status | Files | Dependencies |
|---------|-------|--------|-------|-------------|
| M01 | Foundational Concepts | pending | 3 files | Phase 0 |
| M02 | Governance Concepts | pending | 4 files | M01 |
| M03 | Advanced Concepts | pending | 6 files | M01, M02 |
```

Each row is a mission with specific deliverables and dependencies. An agent scanning this board knows what's done, what's next, and what's blocked.

### Step 4: Define Quality Gates

Quality gates apply to all content within the campaign:

```markdown
## Quality Gates

1. Dual audience test — legible to developers AND newcomers
2. Self-reference check — cites concrete vault examples
3. Spec citation — normative claims reference the standard
4. Cross-linking — 2+ wikilinks per file
5. Frontmatter complete — all required fields populated
```

Gates are checked before marking any objective complete. No exceptions.

### Step 5: Write the Campaign File

Create `how/campaigns/campaign_{name}/campaign_{name}.md`:

```markdown
---
campaign_id: campaign_docs
type: campaign
title: "Documentation Campaign"
status: active
current_phase: 1
mission_count: 8
priority: high
created: 2026-04-14
updated: 2026-04-14
last_edited_by: agent_stanley
tags: [campaign]
---

# Documentation Campaign

## Strategic Intent
{Why this campaign exists and what success looks like.}

## Phase Structure
{Table of phases with status.}

## Mission Board
{Tables of missions per phase.}

## Quality Gates
{Standards every deliverable must meet.}

## Success Criteria
{How to know the campaign achieved its goal.}
```

### Step 6: Execute the First Mission

Create the first mission file inside `how/campaigns/campaign_{name}/missions/`. Claim the first objective. Start a session. Do the work. Close with a SITREP.

**See it in action**: This vault's Operation Rosetta (`how/campaigns/campaign_rosetta/campaign_rosetta.md`) has 5 phases, 15 missions, and 6 quality gates. Browse the mission files in `how/campaigns/campaign_rosetta/missions/` — each one demonstrates the decomposition pattern with objectives, context dependencies, and AARs.

## What You Learned

- Campaigns coordinate multiple missions toward a strategic goal
- Phases group missions with human gates between them — no auto-advancing
- The mission board provides at-a-glance status for all work
- Quality gates ensure consistent output across all missions and sessions

## Next Steps

- [Federate a Vault](/learn/tutorials/federate-a-vault) — share your campaign's outputs with other projects
- [Open Standard](/learn/concepts/open-standard) — how campaigns contribute to the broader aDNA ecosystem