Fast-forward through artifact creation - generate everything needed to start implementation in one go.

Store selection:

If the user names a store (a store is a standalone OpenSpec repo registered on this machine) or the work lives in one, run

openspec store list --json

to discover registered store ids, then pass

--store

on the commands that read or write specs and changes (

new change

,

status

,

instructions

,

list

,

show

,

validate

,

archive

,

doctor

,

context

,

schemas

,

view

). Once selected, treat

--store

as sticky for the rest of the workflow. Every unscoped example of those commands below is shorthand: before running it, append the flag. For example, run

openspec status --change "" --json --store ""

, not the unscoped form shown below. Other commands do not take the flag. Hints printed by commands already carry the flag; keep it on follow-ups. Without a store, commands act on the nearest local

openspec/

root.

Input

The user's request should include a change name (kebab-case) OR a description of what they want to build.

Steps

If no clear input provided, ask what they want to build

Ask the user (open-ended, no preset options):

"What change do you want to work on? Describe what you want to build or fix."

From their description, derive a kebab-case name (e.g., "add user authentication" →

add-user-auth

).

IMPORTANT

Do NOT proceed without understanding what the user wants to build. Show more Installs 992 Repository fission-ai/openspec GitHub Stars 66.9K First Seen Jul 17, 2026 Security Audits Gen Agent Trust Hub Pass Socket Pass Snyk Pass