openspec-onboard

Guide the user through their first complete OpenSpec workflow cycle. This is a teaching experience—you'll do real work in their codebase while explaining each step.

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 <id> 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 <id> 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 "<name>" --json --store "<id>", 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.

Project check: These steps expect a project that already uses OpenSpec. Before the first step that writes anything (new change, archive, sync specs, or authoring an artifact file), confirm the project has a root: run openspec list --json (with --store <id> when a store is selected, since the store is then the root) and read root. A root object means the project is set up. "root": null means it is not - there is no openspec/ directory here, and a write such as openspec new change would create one as a side effect. The command also exits non-zero, which is that answer rather than a broken CLI, so read the JSON instead of retrying or working around it.

One "root": null is not about setup: when a status error message starts with Declared in or Invalid store declaration in and names this project's openspec/config.yaml (or config.yml), the project does use OpenSpec through a store it declares, which this machine cannot resolve (the store is not registered, or the store: line is malformed). Do not treat it as uninitialized and skip the branches below: stop before writing and show the user that error's message and fix.

Otherwise, with no root, what happens next depends on how this workflow was reached:

• Auto-selected: you chose this workflow yourself, without the user naming OpenSpec, naming this skill, or running its slash command. Stop using OpenSpec and answer the request normally, as you would with no OpenSpec installed. Do not ask them to set anything up and do not mention OpenSpec setup.
• Explicit OpenSpec request: the user named OpenSpec, named this skill, or ran its slash command. Stop before writing and ask how to proceed: set this project up (openspec init), target a store they already have (--store <id>), or continue without OpenSpec for this request. Wait for their answer.

In both branches, never create the root as a side effect: do not run openspec init until the user asks for it, do not hand-create openspec/ files, and do not let a command create it.

---

Preflight

Before starting, check if the OpenSpec CLI is installed:

# Unix/macOS
openspec --version 2>&1 || echo "CLI_NOT_INSTALLED"
# Windows (PowerShell)
# if (Get-Command openspec -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) { openspec --version } else { echo "CLI_NOT_INSTALLED" }

If CLI not installed:

OpenSpec CLI is not installed. Install it first, then come back to /openspec-onboard.

Stop here if not installed.

---

Phase 1: Welcome

Display:

## Welcome to OpenSpec!

I'll walk you through a complete change cycle—from idea to implementation—using a real task in your codebase. Along the way, you'll learn the workflow by doing it.

**What we'll do:**
1. Pick a small, real task in your codebase
2. Explore the problem briefly
3. Create a change (the container for our work)
4. Build the artifacts: proposal → specs → design → tasks
5. Implement the tasks
6. Archive the completed change

**Time:** ~15-20 minutes

Let's start by finding something to work on.

---

Phase 2: Task Selection

Codebase Analysis

Scan the codebase for small improvement opportunities. Look for:

1. TODO/FIXME comments - Search for TODO, FIXME, HACK, XXX in code files
2. Missing error handling - catch blocks that swallow errors, risky operations without try-catch
3. Functions without tests - Cross-reference src/ with test directories
4. Type issues - any types in TypeScript files (: any, as any)
5. Debug artifacts - console.log, console.debug, debugger statements in non-debug code
6. Missing validation - User input handlers without validation

Also check recent git activity:

# Unix/macOS
git log --oneline -10 2>/dev/null || echo "No git history"
# Windows (PowerShell)
# git log --oneline -10 2>$null; if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { echo "No git history" }

Present Suggestions

From your analysis, present 3-4 specific suggestions:

## Task Suggestions

Based on scanning your codebase, here are some good starter tasks:

**1. [Most promising task]**
   Location: `src/path/to/file.ts:42`
   Scope: ~1-2 files, ~20-30 lines
   Why it's good: [brief reason]

**2. [Second task]**
   Location: `src/another/file.ts`
   Scope: ~1 file, ~15 lines
   Why it's good: [brief reason]

**3. [Third task]**
   Location: [location]
   Scope: [estimate]
   Why it's good: [brief reason]

**4. Something else?**
   Tell me what you'd like to work on.

Which task interests you? (Pick a number or describe your own)

If nothing found: Fall back to asking what the user wants to build:

I didn't find obvious quick wins in your codebase. What's something small you've been meaning to add or fix?

Scope Guardrail

If the user picks or describes something too large (major feature, multi-day work):

That's a valuable task, but it's probably larger than ideal for your first OpenSpec run-through.

For learning the workflow, smaller is better—it lets you see the full cycle without getting stuck in implementation details.

**Options:**
1. **Slice it smaller** - What's the smallest useful piece of [their task]? Maybe just [specific slice]?
2. **Pick something else** - One of the other suggestions, or a different small task?
3. **Do it anyway** - If you really want to tackle this, we can. Just know it'll take longer.

What would you prefer?

Let the user override if they insist—this is a soft guardrail.

---

Phase 3: Explore Demo

Once a task is selected, briefly demonstrate explore mode:

Before we create a change, let me quickly show you **explore mode**—it's how you think through problems before committing to a direction.

Spend 1-2 minutes investigating the relevant code:

• Read the file(s) involved
• Draw a quick ASCII diagram if it helps
• Note any considerations

## Quick Exploration

[Your brief analysis—what you found, any considerations]

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   [Optional: ASCII diagram if helpful]  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Explore mode (`/openspec-explore`) is for this kind of thinking—investigating before implementing. You can use it anytime you need to think through a problem.

Now let's create a change to hold our work.

PAUSE - Wait for user acknowledgment before proceeding.

---

Phase 4: Create the Change

EXPLAIN:

## Creating a Change

A "change" in OpenSpec is a container for all the thinking and planning around a piece of work. It lives at the `changeRoot` reported by `openspec status --change "<name>" --json` and holds your artifacts—proposal, specs, design, tasks.

Let me create one for our task.

DO: Create the change with a derived kebab-case name:

openspec new change "<derived-name>"

SHOW:

Created: <changeRoot from status JSON>

The folder structure:

<changeRoot>/ ├── proposal.md ← Why we're doing this (empty, we'll fill it) ├── design.md ← How we'll build it (empty) ├── specs/ ← Detailed requirements (empty) └── tasks.md ← Implementation checklist (empty)

Now let's fill in the first artifact—the proposal.

---

Phase 5: Proposal

EXPLAIN:

## The Proposal

The proposal captures **why** we're making this change and **what** it involves at a high level. It's the "elevator pitch" for the work.

I'll draft one based on our task.

DO: Draft the proposal content (don't save yet):

<capability-path> is the spec directory relative to specs/ (for example, user-auth or identity/user-auth). Use the exact existing path for modified capabilities. For new capabilities, follow the project's established spec organization.

Here's a draft proposal:

---

# Proposal

## Why

[1-2 sentences explaining the problem/opportunity]

## What Changes

[Bullet points of what will be different]

## Capabilities

### New Capabilities
- `<capability-path>`: [brief description]

### Modified Capabilities
<!-- If modifying existing behavior -->
- `<existing-capability-path>`: [brief description]

## Impact

- `src/path/to/file.ts`: [what changes]
- [other files if applicable]

---

Does this capture the intent? I can adjust before we save it.

PAUSE - Wait for user approval/feedback.

After approval, save the proposal:

openspec instructions proposal --change "<name>" --json

Then write the content to the resolvedOutputPath from openspec instructions proposal --change "<name>" --json.

Proposal saved. This is your "why" document—you can always come back and refine it as understanding evolves.

Next up: specs.

---

Phase 6: Specs

EXPLAIN:

## Specs

Specs define **what** we're building in precise, testable terms. They use a requirement/scenario format that makes expected behavior crystal clear.

For a small task like this, we might only need one spec file.

DO: Resolve where the spec file should be created:

openspec instructions specs --change "<name>" --json
# Use resolvedOutputPath from the JSON. If it is a glob, choose the concrete file path using the schema instruction and the change's context.

Draft the spec content:

Here's the spec:

---

# Spec Delta

## ADDED Requirements

### Requirement: <Name>

<Description of what the system should do>

#### Scenario: <Scenario name>

- **WHEN** <trigger condition>
- **THEN** <expected outcome>
- **AND** <additional outcome if needed>

---

This format—WHEN/THEN/AND—makes requirements testable. You can literally read them as test cases.

Save to the concrete file path chosen from resolvedOutputPath.

---

Phase 7: Design

EXPLAIN:

## Design

The design captures **how** we'll build it—technical decisions, tradeoffs, approach.

For small changes, this might be brief. That's fine—not every change needs deep design discussion.

DO: Draft design.md:

Here's the design:

---

# Design

## Context

[Brief context about the current state]

## Goals / Non-Goals

**Goals:**
- [What we're trying to achieve]

**Non-Goals:**
- [What's explicitly out of scope]

## Decisions

### Decision 1: [Key decision]

[Explanation of approach and rationale]

---

For a small task, this captures the key decisions without over-engineering.

Save to the resolvedOutputPath from openspec instructions design --change "<name>" --json.

---

Phase 8: Tasks

EXPLAIN:

## Tasks

Finally, we break the work into implementation tasks—checkboxes that drive the apply phase.

These should be small, clear, and in logical order. Each group carries the tests and documentation for its own work - the last group is only for integration checks.

DO: Generate tasks based on specs and design:

Here are the implementation tasks:

---

# Tasks

## 1. [Category or file]

- [ ] 1.1 [Specific task] — verify: [test, command, observable behavior, or delivered artifact]
- [ ] 1.2 [Specific task] — verify: [test, command, observable behavior, or delivered artifact]

## 2. Integration Verification

- [ ] 2.1 Verify [broader integration or system behavior] with [end-to-end test or observable result]

---

Each checkbox becomes a unit of work in the apply phase. Does this task breakdown look right?

PAUSE - Wait for user approval/feedback.

After approval, save to the resolvedOutputPath from openspec instructions tasks --change "<name>" --json.

Then ask:

"Tasks are saved. Ready to implement?"

PAUSE - Wait for user to confirm before implementation.

---

Phase 9: Apply (Implementation)

EXPLAIN:

## Implementation

Now we implement each task, checking them off as we go. I'll announce each one and occasionally note how the specs/design informed the approach.

DO: For each task:

1. Announce: "Working on task N: [description]"
2. Implement the change in the codebase
3. Reference specs/design naturally: "The spec says X, so I'm doing Y"
4. Mark complete in tasks.md: - [ ] → - [x]
5. Brief status: "✓ Task N complete"

Keep narration light—don't over-explain every line of code.

After all tasks:

## Implementation Complete

All tasks done:
- [x] Task 1
- [x] Task 2
- [x] ...

The change is implemented! One more step—let's archive it.

---

Phase 10: Archive

EXPLAIN:

## Archiving

When a change is complete, we archive it. The archive path is derived from `planningHome.changesDir` and the date.

Archived changes become your project's decision history—you can always find them later to understand why something was built a certain way.

DO: Archive the change (--yes answers the confirmation prompts, which you cannot answer from a tool call):

openspec archive "<name>" --yes

SHOW:

Archived to: `<planningHome.changesDir>/archive/<target-name>/` (the target name prepends today's date, unless the name already starts with a `YYYY-MM-DD-` prefix — then it is kept as-is, no second date)

The change is now part of your project's history. The code is in your codebase, the decision record is preserved.

---

Phase 11: Recap & Next Steps

## Congratulations!

You just completed a full OpenSpec cycle:

1. **Explore** - Thought through the problem
2. **New** - Created a change container
3. **Proposal** - Captured WHY
4. **Specs** - Defined WHAT in detail
5. **Design** - Decided HOW
6. **Tasks** - Broke it into steps
7. **Apply** - Implemented the work
8. **Archive** - Preserved the record

This same rhythm works for any size change—a small fix or a major feature.

---

## Command Reference

**The commands you have installed:**

 | Command          | What it does                               |
 |------------------|--------------------------------------------|
 | `/openspec-propose` | Create a change and generate all artifacts |
 | `/openspec-explore` | Think through problems before/during work  |
 | `/openspec-apply-change`   | Implement tasks from a change              |
 | `/openspec-archive-change` | Archive a completed change                 |
 | `/openspec-new-change`     | Start a new change, one artifact at a time |
 | `/openspec-continue-change` | Continue working on an existing change    |
 | `/openspec-ff-change`      | Fast-forward: create all artifacts at once |
 | `/openspec-verify-change`  | Verify implementation matches artifacts    |

---

## What's Next?

Try `/openspec-propose` on something you actually want to build. You've got the rhythm now!

---

Graceful Exit Handling

User wants to stop mid-way

If the user says they need to stop, want to pause, or seem disengaged:

No problem! Your change is saved at the `changeRoot` reported by `openspec status --change "<name>" --json`.

To pick up where we left off later, `openspec status --change "<name>" --json` shows exactly where the change stands.
- `/openspec-continue-change <name>` - Resume artifact creation
- `/openspec-apply-change <name>` - Jump to implementation (if tasks exist)

The work won't be lost. Come back whenever you're ready.

Exit gracefully without pressure.

User just wants command reference

If the user says they just want to see the commands or skip the tutorial:

## OpenSpec Quick Reference

**The commands you have installed:**

 | Command                  | What it does                               |
 |--------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
 | `/openspec-propose <name>`  | Create a change and generate all artifacts |
 | `/openspec-explore`         | Think through problems (no code changes)   |
 | `/openspec-apply-change <name>`    | Implement tasks                            |
 | `/openspec-archive-change <name>`  | Archive when done                          |
 | `/openspec-new-change <name>`      | Start a new change, step by step           |
 | `/openspec-continue-change <name>` | Continue an existing change                |
 | `/openspec-ff-change <name>`       | Fast-forward: all artifacts at once        |
 | `/openspec-verify-change <name>`   | Verify implementation                      |

Try `/openspec-propose` to start your first change.

Exit gracefully.

---

Guardrails

• Follow the EXPLAIN → DO → SHOW → PAUSE pattern at key transitions (after explore, after proposal draft, after tasks, after archive)
• Keep narration light during implementation—teach without lecturing
• Don't skip phases even if the change is small—the goal is teaching the workflow
• Pause for acknowledgment at marked points, but don't over-pause
• Handle exits gracefully—never pressure the user to continue
• Use real codebase tasks—don't simulate or use fake examples
• Adjust scope gently—guide toward smaller tasks but respect user choice