Spec-Driven Workflow

Spec-Driven Workflow enforces writing a specification before any code, defining what the system must, should, and will not do. It produces structured spec documents with mandatory sections, acceptance criteria in Given/When/Then format, and generates test stubs from the spec to drive test-driven development.

✨ What it does

  • Enforces a 9-section spec format with mandatory fields.
  • Uses RFC 2119 keywords (MUST/SHOULD/MAY) for requirements.
  • Requires acceptance criteria in Given/When/Then format.
  • Includes bounded autonomy rules to stop and escalate when needed.
  • Provides scripts (spec_validator.py, test_extractor.py) for validation and test generation.
  • Includes a self-review checklist to verify implementation matches spec.

🎯 When to use it

  • When the user asks to write specs before coding or define acceptance criteria.
  • When planning features before implementation or following spec-first development.
  • When generating tests from specifications or ensuring scope control.
  • When the user wants to avoid rework and clarify requirements early.

🚀 How to use

Trigger by asking to write a spec before coding, define acceptance criteria, or plan a feature spec-first. Provide the feature description, context, and any constraints. The skill will guide through phases: gather requirements, write spec, validate, generate tests, implement, and self-review. Example prompts:

Write a spec for a password reset feature before implementing it.
Define acceptance criteria for user login using Given/When/Then.

📄 Output: A structured specification document with numbered requirements, acceptance criteria, edge cases, API contracts, and data models, plus generated test stubs.

📦 Add this skill to Claude Code

# 1. Get the skills repo
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills /tmp/claude-skills

# 2. Copy this skill into your project (or ~/.claude/skills for all projects)
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/claude-skills/engineering/skills/spec-driven-workflow .claude/skills/spec-driven-workflow

Skill source: engineering/skills/spec-driven-workflow/SKILL.md

⚠️ Good to know

Requires strict adherence to the spec-first rule; no code without an approved spec, and the skill assumes the user will follow the full workflow including validation and test generation.

❓ FAQ

What is the Iron Law?

No code without an approved spec. No exceptions, no quick prototypes, no documenting later.

What happens if I discover a missing requirement during implementation?

You must STOP and update the spec first before continuing implementation.

How do I validate a spec?

Run spec_validator.py --file spec.md --strict and manually check that every requirement has acceptance criteria, edge cases cover dependencies, and non-functional requirements have measurable thresholds.

🤖 Overview, features, install steps and FAQ were generated from the project's SKILL.md on Sep 4, 2026. Always check the original source before running commands.