SpecKit Workflow

The SpecKit methodology is a constitution-driven approach to feature development. It ensures consistency across features by grounding all decisions in project principles.

Core Philosophy

Constitution First: Every feature is designed against the project's constitution - a living document of principles, constraints, and standards.

Governance Over Convention: Rather than implicit patterns, SpecKit makes governance explicit through:

• Constitution principles (MUST, SHOULD, MAY)
• Feature specifications tied to principles
• Quality checklists as "unit tests for requirements"
• Consistency analysis across artifacts

Directory Structure

.specify/
├── memory/
│   └── constitution.md       # Project principles and standards
├── .current-feature          # Active feature pointer
├── templates/                # Artifact templates
│   ├── spec-template.md
│   ├── plan-template.md
│   ├── tasks-template.md
│   └── checklist-template.md
└── specs/
    └── <id>-<name>/          # Feature directories
        ├── .speckit-state.json
        ├── .progress.md
        ├── .coordinator-prompt.md
        ├── spec.md           # Feature specification
        ├── plan.md           # Technical design
        ├── tasks.md          # Implementation tasks
        ├── research.md       # Research findings (optional)
        ├── data-model.md     # Entity definitions (optional)
        ├── contracts/        # API contracts (optional)
        └── checklists/       # Quality checklists

Feature ID System

Features use auto-incremented 3-digit IDs:

• 001-user-auth
• 002-payment-gateway
• 003-notification-system

Benefits:

• Natural ordering in filesystem
• Easy reference in commits/PRs
• Prevents naming conflicts

Workflow Phases

Phase 1: Constitution (/speckit:constitution)

Establish or update project-wide principles.

Inputs: Project context, team preferences Outputs: .specify/memory/constitution.md