spec-workflow

Planning complex feature work requires formalizing requirements, design, and tasks before execution. This structured workflow enforces a four-phase process to capture scope upfront and align stakeholders across multiple modules.

Defining clear acceptance criteria for architecture-heavy requests is best done using EARS-style criteria. This formalizes success conditions and ensures traceability from change to delivery, reducing ambiguity and preventing scope creep.

You need a structured spec workflow when handling medium-to-large changes across multiple modules, architecture-heavy requests, or features with unclear acceptance criteria. It enforces disciplined planning to prevent delays and misaligned expectations.

To start the spec workflow, first evaluate whether the change warrants the full spec flow. If it does, create requirements, design, and tasks documents sequentially before moving into the execution phase.

Spec workflow is designed for medium-to-large changes across multiple modules. For small single-module changes, the full four-phase requirements, design, tasks, and execution process may be unnecessary overhead.

EARS-style acceptance criteria prevents scope creep by formalizing exact success conditions before implementation begins. This ensures all stakeholders share a clear, traceable definition of done throughout the execution phase.