specification-phase

Convert natural language feature requests into structured specifications and roadmaps.

91|10|Updated Oct 4, 2025
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/marcusgoll/Spec-Flow --skill specification-phase
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: specification-phase
Source: https://github.com/marcusgoll/Spec-Flow/tree/main/.claude/skills/specification-phase
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/marcusgoll/Spec-Flow --skill specification-phase

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) and templates (resource) components.

What problem does it solves? This Skill converts natural language feature requests into structured, actionable specifications, incorporating classification, informed guesses, and measurable success criteria to streamline the development process and minimize ambiguity.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Feature Classification: Automatically categorizes features (e.g., HAS_UI, IS_IMPROVEMENT, HAS_METRICS, HAS_DEPLOYMENT_IMPACT) to guide subsequent workflow steps and artifact generation.
  • Informed Guess Strategy: Applies reasonable defaults for non-critical technical decisions, minimizing the need for clarifications and accelerating the specification process.
  • Measurable Success Criteria: Defines objective, quantifiable metrics for feature success, ensuring clear validation targets and preventing scope creep.
  • Roadmap Integration: Automatically checks for and reuses existing context from the product roadmap, updating status and linking new specifications.
  • Use Case: A product owner provides a high-level feature idea like "add student progress dashboard." This Skill helps generate a detailed spec, classifying the feature, making smart assumptions, and identifying only the most critical ambiguities for clarification.

Quick Start

Follow these steps to create a structured feature specification:

1. Parse and Normalize Input: Extract feature description and generate a clean slug (e.g., "student-progress-dashboard").

2. Check Roadmap Integration: Search for existing roadmap entries to reuse context.

3. Classify Feature: Apply decision tree to set flags like HAS_UI, IS_IMPROVEMENT.

4. Apply Informed Guess Strategy: Use industry-standard defaults for non-critical decisions, documenting assumptions.

5. Generate Clarifications (Max 3): Identify critical ambiguities that cannot be assumed and mark them.

6. Write Success Criteria: Define measurable, quantifiable outcomes for the feature.

7. Generate Artifacts: Create spec.md, NOTES.md, workflow-state.yaml, and visuals/ (if UI).

8. Validate and Commit: Ensure all checks pass and commit the specification.

Example:

# Input: "We want to add student progress dashboard"

# Output: specs/042-student-progress-dashboard/spec.md

# With: HAS_UI: true, Success Criteria: "API response time <500ms", 2 clarifications.

Frequently Asked Questions about specification-phase

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I transform feature requests into structured specifications?

Convert natural language feature requests into structured specifications by classifying features, defining measurable success criteria, and generating spec.md with roadmap integration. This Skill applies classification flags like HAS_UI and IS_IMPROVEMENT, creates clarifications for ambiguities, and produces actionable artifacts for planning and implementation.

What should I include in feature specification success criteria?

Success criteria must be measurable, quantifiable outcomes that define feature validation targets. Specify objectives like API response times, adoption rates, or user engagement metrics. Clear success criteria prevent scope creep and align stakeholders on what feature completion means.

How does roadmap integration work when creating specifications?

The Skill automatically checks existing roadmap entries to reuse context, prevents duplication, and updates roadmap status when new specifications are created. This ensures consistent feature tracking and cross-references between new specs and project planning artifacts.

What are informed guesses in feature specification?

Informed guesses apply industry-standard defaults for non-critical technical decisions, reducing clarification requests and accelerating specification. The Skill documents these assumptions explicitly so teams understand which choices are defaults versus critical decisions requiring clarification.

What artifacts does the specification process generate?

The Skill generates spec.md with feature details, NOTES.md for context, workflow-state.yaml for status tracking, and optional visuals/ directory for UI features. These artifacts provide concrete outputs suitable for implementation handoff and cross-functional planning.

Can I use this for requirements that need classification and clarification?

Yes. The Skill is designed for high-level feature ideas requiring classification, informed assumptions, and critical clarifications. It works across product categories and generates up to three clarifications for ambiguities that cannot be safely assumed, filtering for only the most essential questions.