Description
spec-driven-development is an agent skill from Addy Osmani's agent-skills collection that asks for a structured specification before any code is written. The spec is the shared source of truth between the agent and the engineer. It defines what is being built, why, and how the team will know it is done. The skill's position is that code without a spec is guessing. It runs as a gated workflow with four phases, preceded by a scope check, Phase 0, which applies only when one request bundles several independently testable capabilities. The agent must not advance to the next phase until the current one has been validated. The skill applies when starting a new project or feature, when requirements are ambiguous or incomplete, when a change touches several files or modules, when an architectural decision is about to be made, and when a task would take more than thirty minutes to implement. It says not to use it for single-line fixes, typo corrections, or changes whose requirements are unambiguous and self-contained. The skill is listed on skills.sh, with its security audit results shown there. It suits teams that want written requirements agreed before an agent starts building.…
Highlights
- Structured spec before any code
- Four gated phases with a scope check
- Shared source of truth for scope and done
- Guidance on when a spec is not needed
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spec-driven-development FAQ
What does the spec-driven-development skill do?
It has an agent write a structured specification of what is being built, why, and how success is measured, before any code is written.
How do I install it?
Run: npx skills add https://github.com/addyosmani/agent-skills --skill spec-driven-development
How does the workflow move forward?
Through four gated phases, after a scope check. Each phase must be validated before the next starts.
When is a spec not needed?
For single-line fixes, typo corrections, or changes whose requirements are clear and self-contained.
What security checks has it passed?
skills.sh lists three audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub Pass, Socket Pass and Snyk Pass.
What are the best spec-driven-development alternatives?
Popular alternatives to spec-driven-development include batch-grill-me, grilling and to-prd. See all spec-driven-development alternatives