A professional spec-first development framework that uses structured expert review gates to ensure code aligns perfectly with technical requirements.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install spec-coder
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install spec-coder using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Spec Coder Workflow?
Spec Coder is a sophisticated development workflow designed for Openclaw Skills that prioritizes architectural integrity and requirement clarity over rapid, unstructured hacking. By implementing a five-phase lifecycle—ranging from codebase scanning to evolution—it ensures that every line of code generated by an AI agent is rooted in a verified specification.
This skill transforms the AI from a simple code generator into a disciplined engineering partner. It utilizes a trunk-based documentation strategy where the system truth is maintained in core spec files, while incremental features are developed in isolated change directories. This methodology minimizes technical debt and ensures that complex, multi-module systems remain maintainable as they evolve.
Spec Coder Workflow Use Cases
- Building new features or greenfield projects that require strict architectural oversight.
- Scaling existing codebases where manual documentation and code sync have become difficult.
- Implementing complex business logic that requires multi-role expert reviews (Requirements, Design, and Code).
- Teams using Openclaw Skills who want to minimize AI hallucinations through rigorous spec-to-code traceability.
How Spec Coder Workflow Works
- Scan the existing codebase to establish technical context and identify architectural conventions.
- Clarify and scope requirements through an interactive process, resulting in a structured requirements document.
- Create technical designs and low-fidelity HTML previews to validate user flows and system architecture before coding begins.
- Break down the design into granular tasks and feature specifications with explicit test points.
- Generate implementation code and tests in parallel, strictly adhering to the defined specs while logging any gaps.
- Verify the output through dynamic build checks, linting, and unit testing to ensure 100% compliance with the spec.
Spec Coder Workflow Setup
To initialize the Spec Coder workflow within your environment, ensure your project structure includes a specs/ directory. You can start the process by invoking the agent with a spec-first command.
# Initialize a new spec-driven session
# The agent will automatically look for specs/status.md
mkdir -p specs/changes/archive
touch specs/status.md
Ensure that the relevant reference protocols (Expert Review, UI Guidelines) are accessible in your references/ folder to enable the full gate-review functionality of Openclaw Skills.
Spec Coder Workflow Data Schema & Taxonomy
Spec Coder organizes data using a hierarchical trunk-and-branch model to manage the lifecycle of a project:
| Directory/File | Description |
|---|---|
specs/index.md |
The central hub for navigation, tracking all features and recent changes. |
specs/status.md |
Persistence layer for current phase, gate results, and codebase context. |
specs/tasks.md |
Active implementation tracking with status (Pending, In Progress, Done). |
specs/changes/ |
Isolated directories for in-progress features (e.g., FEAT-001/). |
specs/spec_*.md |
The source of truth for specific features, including interfaces and test points. |
Spec Coder Workflow Advanced Features
- Multi-Role Expert Review Gates: Automated gates that check for Critical or Major issues before advancing phases.
- Spec-Code Traceability: Automatic insertion of TASK-ID and TP-ID comments in code to link implementation back to the original spec.
- Track Complexity Triage: Dynamic switching between Small, Medium, and Large tracks to balance speed with rigorous documentation.
- Design Preview System: Automated generation of standalone HTML prototypes to visualize UI/UX before writing production code.
- Delta Merging: Advanced Phase 5 logic that generates merge instructions to update the trunk specs without losing historical context.
SKILL.md
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