Speckit-Specify: Feature Specification Creation

Purpose

Create a formal, technology-agnostic specification that describes WHAT users need and WHY it matters, without prescribing HOW to implement it.

Prerequisites

• Completed brainstorming session (use brainstorming skill first)
• Clear understanding of user requirements and constraints

What This Skill Does

1. Generates feature branch and directory structure
2. Creates comprehensive spec.md following template
3. Validates specification quality
4. Resolves remaining clarifications (max 3)
5. Ensures specification is ready for technical planning

Key Principles

Focus on WHAT and WHY

• Describe user capabilities and business value
• Avoid implementation details (no languages, frameworks, APIs)
• Written for business stakeholders, not developers

Technology-Agnostic Success Criteria

• Measurable outcomes from user/business perspective
• No mention of frameworks, databases, or tools
• Examples: "Users can complete checkout in <3 minutes", "System supports 10,000 concurrent users"

Quality Over Speed

• Make informed guesses for reasonable defaults
• Only mark [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] for critical decisions (max 3)
• Validate against quality checklist before completion

Template Location

IMPORTANT: The specification template is located at: .github/skills/speckit-specify/spec-template.md

This template MUST be loaded and used as the base structure for all specification creation.

Execution Flow

All execution logic is now contained within this skill. The skill handles:

• Feature branch creation and numbering
• Spec template loading and filling
• Quality validation
• Clarification handling

Quick Summary

1. Parse user description from arguments
2. Generate branch name (2-4 words, action-noun format)
3. Check existing branches (remote, local, specs directories)
4. Run create-new-feature.sh with next available number
5. Load spec template from .github/skills/speckit-specify/spec-template.md
6. Fill specification with concrete details from brainstorming
7. Validate quality against checklist criteria
8. Resolve clarifications (max 3, with suggested answers)
9. Report completion with branch, spec path, and readiness

Specification Quality Validation

After writing the spec, validate against these criteria:

Content Quality

• No implementation details (languages, frameworks, APIs)
• Focused on user value and business needs
• Written for non-technical stakeholders
• All mandatory sections completed

Requirement Completeness

• No [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers remain
• Requirements are testable and unambiguous
• Success criteria are measurable
• Success criteria are technology-agnostic (no implementation details)
• All acceptance scenarios are defined
• Edge cases are identified
• Scope is clearly bounded
• Dependencies and assumptions identified

Feature Readiness

• All functional requirements have clear acceptance criteria
• User scenarios cover primary flows
• Feature meets measurable outcomes defined in Success Criteria
• No implementation details leak into specification

Clarification Handling

If [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers exist (max 3):

1. Extract markers from spec
2. Limit to 3 most critical (scope → security → UX → technical details)
3. Present as Q&A format:
   • Recommended: Option X -
   • Table with options A-E
   • User can say "yes"/"recommended" to accept suggestion
4. Update spec with user's answers
5. Re-validate quality after clarifications resolved

Success Indicators

Specification is ready when:

• ✅ Zero implementation details present
• ✅ All success criteria are measurable and technology-agnostic
• ✅ No [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers remain
• ✅ All quality checklist items pass
• ✅ Requirements are testable and unambiguous
• ✅ Written for business stakeholders (no technical jargon)

Output

specs/N-feature-name/
├── spec.md                    # Feature specification (WHAT & WHY)
└── checklists/
    └── requirements.md        # Quality validation checklist

Next Step

After specification is complete:

• Option A: Use speckit-plan to create technical plan
• Option B: Use speckit-checklist to generate domain-specific quality checks first

Common Mistakes

❌ Implementation Details in Spec

Wrong: "Use React hooks for state management" Right: "Users can update their profile information"

❌ Technology-Specific Success Criteria

Wrong: "API response time is under 200ms" Right: "Users see search results instantly"

❌ Too Many Clarifications

Wrong: 10 [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers Right: Max 3, make informed guesses for the rest

❌ Vague Requirements

Wrong: "System should be fast and secure" Right: "Users can log in within 2 seconds, all data encrypted at rest and in transit"

Related Skills

• brainstorming - REQUIRED before this skill (explore requirements)
• speckit-plan - Next step after specification (design technical approach)
• speckit-checklist - Generate quality validation checklists