specsafe-spec

Flesh out a detailed specification from the initial PRD (SPEC stage refinement).

When to use:

• PRD is drafted but needs detailed requirements
• Need to define acceptance criteria and scenarios
• Preparing to move to TEST stage

Input: The spec ID (e.g., SPEC-20260211-001)

Steps

1. Read the spec file

   Load specs/active/<spec-id>.md and review:

   • Current Purpose and Scope sections
   • Existing requirements (if any)
   • Tech stack decisions
   • Current stage (must be SPEC)

2. Expand requirements

   For each requirement in the PRD:

   • Assign unique requirement ID (e.g., FR-1, NFR-1)
   • Define clear acceptance criteria in Given-When-Then format
   • Specify priority (P0/P1/P2)
   • Add any dependencies or constraints

3. Define scenarios

   Create detailed scenarios covering:

   • Happy path: Normal operation
   • Edge cases: Boundary conditions
   • Error cases: Invalid inputs, failures
   • Integration: Interaction with other systems

   Format each scenario:

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   ## Scenario: [Name]
   **Given** [precondition]
   **When** [action]
   **Then** [expected result]
   

4. Technical approach

   Expand the Technical Approach section:

   • Architecture decisions
   • API contracts (if applicable)
   • Data models
   • Integration points

5. Test strategy

   Define testing approach:

   • Unit test coverage targets
   • Integration test requirements
   • E2E scenarios to cover
   • Mock/stub requirements

6. Implementation plan

   Create phased implementation plan:

   Phase	Task	Est.	Dependencies
   1	Setup	30m	None
   2	Core logic	2h	Phase 1

7. Update status

   Mark spec as ready for TEST stage if complete:

   bashCopy

   specsafe spec "<spec-id>"
   

8. Show summary

   Display:

   • Requirements count by priority
   • Scenarios defined
   • Estimated total effort
   • Next command: /specsafe:test <id>

Output

After specification:

• ✅ Detailed requirements with acceptance criteria
• ✅ Comprehensive scenarios (happy path + edge cases)
• ✅ Technical approach documented
• ✅ Test strategy defined
• ✅ Implementation plan with estimates
• 📋 Status: SPEC (ready for TEST stage)
• 📋 Prompt: "Ready to generate tests? Run /specsafe:test <id>"

Guardrails

• Requirements must have clear acceptance criteria
• Scenarios should cover at least: happy path, 2 edge cases, 1 error case
• Estimates should be realistic (use T-shirt sizes or hours)
• Do NOT proceed to TEST stage until requirements are complete
• Review with user if spec is large (>10 requirements) before proceeding

Example

User: /specsafe:spec SPEC-20260211-004
→ Expands PRD into detailed spec
→ Adds 8 requirements (3 P0, 3 P1, 2 P2)
→ Defines 6 scenarios
→ Status: SPEC
→ Next: /specsafe:test SPEC-20260211-004