forge-spec

Orchestrates spec-driven design brainstorming and enriches specs with architecture, ADR, and impact analysis.

1|Updated Apr 8, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/jp5labs/forge-workflow --skill forge-spec-jp5labs
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: forge-spec
Source: https://github.com/jp5labs/forge-workflow/tree/main/forge_workflow/templates/skills/forge-spec
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/jp5labs/forge-workflow --skill forge-spec-jp5labs

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Turning a rough idea into an approved, analysis-backed design spec requires structured brainstorming, architecture review, ADR compliance checks, and impact assessment — doing this manually is slow and inconsistent. This Skill orchestrates the entire ideation-to-approved-spec workflow so every design decision is documented, validated, and traceable. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Guided Design Brainstorming: Wraps the superpowers brainstorming skill with template, output path, and exit overrides to produce a structured spec in docs/specs/. - Conditional Analysis Enrichment: Dispatches parallel Sonnet subagents for ADR compliance, architecture review, impact analysis, dependency graphing, and scenario comparison based on spec content. - Conflict Resolution and Review Gate: Surfaces contradictions between design and analysis findings, runs a spec quality review, and enforces an explicit user approval gate before proceeding. - Use Case: After /forge-discover classifies a feature as High complexity, run /forge-spec "retrieval caching" to brainstorm the design, automatically validate it against ADRs and the platform map, and exit with an approved spec ready for issue decomposition via /forge-shape. ## Quick Start Invoke /forge-spec with a short topic like "bot notification routing" to start an interactive design session that ends with an approved, analysis-enriched spec file.

Frequently Asked Questions about forge-spec

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a design spec before implementing a feature?▼

Run /forge-spec with a short topic to start an interactive brainstorming session that produces a structured spec in docs/specs/. The skill then enriches it with architecture, ADR, and impact analysis before you approve it.

When should I use forge-spec instead of going straight to planning?▼

Use forge-spec when /forge-discover classifies work as Medium, High, or Epic complexity, or whenever formal design is needed before implementation. For Trivial or Low complexity work, skip it and use /forge-shape directly.

Does forge-spec create GitHub issues or implementation plans?▼

No. forge-spec only produces an approved spec file. Issue creation is handled by /forge-shape and implementation planning by /forge-plan, which the skill points you to after approval.

What happens if an analysis subagent fails during spec enrichment?▼

The failure is reported and that analysis section is marked as unavailable with an error summary. The rest of the flow continues unblocked, and you can re-run the specific analysis later.

Can forge-spec skip the user approval gate for simple specs?▼

No. The skill explicitly requires explicit user approval before exiting under any circumstances, even when no analyses were triggered and no conflicts were found.