openspec-onboard

An OpenSpec workflow cycle is completed by progressing sequentially through Explore, Create Change, Proposal, Specs, Design, Tasks, Apply, and Archive phases. This guided onboarding walks you through each step using real codebase tasks and artifacts stored within the openspec/changes directory.

The OpenSpec onboarding process guides teams through a complete change management cycle, from selecting a real codebase task to archiving the finished change. It includes preflight checks, deterministic phase transitions, and scope guardrails to ensure the first implementation planning cycle finishes successfully.

Yes, the OpenSpec CLI must be installed before starting. The onboarding process begins with a preflight readiness check that verifies the CLI is present and stops early if it is missing, ensuring your environment supports deterministic workflow phase transitions.

Task selection is guided by scanning your codebase for quick wins such as TODO/FIXME items, weak error handling, missing tests, type issues, debug artifacts, and missing validation. It proposes concrete starter tasks with scope guardrails to keep the work small enough to finish.

The primary limitation is scope; the workflow applies guardrails to keep your first run-through small enough to complete the entire cycle without getting stuck. It focuses on deterministic phase transitions and requires real artifacts inside openspec/changes.