This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks"…

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedProduct & Project Management

Install Spec Workflow

skills CLI
$ npx skills add hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins --skill spec-workflow -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins spec-workflow --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/Habib0x0/spec-driven-plugin/skills/spec-workflow .claude/skills/spec-workflow && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
spec-workflow
GitHub stars
1.2k
Token cost
~2.1k tokens
SKILL.md length
781 words
Files
4 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
736
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks"…

  • Works in 5 steps: Brainstorm → Requirements → Design → …
  • Asks to create a spec
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, Phase 0: Brainstorm, Phase 1: Requirements and Phase 2: Design, plus 7 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Spec Workflow is an agent skill from hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins. This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks", "write a PRD", "technical specification", or mentions "spec-driven development", "feature spec", "requirements phase", "design phase", or "tasks phase". Provides structured 3-phase workflow for feature development.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files, including reference files (for example `references/design-patterns.md`, `references/ears-notation.md` and `references/task-breakdown.md`).

It sits in Product & Project Management, covering PRD writing, User stories and Spec-driven development. The repository describes itself as: A curated list of awesome OpenAI Codex / ChatGPT plugins, skills, and resources. The 1 Codex Marketplace. See live plugins at: https://hol.org/plugins/best-codex-plugins. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Asks to create a spec
  • Write requirements
  • Design a feature
  • Plan implementation

Example prompts

  • “create a spec”
  • “write requirements”
  • “design a feature”
  • “/spec-workflow”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Brainstorm
  2. Requirements
  3. Design
  4. Tasks
  5. Execution

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 16b4156. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown and bash).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Spec Workflow loads about 2.1k tokens when it runs, and up to ~9.1k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 106 tokens; SKILL.md has 781 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~106
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.1k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~9.1k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins at commit 16b4156, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© hashgraph-online). 781 words, ~2,112 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/spec-workflow/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 3 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
spec-workflow
description
This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks", "write a PRD", "technical specification", or mentions "spec-driven development", "feature spec", "requirements phase", "design phase", or "tasks phase". Provides structured 3-phase workflow for feature development.
version
5.3.3

Spec-Driven Development Workflow

A structured approach to feature development through four phases: Brainstorm, Requirements, Design, and Tasks. This methodology prevents ad-hoc coding by ensuring proper planning before implementation.

Overview

Spec-driven development transforms vague feature ideas into formal, traceable specifications:

Feature Idea → Brainstorm (Conversation) → Requirements (EARS) → Design (Architecture) → Tasks (Trackable)

Phase 0: Brainstorm

Before formalizing requirements, use /spec-brainstorm to explore the idea through conversation.

When to Brainstorm
  • You have a vague idea that needs refinement
  • You're weighing multiple approaches
  • You want to think through feasibility before committing
  • The scope isn't clear yet
Brainstorm Workflow
  1. Start with /spec-brainstorm [idea]
  2. Have a back-and-forth conversation exploring the problem
  3. Codex asks probing questions, suggests alternatives, identifies gaps
  4. When the idea is solid, Codex outputs a brief
  5. Use that brief as input for /spec <feature-name>

The brainstorm phase is optional — if you already know exactly what you want, skip straight to /spec.

All new spec files are stored in .claude/specs/<feature-name>/. Existing .codex/specs/<feature-name>/ specs remain supported as a migration fallback:

  • requirements.md - User stories with EARS acceptance criteria
  • design.md - Architecture, components, data flow
  • tasks.md - Implementation tasks tracked by status, wiring, verification, and dependencies

Phase 1: Requirements

Capture WHAT the system should do using EARS (Easy Approach to Requirements Syntax).

EARS Notation

Structure requirements as testable statements:

WHEN [condition/trigger]
THE SYSTEM SHALL [expected behavior]

Examples:

WHEN a user submits a login form with valid credentials
THE SYSTEM SHALL authenticate the user and redirect to dashboard

WHEN a user submits invalid form data
THE SYSTEM SHALL display inline validation errors without page reload

WHEN an API request fails after 3 retries
THE SYSTEM SHALL display a user-friendly error message and log the failure
User Story Format
markdown
### US-1: [Story Title]

**As a** [user role]
**I want** [goal/desire]
**So that** [benefit/value]

#### Acceptance Criteria (EARS)

1. WHEN [condition]
   THE SYSTEM SHALL [behavior]
Requirements Phase Workflow
  1. Ask clarifying questions about the feature scope
  2. Identify user roles and their goals
  3. Write user stories with EARS acceptance criteria
  4. Identify non-functional requirements (performance, security, accessibility)
  5. Document out-of-scope items explicitly
  6. List open questions for resolution

For detailed EARS patterns and examples, consult references/ears-notation.md.

Phase 2: Design

Define HOW the system will implement the requirements.

Design Components
  1. Architecture Overview - High-level component diagram
  2. Data Flow - How data moves through the system
  3. Component Specifications - Purpose, responsibilities, interfaces
  4. Data Models - Schemas, types, relationships
  5. API Design - Endpoints, request/response formats
  6. Sequence Diagrams - Key interaction flows
Design Phase Workflow
  1. Review all requirements from Phase 1
  2. Identify major components needed
  3. Define interfaces between components
  4. Design data models and storage
  5. Plan API contracts if applicable
  6. Document security and performance considerations
  7. List alternatives considered with rationale

For detailed design patterns, consult references/design-patterns.md.

Phase 3: Tasks

Break down the design into discrete, trackable implementation tasks.

Task Structure
markdown
### T-1: [Task Title]

- **Status**: pending | in_progress | completed
- **Wired**: no | yes | n/a
- **Verified**: no | yes
- **Requirements**: US-1, US-2
- **Description**: [Detailed description]
- **Acceptance**: [How to verify completion]
- **Dependencies**: T-0 | none
Task Breakdown Principles
  1. Single Responsibility - Each task does one thing
  2. Testable - Clear acceptance criteria
  3. Traceable - Links to requirements
  4. Sequenced - Dependencies explicit
  5. Time-boxed - Completable in reasonable scope
Task Phases

Organize tasks into logical phases:

  1. Setup - Project scaffolding, dependencies, configuration
  2. Core Implementation - Main feature functionality
  3. Integration - Connect components, APIs
  4. Testing - Unit, integration, E2E tests
  5. Polish - Error handling, edge cases, cleanup
Show full SKILL.md (338 more words)Show less
Tasks Phase Workflow
  1. Review design from Phase 2
  2. Identify discrete implementation units
  3. Sequence tasks based on dependencies
  4. Link each task to requirements
  5. Define acceptance criteria per task
  6. Keep tasks traceable in tasks.md; if the active client has a native todo tool, mirror the task list there.

For detailed task breakdown strategies, consult references/task-breakdown.md.

Phase 4: Execution

After planning is complete, execute the spec autonomously using the provided scripts.

Single Iteration

Run one task at a time:

bash
${CODEX_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/spec-exec.sh --spec-name <name>

Each run picks the highest-priority pending task, implements it, tests it, updates the spec, and commits.

Loop Until Done

Run all tasks in a loop:

bash
${CODEX_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/spec-loop.sh --spec-name <name> --max-iterations 50

The loop re-reads spec files each iteration, detects completion via <promise>COMPLETE</promise>, and stops when all tasks are done.

Execution Commands
CommandDescription
/spec-execRun one implementation iteration
/spec-loopLoop until all tasks complete

Spec File Location

Create specs in the project's .claude/specs/ directory. If an older project already has .codex/specs/, the scripts read that location unless SPEC_ROOT is set:

project/
├── .codex/
│   └── specs/
│       └── user-authentication/
│           ├── requirements.md
│           ├── design.md
│           └── tasks.md
└── src/

Integration with Codex

Creating Specs

Use the /spec <feature-name> command to start a new spec with interactive guidance through all three phases.

Task Synchronization

After completing the Tasks phase, keep tasks.md authoritative and mirror to the active client's todo system when available:

For each task in tasks.md:
  Create or update a todo with subject, description, and dependencies
Auto-Context

When implementing features, include relevant spec files as context. This ensures implementation stays aligned with requirements.

Refinement

Use /spec-refine to update requirements or design. Changes cascade:

  • Updated requirements → Review design
  • Updated design → Regenerate tasks

Templates

Templates are available at ${CODEX_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/:

  • requirements.md - Requirements template with EARS format
  • design.md - Design document template
  • tasks.md - Task tracking template

Quick Reference

PhaseFocusOutputKey Question
RequirementsWHATUser stories + EARSWhat should it do?
DesignHOWArchitecture docsHow will it work?
TasksWHENTask list + todosWhat's the sequence?

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed guidance on each phase:

  • references/ears-notation.md - Complete EARS patterns and examples
  • references/design-patterns.md - Architecture documentation patterns
  • references/task-breakdown.md - Task decomposition strategies
Commands
  • /spec <name> - Start new spec
  • /spec-refine - Update existing spec
  • /spec-tasks - Regenerate tasks
  • /spec-status - View progress
  • /spec-validate - Validate completeness

© hashgraph-online, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 3 other files (references) in plugins/Habib0x0/spec-driven-plugin/skills/spec-workflow of hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/design-patterns.md
  • references/ears-notation.md
  • references/task-breakdown.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 16b4156

Compare with similar skills

Spec Workflow next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Spec Workflow compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Spec Workflow this skillhashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins1.2k—~2.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
CCPM Project Managementautomazeio/ccpm8.4k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Project Planneradrianpuiu/claude-skills-marketplace1001 repos~6kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Spec Driven Loopsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~3.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
New FeaturePolymathWizard/BHIL-AI-First-Development-Toolkit132—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Specifygenkovich/sdd171—~3.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Questions about Spec Workflow

What does Spec Workflow do?

This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks"…. Spec Workflow is an agent skill from hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins. This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a spec", "write requirements", "design a feature", "plan implementation", "use EARS notation", "create user stories", "break down tasks", "write a PRD", "technical specification", or mentions "spec-driven development", "feature spec", "requirements phase", "design phase", or "tasks phase".

When should I use Spec Workflow?

Spec Workflow fits situations like: asks to create a spec; write requirements; design a feature; plan implementation.

How do I install Spec Workflow in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins --skill spec-workflow -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/Habib0x0/spec-driven-plugin/skills/spec-workflow in hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins) into .claude/skills/spec-workflow in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Spec Workflow in Codex?

Run `npx skills add hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins --skill spec-workflow -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/Habib0x0/spec-driven-plugin/skills/spec-workflow in hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins) into .agents/skills/spec-workflow in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Spec Workflow in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins --skill spec-workflow -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/spec-workflow, .gemini/skills/spec-workflow, .github/skills/spec-workflow and .opencode/skills/spec-workflow in your project.

What does Spec Workflow need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Spec Workflow is instructions for the agent only.

Does Spec Workflow access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Spec Workflow safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Spec Workflow use?

Spec Workflow is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Spec Workflow use?

About 2.1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 7k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Spec Workflow?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Spec Workflow: CCPM Project Management (automazeio/ccpm, 8.4k stars), Project Planner (adrianpuiu/claude-skills-marketplace, 100 stars), Spec Driven Loop (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars) and New Feature (PolymathWizard/BHIL-AI-First-Development-Toolkit, 132 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Spec Workflow?

hashgraph-online (a GitHub organization) maintains it in hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins, which has 1,232 GitHub stars. The repository holds 736 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.

Source: hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.