SPARC Development Methodology
ruvnet/ruflo
Applies the SPARC method (specification, pseudocode, architecture, refinement, completion) with 17 specialized modes and multi-agent orchestration, from research to deployment.
Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases.
Install Spec Driven
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-driven --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .claude/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .claude/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-drivenType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-driven --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .agents/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .agents/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-driven --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .cursor/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .cursor/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git --path plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-driven --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .gemini/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .gemini/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-drivenInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .github/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .github/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules spec-driven --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven .opencode/skills/spec-driven && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "spec-driven" agent skill from https://github.com/NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules/tree/main/plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven into .opencode/skills/spec-driven/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "spec-driven", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
spec-driven- GitHub stars
- 141
- Token cost
- ~1.3k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 620 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 26
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases.
- Works in 4 steps: Requirements → Design → Tasks → …
- User wants structured feature planning
- SKILL.md covers CRITICAL: Orchestrator-Only…, File Structure, Workflow Phases and Core Principles, plus 2 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Spec Driven is an agent skill from NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules. Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases. Use when user wants structured feature planning or says "use spec-driven" or "follow the spec process".
Its SKILL.md is about 1.3k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Development, covering Spec-driven development. The repository describes itself as: Learn practical techniques to enhance your AI-assisted development workflow with Claude Code. The licence is Apache-2.0.
When your agent uses it
- User wants structured feature planning
- Says use spec-driven
- Follow the spec process
Example prompts
- “use spec-driven”
- “follow the spec process”
- “/spec-driven”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 281c063. 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.
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 Driven loads about 1.3k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 60 tokens; SKILL.md has 620 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules at commit 281c063, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© NikiforovAll). 620 words, ~1,298 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/spec-driven/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- spec-driven
- description
- Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases. Use when user wants structured feature planning or says "use spec-driven" or "follow the spec process".
Spec-Driven Development Workflow
You are an orchestrator for spec-driven development. Your ONLY job is to coordinate subagents - you MUST NEVER create documents or implement tasks yourself.
CRITICAL: Orchestrator-Only Rules
ALWAYS:
- ✅ Launch the appropriate subagent for each phase
- ✅ Wait for subagent completion before proceeding
- ✅ Manage approval gates and user feedback
- ✅ Coordinate workflow transitions
NEVER:
- ❌ Create requirements.md, design.md, or tasks.md yourself
- ❌ Implement tasks directly
- ❌ Skip launching a subagent "to save time"
- ❌ Write code or documentation yourself
If you find yourself about to create a file or write code, STOP and launch the appropriate subagent instead.
File Structure
All specs go in: specs/{feature_name}/
requirements.md- User stories with EARS acceptance criteriadesign.md- Technical architecture and implementation guidancetasks.md- Incremental coding tasks
Workflow Phases
Phase 1: Requirements
Goal: Transform feature idea into user stories with measurable acceptance criteria.
MANDATORY: You MUST launch requirements-agent - do NOT create requirements yourself.
Process:
- Launch
requirements-agentwith feature description - Review generated requirements with user
- Approval Gate: "Do the requirements look good? If so, we can move on to the design."
- Iterate based on feedback until approved (re-launch agent with feedback)
Phase 2: Design
Goal: Create technical design addressing all requirements.
Prerequisites: Approved requirements.md
MANDATORY: You MUST launch tech-design-agent - do NOT create design yourself.
Process:
- Launch
tech-design-agentwith feature name and requirements - Review generated design with user
- Approval Gate: "Does the design look good? If so, we can move on to the implementation plan."
- Iterate based on feedback until approved (re-launch agent with feedback)
Phase 3: Tasks
Goal: Convert design into actionable coding tasks.
Prerequisites: Approved requirements.md and design.md
MANDATORY: You MUST launch tasks-agent - do NOT create tasks yourself.
Process:
- Launch
tasks-agentwith feature name, requirements, and design - Review generated tasks with user
- Approval Gate: "Do the tasks look good?"
- Iterate based on feedback until approved (re-launch agent with feedback)
Specification workflow complete after task approval. Stop here unless user explicitly requests implementation.
Show full SKILL.md (296 more words)Show less
Phase 4: Implementation (Optional)
Goal: Execute one task at a time from approved tasks.md.
Prerequisites: All previous documents approved.
MANDATORY: You MUST launch implementation-agent - do NOT implement tasks yourself.
Process:
- Launch
implementation-agentwith feature name and specific task number to implement - Implementation-agent executes ONLY one task per session with strict zero-improvisation
- Review completed task with user
- After approval, suggest new session for next task (launch agent again for next task)
Implementation-agent handles:
- Pre-implementation verification (reading specs, checking resources, clarifying ambiguities)
- Strict adherence to specifications without improvisation
- Requesting approval for any unclear visual/design elements
- Using MCP servers for external resources (Jira, Confluence, GitHub, Figma)
- Marking tasks as completed in tasks.md
- One task per session enforcement
Core Principles
- Sequential Execution: Complete phases in order
- Explicit Approval: Never advance without clear user confirmation
- Iterative Refinement: Continue revision cycles until approval
- Incremental Building: Each phase builds on the previous
- Zero Improvisation: During implementation, follow specs exactly
Your Role
- Coordinate phase transitions and launch appropriate subagents (requirements-agent, tech-design-agent, tasks-agent, implementation-agent)
- Enforce approval gates - never assume satisfaction
- Verify document quality before proceeding
- Handle revision requests by re-launching subagents with feedback
- Communicate progress and next steps clearly
- Stop after tasks approval unless implementation explicitly requested
- For implementation phase, always launch implementation-agent (never implement tasks directly)
Verification Checklist (Before Each Phase)
Before starting a phase, verify:
- ✅ Am I about to launch a subagent? (YES = correct, NO = STOP and launch agent)
- ✅ Am I about to use Task tool? (YES = correct, NO = wrong approach)
- ❌ Am I about to create a file with Write/Edit? (YES = WRONG, must launch agent instead)
- ❌ Am I about to write requirements/design/tasks/code myself? (YES = WRONG, must launch agent instead)
If you catch yourself doing the work directly, STOP immediately and launch the appropriate subagent.
© NikiforovAll, 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
Just SKILL.md in plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven of NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 281c063
Compare with similar skills
Spec Driven 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spec Driven this skillNikiforovAll/claude-code-rules | 141 | — | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| SPARC Development Methodologyruvnet/ruflo | 74k | 2 repos | ~829 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Ss SpecSerial-Studio/Serial-Studio | 7.2k | — | ~766 | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Spec Driven Developzhu1090093659/spec_driven_develop | 984 | — | ~5.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Bulletproof Workflowartemiimillier/bulletproof | 153 | — | ~3.5k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Develop Feature Builderjsmastery-pro/skills | 1.4k | — | ~3.8k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT |
Similar skills
Ss Spec
Serial-Studio/Serial-Studio
Phase 1 of Serial Studio's spec-driven workflow: capture WHAT a feature must do and WHY, with no implementation detail.
Spec Driven Develop
zhu1090093659/spec_driven_develop
Automates pre-development workflow for large-scale complex tasks.
Bulletproof Workflow
artemiimillier/bulletproof
Applies a 12-stage verified workflow, from research to deploy, to non-trivial coding tasks, scaled to lightweight, standard or full mode by task size.
Develop Feature Builder
jsmastery-pro/skills
Builds a feature, page, component, API or data layer from an approved spec and AGENTS.md, and sends you back to /architect when a key decision is missing.
PRP Plan
Wirasm/prp
Writes an implementation-ready plan for a feature, bug fix, refactor or chore from a PRD, issue or description, grounded in codebase evidence, and can post it back to the source issue.
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Categories
Questions about Spec Driven
What does Spec Driven do?
Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases. Spec Driven is an agent skill from NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules. Guide spec-driven development workflow (Requirements → Design → Tasks → Implementation) with approval gates between phases.
When should I use Spec Driven?
Spec Driven fits situations like: user wants structured feature planning; says use spec-driven; follow the spec process.
How do I install Spec Driven in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven in NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules) into .claude/skills/spec-driven in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Spec Driven in Codex?
Run `npx skills add NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/handbook-agent-spec-kit/skills/spec-driven in NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules) into .agents/skills/spec-driven in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Spec Driven 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 NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules --skill spec-driven -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-driven, .gemini/skills/spec-driven, .github/skills/spec-driven and .opencode/skills/spec-driven in your project.
What does Spec Driven need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Spec Driven is instructions for the agent only.
Does Spec Driven 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 Driven 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 Driven use?
Spec Driven 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 Driven use?
About 1.3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Spec Driven?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Spec Driven: SPARC Development Methodology (ruvnet/ruflo, 74k stars), Ss Spec (Serial-Studio/Serial-Studio, 7.2k stars), Spec Driven Develop (zhu1090093659/spec_driven_develop, 984 stars) and Bulletproof Workflow (artemiimillier/bulletproof, 153 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Spec Driven?
NikiforovAll (a GitHub user) maintains it in NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules, which has 141 GitHub stars. The repository holds 26 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 2, 2026.
Source: NikiforovAll/claude-code-rules on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.