speckit-plan

---
name: speckit-plan
description: "Generate a technical implementation plan from a feature spec by filling the plan template, resolving unknowns via research, producing data-model.md, API contracts, and quickstart.md artifacts. Use when the feature spec is ready and the user needs architecture decisions, data models, API schemas, or a structured plan before task generation."
---

# Spec Kit Plan Skill

## When to Use

- The feature spec is ready and you need a technical implementation plan.

## Inputs

- `specs/<feature>/spec.md`
- Repo context and `.specify/` templates
- User-provided constraints or tech preferences (if any)

If the spec is missing, ask the user to run speckit-specify first.

## Workflow

1. **Setup**: Run `.specify/scripts/bash/setup-plan.sh --json` from repo root and parse JSON for FEATURE_SPEC, IMPL_PLAN, SPECS_DIR, BRANCH. For single quotes in args like "I'm Groot", use escape syntax: e.g 'I'\''m Groot' (or double-quote if possible: "I'm Groot").

2. **Load context**: Read FEATURE_SPEC and `.specify/memory/constitution.md`. Load IMPL_PLAN template (already copied).

3. **Execute plan workflow**: Follow the structure in IMPL_PLAN template to:
   - Fill Technical Context (mark unknowns as "NEEDS CLARIFICATION")
   - Fill Constitution Check section from constitution
   - Evaluate gates (ERROR if violations unjustified)
   - Phase 0: Generate research.md (resolve all NEEDS CLARIFICATION)
   - Phase 1: Generate data-model.md, contracts/, quickstart.md
   - Phase 1: Update agent context by running the agent script
   - Re-evaluate Constitution Check post-design

4. **Stop and report**: Command ends after Phase 2 planning. Report branch, IMPL_PLAN path, and generated artifacts.

## Phases

### Phase 0: Outline & Research

1. **Extract unknowns from Technical Context** above:
   - For each NEEDS CLARIFICATION → research task
   - For each dependency → best practices task
   - For each integration → patterns task

2. **Generate and dispatch research agents**:

   ```text
   For each unknown in Technical Context:
     Task: "Research {unknown} for {feature context}"
   For each technology choice:
     Task: "Find best practices for {tech} in {domain}"
   ```

3. **Consolidate findings** in `research.md` using format:
   - Decision: [what was chosen]
   - Rationale: [why chosen]
   - Alternatives considered: [what else evaluated]

**Output**: research.md with all NEEDS CLARIFICATION resolved

### Phase 1: Design & Contracts

**Prerequisites:** `research.md` complete

1. **Extract entities from feature spec** → `data-model.md`:
   - Entity name, fields, relationships
   - Validation rules from requirements
   - State transitions if applicable

2. **Generate API contracts** from functional requirements:
   - For each user action → endpoint
   - Use standard REST/GraphQL patterns
   - Output OpenAPI/GraphQL schema to `/contracts/`

3. **Agent context update**:
   - Run `.specify/scripts/bash/update-agent-context.sh <agent_type>`
   - Use the current runtime agent type (e.g., claude, codex, copilot, gemini). Leave empty to update all existing agent files.
   - Update the appropriate agent-specific context file
   - Add only new technology from current plan
   - Preserve manual additions between markers

**Output**: data-model.md, /contracts/\*, quickstart.md, agent-specific file

## Key rules

- Use absolute paths
- ERROR on gate failures or unresolved clarifications

## Outputs

- `specs/<feature>/plan.md` (filled implementation plan)
- `specs/<feature>/research.md`
- `specs/<feature>/data-model.md`
- `specs/<feature>/contracts/` (API schemas)
- `specs/<feature>/quickstart.md`
- Updated agent context file (runtime-specific)

## Next Steps

After planning:

- **Generate tasks** with speckit-tasks.
- **Create a checklist** with speckit-checklist when a quality gate is needed.