| name | living-docs-navigator |
| description | Navigate and load project living documentation for context from .specweave/docs/internal/. Use when implementing features and needing project context, referencing ADRs for design decisions, or accessing specs and architecture docs. Provides table of contents for all documentation types. |
Living Docs Navigator
Access project knowledge stored in .specweave/docs/internal/.
Quick Navigation
When you need context, read relevant files from these locations:
📋 Specifications (Features & User Stories)
.specweave/docs/internal/specs/
- Feature specifications with user stories
- Acceptance criteria
- Implementation history
Find specs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
📐 Architecture Decisions (ADRs)
.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/
- WHY decisions were made
- Trade-offs considered
- Context for design choices
Find ADRs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/
🏗️ System Architecture
.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/
- High-level design (HLD)
- System diagrams
- Component architecture
Find architecture docs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.md
📊 Operations
.specweave/docs/internal/operations/
- Runbooks
- SLOs
- Incident procedures
💼 Strategy
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/
- Business requirements
- Product vision
- PRDs
🛡️ Governance
.specweave/docs/internal/governance/
- Security policies
- Coding standards
- Compliance docs
How to Use
Before Implementing a Feature
-
Check for related specs:
grep -ril "keyword" .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
-
Read relevant ADRs:
grep -l "topic" .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/*.md
-
Load the context by reading the files found.
Before Making Design Decisions
- Check existing ADRs to avoid contradicting past decisions
- Read architecture docs to understand current patterns
- Follow established conventions
Example Workflow
Task: "Implement user authentication"
1. Search for related docs:
grep -ril "auth" .specweave/docs/internal/
2. Found:
- .specweave/docs/internal/specs/backend/us-001-authentication.md
- .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/0001-jwt-vs-sessions.md
- .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/auth-flow.md
3. Read each file for context before implementing.
Progressive Disclosure Pattern
This skill follows progressive disclosure:
- Metadata only (this SKILL.md) loads initially (~200 tokens)
- You search for relevant docs using grep/ls
- You read only the specific files you need
- Result: Minimal tokens, maximum context
No RAG needed - Claude's native file reading is more accurate.
Integration with /sw:do
When executing /sw:do:
- Extract topic keywords from spec.md
- Search living docs for matches
- Read relevant ADRs and architecture docs
- Apply context during implementation
Tips
- ADRs are critical - always check before design decisions
- Specs show history - see what was already built
- Use grep liberally - find docs by keyword, not guessing paths
- Cross-reference - related documents link to each other
Stakeholder Views
Living docs serve different audiences. Navigate by role:
For Business Stakeholders
Quick access to high-level, non-technical documentation:
.specweave/docs/internal/
├── strategy/ # Business context
│ ├── executive-summary.md # Project overview for leadership
│ ├── feature-dashboard.md # Feature status tracking
│ ├── roadmap.md # Product roadmap
│ └── business-impact/ # Per-feature impact statements
├── operations/ # System health
│ └── health-dashboard.md # Current system status
└── specs/
└── _feature-status.md # Active features & completion %
Use case: Board reports, investor updates, quarterly reviews
For Technical Leads
Quick access to architecture and decisions:
ls -lt .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/ | head -10
grep -ril "authentication" .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/
ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.md
Use case: Design reviews, tech debt assessment, onboarding
For Product Managers
Quick access to specifications and progress:
ls .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
grep -ril "checkout" .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
ls .specweave/increments/*/metadata.json
Use case: Sprint planning, release notes, stakeholder updates
Executive Summary Generation
Living docs can be transformed into executive-friendly formats:
Automatic Generation
Use the stakeholder-docs skill to generate:
- Executive summaries from technical specs
- Feature status dashboards
- Business impact statements
- Release summaries
"Create an executive summary of our current project status"
"Generate a feature status dashboard for Q1"
Manual Navigation
For quick stakeholder context:
- Project Overview:
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/executive-summary.md
- Feature Status:
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/feature-dashboard.md
- Recent Decisions: Latest 3 ADRs in
architecture/adr/
Visual Documentation
When documentation needs diagrams or illustrations:
Architecture Diagrams
Use Mermaid in markdown files:
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Client] --> B[API Gateway]
B --> C[Auth Service]
### AI-Generated Illustrations
Use the `/sw:image-generation` skill for professional visuals:
"Generate an architecture diagram illustration for the API docs"
"Create a feature illustration for the living docs"
Brand colors: Purple #7c3aed, Light purple #a78bfa
---
## Related Skills
- **stakeholder-docs**: Generate executive-friendly views
- **docs-writer**: Create detailed documentation
- **image-generation**: Add visuals via `/sw:image-generation`
- **docusaurus**: Preview docs as website via `/sw-docs:view`
## Project-Specific Learnings
**Before starting work, check for project-specific learnings:**
```bash
# Check if skill memory exists for this skill
cat .specweave/skill-memories/living-docs-navigator.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No project learnings yet"
Project learnings are automatically captured by the reflection system when corrections or patterns are identified during development. These learnings help you understand project-specific conventions and past decisions.
