openspec-archive-change

name	openspec-archive-change
description	Archive a completed change in the experimental workflow. Use when the user wants to finalize and archive a change after implementation is complete.
allowed-tools	Bash(openspec:*)
license	MIT
compatibility	Requires openspec CLI.
metadata	{"author":"openspec","version":"1.0"}

Archive a completed change in the experimental workflow.

Store selection: If the user names a store (a store is a standalone OpenSpec repo registered on this machine) or the work lives in one, run openspec store list --json to discover registered store ids, then pass --store <id> on the commands that read or write specs and changes (new change, status, instructions, list, show, validate, archive, doctor, context). Other commands do not take the flag. Hints printed by commands already carry the flag; keep it on follow-ups. Without a store, commands act on the nearest local openspec/ root.

Input: Optionally specify a change name. If omitted, check if it can be inferred from conversation context. If vague or ambiguous you MUST prompt for available changes.

Steps

1. If no change name provided, prompt for selection

   Run openspec list --json to get available changes. Use the AskUserQuestion tool to let the user select.

   Show only active changes (not already archived). Include the schema used for each change if available.

   IMPORTANT: Do NOT guess or auto-select a change. Always let the user choose.

2. Check artifact completion status

   Run openspec status --change "<name>" --json to check artifact completion.

   Parse the JSON to understand:

   • schemaName: The workflow being used
   • planningHome, changeRoot, artifactPaths, and actionContext: path and scope context
   • artifacts: List of artifacts with their status (done, skipped, or other)

   If any artifacts are neither done nor skipped (skipped artifacts satisfy the requirement - the change declares skip_specs):

   • Display warning listing incomplete artifacts
   • Use AskUserQuestion tool to confirm user wants to proceed
   • Proceed if user confirms

3. Check task completion status

   Read the tasks file (typically tasks.md) to check for incomplete tasks.

   Count tasks marked with - [ ] (incomplete) vs - [x] (complete).

   If incomplete tasks found:

   • Display warning showing count of incomplete tasks
   • Use AskUserQuestion tool to confirm user wants to proceed
   • Proceed if user confirms

   If no tasks file exists: Proceed without task-related warning.

4. Assess delta spec sync state

   Use artifactPaths.specs.existingOutputPaths from status JSON to check for delta specs. If none exist, proceed without sync prompt.

   If delta specs exist:

   • Compare each delta spec with its corresponding main spec at <planningHome.root>/openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md (use the store-aware planningHome.root from step 2, not a hardcoded repo path)
   • Determine what changes would be applied (adds, modifications, removals, renames)
   • Show a combined summary before prompting

   Prompt options:

   • If changes needed: "Sync now (recommended)", "Archive without syncing"
   • If already synced: "Archive now", "Sync anyway", "Cancel"

   Route on the answer:

   • "Cancel" — stop, do not archive
   • "Archive without syncing" or "Archive now" — proceed to archive
   • "Sync now" or "Sync anyway" — sync, then verify (below)
   • Anything else — ask again rather than archiving

   To sync, run the openspec-sync-specs workflow inline (agent-driven intelligent merge) for change '', passing the delta spec analysis from above, and wait for it to finish. Do not delegate it to a background task — step 5 would move changeRoot out from under a sync that is still reading it, leaving the change archived and the main specs never updated. If your agent can only run it by delegation, delegate synchronously and wait for the result.

   Then re-run the comparison from the top of this step against every capability that has a delta spec in artifactPaths.specs.existingOutputPaths — not only the ones the sync reports it touched. A successful sync leaves nothing left to apply, so each capability must now read as already synced:

   • ADDED requirements present
   • MODIFIED requirements carrying the scenario and description changes named in the delta, with their other scenarios intact
   • REMOVED requirements gone
   • RENAMED requirements present under the new name and absent under the old one

   If the sync failed, or any capability does not match, report what differs and stop — do not archive. Nothing has moved and changeRoot is intact, so the user can fix the mismatch or re-run the sync and start the archive again.

5. Perform the archive

   Create an archive directory under planningHome.changesDir if it doesn't exist:

   mkdir -p "<planningHome.changesDir>/archive"
   

   Generate the target name: use the change name as-is when it already starts with a YYYY-MM-DD- prefix; otherwise prepend the current date as YYYY-MM-DD-<change-name>. Never stack a second date (same rule as openspec archive).

   Check if target already exists:

   • If yes: Fail with error, suggest renaming existing archive or using different date
   • If no: Move changeRoot to the archive directory

   mv "<changeRoot>" "<planningHome.changesDir>/archive/<target-name>"
   

6. Display summary

   Show archive completion summary including:

   • Change name
   • Schema that was used
   • Archive location
   • Whether specs were synced (if applicable)
   • Note about any warnings (incomplete artifacts/tasks)

Output On Success

## Archive Complete

**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** the archive path derived from `planningHome.changesDir`/<target-name>/
**Specs:** <"✓ Synced to main specs" only if the step 4 verification passed; otherwise "No delta specs" or "Sync skipped">

<"All artifacts complete. All tasks complete." — or, if archived with warnings, list them instead (e.g. "Archived with 2 incomplete tasks")>

Guardrails

• Always prompt for change selection if not provided
• Use artifact graph (openspec status --json) for completion checking
• Don't block archive on warnings - just inform and confirm
• Preserve .openspec.yaml when moving to archive (it moves with the directory)
• Show clear summary of what happened
• If sync is requested, run the openspec-sync-specs workflow inline (agent-driven)
• Never archive while a spec sync is still in flight — run the sync inline and verify the main specs before moving changeRoot
• If delta specs exist, always run the sync assessment and show the combined summary before prompting