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.
license	MIT
compatibility	Requires openspec CLI.
metadata	{"author":"openspec","version":"1.0","generatedBy":"1.2.0"}

Archive a completed change in the experimental workflow.

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
   • artifacts: List of artifacts with their status (done or other)

   If any artifacts are not done:

   • 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

   Check for delta specs at openspec/changes/<name>/specs/. If none exist, proceed without sync prompt.

   If delta specs exist:

   • Compare each delta spec with its corresponding main spec at openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md
   • 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"

   If user chooses sync, use Task tool (subagent_type: "general-purpose", prompt: "Use Skill tool to invoke openspec-sync-specs for change ''. Delta spec analysis: "). Proceed to archive regardless of choice.

5. Perform the archive

   Create the archive directory if it doesn't exist:

   mkdir -p openspec/changes/archive
   

   Generate target name using current date: YYYY-MM-DD-<change-name>

   Check if target already exists:

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

   mv openspec/changes/<name> openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>
   

6. Update CHANGELOG and version (optional)

   After the archive is complete, use the AskUserQuestion tool to ask if the user wants to update the changelog and/or bump the version.

   Question: "Do you want to update the CHANGELOG and project version for this change?" Options (multiSelect: true):

   • "Update CHANGELOG.md" — Add an entry under [Unreleased] summarizing the change
   • "Bump version in package.json" — Increment the version number
   • "Skip" — Don't update anything

   If user selects "Update CHANGELOG.md":

   • Read the current CHANGELOG.md and the change's proposal.md (from the archive)
   • Determine what type of change it was (Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed) based on the proposal and tasks
   • Add a concise entry under the [Unreleased] section following Keep a Changelog format
   • Show the user what was added

   If user selects "Bump version in package.json":

   • Read the current version from package.json
   • Use the AskUserQuestion tool to ask what type of bump:
     • "Patch (x.x.X)" — Bug fixes
     • "Minor (x.X.0)" — New features, backwards compatible
     • "Major (X.0.0)" — Breaking changes
     • "Pre-release" — Bump pre-release suffix (e.g., beta.6 → beta.7)
   • Apply the version bump to package.json
   • If CHANGELOG.md was also updated, update the [Unreleased] header to the new version with today's date

7. Display summary

   Show archive completion summary including:

   • Change name
   • Schema that was used
   • Archive location
   • Whether specs were synced (if applicable)
   • CHANGELOG update status (updated / skipped)
   • Version bump status (bumped to X.X.X / skipped)
   • Note about any warnings (incomplete artifacts/tasks)

Output On Success

## Archive Complete

**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** ✓ Synced to main specs (or "No delta specs" or "Sync skipped")
**CHANGELOG:** ✓ Updated (or "Skipped")
**Version:** ✓ Bumped to X.X.X (or "Skipped")

All artifacts complete. All tasks complete.

Guardrails

• Always use the AskUserQuestion tool for all user prompts and confirmations — never just print options as text
• 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, use openspec-sync-specs approach (agent-driven)
• If delta specs exist, always run the sync assessment and show the combined summary before prompting
• Always offer CHANGELOG/version update after archiving — don't skip this step