Archive multiple completed changes in a single operation.
This skill allows you to batch-archive changes, handling spec conflicts intelligently by checking the codebase to determine what's actually implemented.
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Get active changes
Run openspec list --json to get all active changes.
If no active changes exist, inform user and stop.
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Prompt for change selection
Use AskUserQuestion tool with multi-select to let user choose changes:
- Show each change with its schema
- Include an option for "All changes"
- Allow any number of selections (1+ works, 2+ is the typical use case)
IMPORTANT: Do NOT auto-select. Always let the user choose.
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Batch validation - gather status for all selected changes
For each selected change, collect:
a. Artifact status - Run openspec status --change "<name>" --json
- Parse
schemaName and artifacts list
- Note which artifacts are
done vs other states
b. Task completion - Read openspec/changes/<name>/tasks.md
- Count
- [ ] (incomplete) vs - [x] (complete)
- If no tasks file exists, note as "No tasks"
c. Delta specs - Check openspec/changes/<name>/specs/ directory
- List which capability specs exist
- For each, extract requirement names (lines matching
### Requirement: <name>)
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Archive target assessment — identify spec merge destinations for ALL selected changes
IMPORTANT: This step MUST be completed before any spec sync, conflict resolution, or archive action.
a. Scan the main spec library at openspec/specs/:
- List all existing capability directory names with their file sizes
b. Scan archived changes at openspec/changes/archive/:
- For each archived change, note its capability names (under
specs/)
c. Build a comprehensive merge destination map across all selected changes:
For each selected change's delta specs, classify each capability:
- 🔄 Merge into existing — capability name matches an existing main spec
- 🆕 Create new — capability name not found in main specs
- ⚠️ Possible duplicate — similar name to an existing spec; ask user whether to merge or create new
- ⚡ Cross-change conflict — multiple selected changes target the same capability (resolved in Step 5)
d. Present the combined assessment to user and use AskUserQuestion tool to confirm:
- Show each change's capabilities with their classification and intended action
- Flag any cross-change conflicts (same capability touched by 2+ changes)
- Options: "Proceed", "Merge into " (redirect), or "Cancel — stop entire operation"
- If ⚠️ possible duplicate detected, explicitly ask whether to merge into existing or create new
Cancel behavior: If user chooses "Cancel" at this step, stop the entire bulk archive process. No specs will be synced and no changes will be archived.
e. Record user's confirmed merge plan for use in Steps 5-8.
If no selected changes have delta specs: Skip this step.
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Detect spec conflicts (using confirmed merge plan)
Build a map of capability -> [changes that touch it] based on the confirmed merge destinations:
auth -> [change-a, change-b] <- CONFLICT (2+ changes)
api -> [change-c] <- OK (only 1 change)
A conflict exists when 2+ selected changes have delta specs targeting the same capability (considering any redirections from Step 4).
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Resolve conflicts agentically
For each conflict, investigate the codebase:
a. Read the delta specs from each conflicting change to understand what each claims to add/modify
b. Search the codebase for implementation evidence:
- Look for code implementing requirements from each delta spec
- Check for related files, functions, or tests
c. Determine resolution:
- If only one change is actually implemented -> sync that one's specs
- If both implemented -> apply in chronological order (older first, newer overwrites)
- If neither implemented -> skip spec sync, warn user
d. Record resolution for each conflict:
- Which change's specs to apply
- In what order (if both)
- Rationale (what was found in codebase)
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Show consolidated status table and get final confirmation
Display a table summarizing all changes:
| Change | Artifacts | Tasks | Specs | Merge Target | Conflicts | Status |
|---------------------|-----------|-------|---------|----------------|-----------|--------|
| schema-management | Done | 5/5 | 2 delta | 🔄 existing ×2 | None | Ready |
| project-config | Done | 3/3 | 1 delta | 🆕 new ×1 | None | Ready |
| add-oauth | Done | 4/4 | 1 delta | 🔄 existing | auth (!) | Ready* |
| add-verify-skill | 1 left | 2/5 | None | — | None | Warn |
For conflicts, show the resolution:
* Conflict resolution:
- auth spec: Will apply add-oauth then add-jwt (both implemented, chronological order)
For incomplete changes, show warnings:
Warnings:
- add-verify-skill: 1 incomplete artifact, 3 incomplete tasks
Before performing any file operations, show a final confirmation summary and use AskUserQuestion tool to get explicit confirmation:
## Ready to Bulk Archive: N changes
| Change | Schema | Specs | Merge Target | Conflicts | Status |
| ... (condensed status table) ... |
Archive destination: openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
Proceed with bulk archive?
1. "Archive all N changes"
2. "Archive only M ready changes (skip incomplete)"
3. "Cancel — stop entire operation"
Options explained:
- "Archive all N changes" — archive everything, including incomplete ones (with warnings)
- "Archive only M ready changes (skip incomplete)" — only shown if some changes have warnings
- "Cancel — stop entire operation" — abort without any file changes
If there are incomplete changes, make clear they'll be archived with warnings.
Cancel behavior: If user chooses "Cancel", stop the entire bulk archive process immediately. Do NOT sync any specs, do NOT move any directories, and inform the user that no changes were made.
CRITICAL: Do NOT proceed without explicit user confirmation.
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Execute archive for each confirmed change
Process changes in the determined order (respecting conflict resolution):
a. Sync specs if delta specs exist:
- Use the openspec-sync-specs approach (agent-driven intelligent merge)
- For conflicts, apply in resolved order
- Use the confirmed merge destinations from Step 4 (if a capability was redirected, sync to the redirected target)
- Track if sync was done
b. Perform the archive:
mkdir -p openspec/changes/archive
mv openspec/changes/<name> openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>
c. Track outcome for each change:
- Success: archived successfully
- Failed: error during archive (record error)
- Skipped: user chose not to archive (if applicable)
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Display summary
Show final results:
## Bulk Archive Complete
Archived 3 changes:
- schema-management-cli -> archive/2026-01-19-schema-management-cli/
- project-config -> archive/2026-01-19-project-config/
- add-oauth -> archive/2026-01-19-add-oauth/
Skipped 1 change:
- add-verify-skill (user chose not to archive incomplete)
Spec sync summary:
- 4 delta specs synced to main specs
- 3 merged into existing specs (🔄)
- 1 created as new spec (🆕)
- 1 conflict resolved (auth: applied both in chronological order)
If any failures:
Failed 1 change:
- some-change: Archive directory already exists
