| name | project:update-claude-files |
| description | Update .claude/agents, docs/specs, and CLAUDE.md from source code changes — updates existing docs in place, and creates missing ones or removes obsolete ones when the code clearly demands it. Use when features land, the schema changes, or infrastructure shifts. Keeps project documentation in sync with the code. |
| argument-hint | (optional special instructions) |
| version | 1.2.1 |
| last-modified | "2026-07-07T00:00:00.000Z" |
| allowed-tools | ["Read","Write","Edit","Grep","Glob","Bash(git:*)","Bash(mkdir:*)","Bash(rm:*)","Task","AskUserQuestion"] |
Update Claude Files
You keep this project's docs in sync with its code. Targets: .claude/agents/*.md, docs/specs/*.md (the SPECS*.md set plus DOMAIN.md), and CLAUDE.md.
This project: Node/Express/TypeScript backend (backend/) + Angular 21 frontend (frontend/), Drizzle ORM over libSQL/SQLite. Curated spec set. Curated agent roster. Default: you update existing docs in place. You may create a missing spec or agent file, or delete an obsolete one, but only when the code clearly demands it — see Create & Delete Docs below.
Writing Style
Short and brief. Short sentences. Simple words non-native speakers understand. No passive voice. Use sentence fragments. Match each doc's existing tone — specs mix German domain terms with English prose. Keep German domain terms (Firma, Person, Chance, …).
FILE PATH DISPLAY RULE
Show full absolute paths. Get the root with pwd and prepend it. This lets users Command-click paths in the terminal.
HOW TO ASK THE USER FOR DECISIONS
Use the AskUserQuestion tool for every prompt. Never print a question as prose and wait. Never read stdin. Embedded mode never prompts — see PHASE 0.
Preserve Human-Authored Content
Specs and agents are hand-written. Update only the facts the code changes made stale. Keep manual sections, domain language, and structure. Never replace careful prose with generic phrasing. Prune a line only when the source clearly made it wrong (a removed route, a renamed column, a deleted entity).
Create & Delete Docs
Default: update an existing file. Create or delete only when the code leaves no honest alternative.
Create a spec when a code area exists but no spec file covers it. Bootstrap case: if docs/specs/ is empty or missing but source code exists, author the full spec set from scratch by reading the code — SPECS.md (the index), DOMAIN.md, and one SPECS-*.md per area the code has. Use the same file names this skill already expects (Step 3.1).
Create an agent only when special_instructions asks for it explicitly. Never invent an agent on your own.
Delete a spec or agent only when the area it documents is fully gone from the code — an entity removed, a whole subsystem deleted. Never delete a file just because it looks stale.
Standalone: always confirm creates and deletes with AskUserQuestion before applying. List exactly which files you will create and which you will delete.
Embedded: may create a clearly-missing spec. Never delete a file — too risky mid-PR. Note any file you would have deleted in the result file's Notes instead.
Subagents
This skill delegates the work in two phases:
- Review (PHASE 5) — reviewer agents compare code to docs and report the exact drift, or flag a missing file to author or an obsolete file to remove. They do not edit.
- Apply (PHASE 6) — writer/coder agents apply those edits, creating or deleting files where flagged.
Agent discovery comes from PHASE 2 (.claude/agents/*.md). Both modes may dispatch: the skill runs in the main loop (via the Skill tool), so Task works in standalone and embedded alike.
If a needed agent is missing from existing_agents, the skill falls back to doing that step inline (its own Read/Grep + Edit).
Dispatch narration. Before every Task call, print one line: → Launching <agent>: <purpose>. For a parallel batch, print one line per agent first.
PHASE 0: ARGUMENTS & MODE DETECTION
Skill receives: $ARGUMENTS
Parse the first token:
embedded → Embedded mode. plan-and-do calls this before it opens a PR. Optional second token base:<sha> scopes the run to the branch. Skip the header and every confirmation. Never call AskUserQuestion.- Empty / whitespace → Standalone mode (default).
- Any other text → Standalone mode. Treat the text as
special_instructions — focus the update there, but still cover every stale target.
There is no help or doctor mode.
Plan Mode Check (standalone only)
Embedded: skip this check and the header. Jump to PHASE 1.
Standalone: if Claude Code is in plan mode, display:
Plan mode detected. This skill cannot run in plan mode.
Exit plan mode, then run: /update-claude-files
Then STOP.
Skill Header (standalone only)
Update Claude Files (v1.2.1)
****************************
Sync .claude/agents, docs/specs, and CLAUDE.md with the code.
If special_instructions set, add:
Focus: [special_instructions]
PHASE 1: INIT & VALIDATION
Step 1.1: Embedded Housekeeping (embedded only, first)
Do this as the very first embedded action — before the git check — so any later STOP can still write its result file:
mkdir -p docs/state
rm -f docs/state/UPDATE-CLAUDE-FILES-RESULT.md
This clears any stale result from a previous run. The result file is gitignored — it never gets committed.
Step 1.2: Git Check
git rev-parse --git-dir
If it fails (not a git repository):
- Standalone: display "Not a git repository. Run this skill inside the repo." Then STOP.
- Embedded: write
docs/state/UPDATE-CLAUDE-FILES-RESULT.md with status: error (PHASE 8 schema, note "not a git repo"), then STOP. Never block the caller.
Capture project_root (pwd) and current_branch (git branch --show-current).
PHASE 2: AGENT GUARD & DISCOVERY
Glob .claude/agents/*.md. Store matches as existing_agents. This set drives dispatch: PHASE 5 picks reviewer agents from it, PHASE 6 picks writer/coder agents. A target whose mapped agent is absent falls back to inline handling.
If existing_agents is empty:
Print this warning:
No agents found in .claude/agents/.
This skill updates the project's agents, specs, and CLAUDE.md together.
It needs the agent roster to run.
Install the agents first:
https://github.com/atra-consulting/coding-with-ai-lab/tree/main/.claude/agents
- Standalone: STOP. Change nothing.
- Embedded: write a result file with
status: skipped-no-agents (PHASE 8 schema), then STOP. Change nothing. The caller continues to the PR.
With no agents, this skill never edits a doc.
Only an empty agent roster stops the run here. An empty or missing docs/specs/ with existing_agents present is not a stop condition — it's the bootstrap case (Step 3.3), where the skill authors the full spec set from scratch.
PHASE 3: DISCOVER DOCS & DETERMINE SCOPE
Step 3.1: Discover Doc Targets
existing_agents — from PHASE 2 (.claude/agents/*.md).- Glob
docs/specs/*.md → existing_specs. Expect the fixed set: SPECS.md, DOMAIN.md, SPECS-backend.md, SPECS-database.md, SPECS-frontend.md, SPECS-ui.md, SPECS-testing.md, SPECS-infrastructure.md. Use the real names on disk — never invent SPECS-back-end.md style names.
CLAUDE.md at the root.
Step 3.2: Determine Changed Source Files
Embedded mode:
Standalone mode — per-target staleness:
Check one target at a time. For each doc target T:
- Get its last-change time:
git log -1 --format=%cI -- <T>. If this returns nothing (never committed), mark T stale and analyze it fully.
T is stale if any commit since that time touched a source path that maps to T (PHASE 4 table). Get candidate source changes with:
git log --since="<T-last-change>" --name-only --pretty=format:"" -- <T's mapped source globs> | sort -u
- A non-empty result →
T is stale.
Collect stale targets as stale_targets. Then apply roll-ups — these two targets have no direct source-glob rows for the categories below: if any other spec file (SPECS-*.md or DOMAIN.md) is stale, add SPECS.md (the index). If any backend, frontend, or build/config target (spec or agent) is stale, add CLAUDE.md.
Step 3.3: Nothing To Do
Bootstrap exception first. If docs/specs/ is empty or missing while backend/ or frontend/ source exists, this is not "nothing to do" — it's the bootstrap-create case (Create & Delete Docs). Treat the full fixed spec set (Step 3.1, limited to areas the code actually has) plus CLAUDE.md as stale_targets / the embedded target list, and skip the empty check below. CLAUDE.md always joins a bootstrap run — its ## Agents and ## Specifications tables need every file the run creates.
If changed_files is empty (embedded) or stale_targets is empty (standalone):
- Standalone: display "All docs up to date. No source changes since the last doc update." STOP.
- Embedded: write a result file with
status: no-changes (PHASE 8 schema). STOP.
PHASE 4: MAP CHANGES TO TARGETS
Map each changed / stale source path to its candidate doc targets. Edit a candidate only if the diff actually changed something that target documents (Preserve rule).
| Changed source | Candidate targets |
|---|
backend/src/db/**, backend/src/config/migrate.ts, backend/src/db/schema/**, backend/src/seed/** | SPECS-database.md, agents db-coder + db-reviewer; DOMAIN.md only if relationship / cascade / delete semantics changed |
backend/src/services/**, backend/src/routes/**, backend/src/middleware/** | SPECS-backend.md, agents be-coder + be-reviewer; DOMAIN.md only if business meaning changed (entities, roles, pipeline, delete behavior) |
other backend/** (app.ts, utils/**, config/**) | SPECS-backend.md, CLAUDE.md |
frontend/src/app/** (components, services, routes, guards) | SPECS-frontend.md, agents fe-coder + fe-reviewer, CLAUDE.md |
frontend/** styling (*.scss, styles.scss, templates) | SPECS-ui.md, agents ui-designer + ui-reviewer |
test files (backend/src/test/**, **/*.spec.ts, **/*.e2e.ts) | SPECS-testing.md, *-test-* agents |
build / config / startup (package.json, start.sh, *.config.*, tsconfig*.json, .github/workflows/**) | SPECS-infrastructure.md, CLAUDE.md, agent admin |
.claude/agents/** changed | the affected agent files, CLAUDE.md ## Agents table |
docs/specs/** changed | CLAUDE.md ## Specifications table |
Roll-up rules:
SPECS.md (root index) is a candidate whenever any other spec file is a candidate — it indexes them.CLAUDE.md is a candidate whenever any backend, frontend, or build target is a candidate.
Create / delete triggers (non-bootstrap). These fire even when docs/specs/ is not empty — the partial case, one new or removed area among specs that otherwise still exist:
- A changed source path maps (by the table above) to a spec file that does not exist yet → add that spec as a create target, tagged
create, plus SPECS.md and CLAUDE.md (roll-up rules).
- A changed source path shows an entity, route group, or whole subsystem fully removed (Grep confirms zero references left in code) → add its now-orphaned spec/agent file as a delete target, tagged
delete.
Every other target from this table is tagged update. PHASE 5 and PHASE 6 branch on this tag.
DOMAIN.md vs SPECS-database.md. DOMAIN.md holds business meaning only — no schema. A pure schema change (column type, index, nullable) flags SPECS-database.md only. A change to relationships, cascade / delete behavior, roles, or the sales pipeline flags DOMAIN.md too. Read the diff to decide.
Build the final edit list: intersect candidate targets with stale_targets (standalone) or with what the diff actually changed (embedded). Track agents_changed, specs_changed, claude_md_changed for the summary.
No target flagged. If the final edit list is empty — the changes touched only files outside this mapping (e.g. only .claude/skills/**, docs/**, .gitignore) — there is nothing to update:
- Standalone: display "No documentation updates needed." STOP.
- Embedded: write
status: no-changes (PHASE 8 schema). STOP.
This is separate from PHASE 3.3: there the changed/stale set was empty; here it was non-empty but mapped to no doc target.
Bootstrap exception. If Step 3.3's bootstrap case applied, stale_targets already holds the full spec set plus CLAUDE.md — this check never fires. Carry every spec file straight into the edit list, tagged create (CLAUDE.md is update — it already exists), and continue to PHASE 5.
PHASE 5: REVIEW — REVIEWER AGENTS FIND DRIFT
Note: PHASE 4 already stopped if the edit list was empty, so here at least one target is flagged.
Pick a reviewer per flagged target from the table. Dispatch only reviewers whose target is flagged. Launch them in parallel via Task, narrated (Dispatch narration rule). If a mapped reviewer is not in existing_agents, review that target inline instead (Read the doc + Grep the code yourself).
| Flagged target | Reviewer agent |
|---|
SPECS-backend.md | be-reviewer |
SPECS-database.md | db-reviewer |
SPECS-frontend.md | fe-reviewer |
SPECS-ui.md | ui-reviewer |
SPECS-testing.md | be-test-reviewer and/or fe-test-reviewer (by changed scope) |
SPECS-infrastructure.md | admin (read-only reviewer — infra specialist) |
DOMAIN.md, SPECS.md, CLAUDE.md | ba-reviewer |
.claude/agents/<name>.md | skill-reviewer |
Every flagged target must have a reviewer row above — no target is silently dropped. If none matches, use ba-reviewer as the catch-all.
Each reviewer gets: the target doc path, the changed source files (from PHASE 3), its tag (update, create, or delete — from PHASE 4), and one of three instructions —
update (file exists):
"Compare the current code to this doc. List only what the source changes made stale or missing. For each, give the exact edit: section, the current text with enough surrounding context to locate it uniquely in the file, and the replacement. Do not rewrite prose that is still correct. Preserve human-authored content. Do NOT edit any file — report the change list only."
create (file does not exist yet — bootstrap or a new code area):
"This file does not exist yet: <path>. It should cover: <one line — the area, from the PHASE 4 mapping>. There is no diff to anchor to. Read the code and write the FULL file content, not a diff. Match the structure and tone of sibling docs already in docs/specs/ or .claude/agents/. Do NOT create the file yourself — report the full content only."
delete (area fully gone from the code):
"Confirm the area this file documents is fully gone from the code — Grep for zero remaining references. Report confirm-delete, or keep with why if the area still exists."
Collect each reviewer's output. Merge into one change_plan keyed by file, each entry carrying its tag (update / create / delete).
"No change needed" collapse. If every update-tagged reviewer reports "no change needed" (the code and docs already agree — the Preserve rule) and there are no create or delete targets: standalone displays "Docs already match the code."; embedded writes status: no-changes. STOP. A missing file is never "already matches the code" — any create or delete target always keeps the run going.
Standalone: show change_plan grouped by tag: Update — [files with their edits]; Create — [exact file paths]; Delete — [exact file paths]. List the create and delete paths explicitly, by name, before the prompt — this is the confirmation the Create & Delete Docs section promises. AskUserQuestion: 1-Apply all, 2-Apply some (pick which files), 3-Cancel. On "Apply some", drop the unpicked files from change_plan before PHASE 6. On Cancel: STOP, change nothing.
Embedded: no prompt. Apply all update and create targets. Drop delete targets from change_plan first — embedded never deletes (Create & Delete Docs). Note any dropped delete target in the result file's Notes.
PHASE 6 acts on the (possibly narrowed) change_plan only.
PHASE 6: APPLY — WRITER / CODER AGENTS UPDATE FILES
Apply the approved change_plan, grouped by updater and by tag (update / create / delete). Dispatch in parallel via Task, narrated. If an updater agent is missing from existing_agents, apply that group inline: create → Write tool, update → Edit tool, delete → git rm.
| Files | Tag | Updater |
|---|
docs/specs/*.md (SPECS*, DOMAIN.md), CLAUDE.md | update, create | ba-writer |
docs/specs/*.md (SPECS*, DOMAIN.md) | delete | orchestrator, inline — never ba-writer (no Bash tool) |
.claude/agents/*.md | update, create, delete | skill-coder (has Bash) |
Each updater gets its change list plus these rules:
- Apply the listed edits exactly. Use Edit (not full-file rewrite) to preserve unmatched sections.
- Preserve human prose, manual sections, structure, and German domain terms.
- For a
create target: write the full file content the reviewer drafted, with the Write tool.
- Creates and deletes happen only after the standalone confirmation (embedded:
create only — delete targets were already dropped in PHASE 5).
- For
CLAUDE.md: also keep the ## Agents table (one row per .claude/agents/ file) and the ## Specifications table (one row per docs/specs/*.md) in sync with the files on disk. Never drop a user-written rule.
Deleting a spec. ba-writer has no Bash tool — it cannot run rm or git rm. Do not route delete-tagged spec/CLAUDE.md targets to it. The orchestrator deletes these itself, inline, right here in PHASE 6:
git rm <path>
git rm deletes the file and stages the removal in one step. Agent-file deletes stay with skill-coder — it has Bash and can run git rm itself.
Collect the files each updater (and the orchestrator, for spec deletes) changed, created, and deleted. Track agents_changed, agents_created, agents_deleted, specs_changed, specs_created, specs_deleted, claude_md_changed for the summary.
Report: "Agents: [N] updated. Specs: [N] updated. CLAUDE.md: [sections or none]."
PHASE 7: VERIFY
Quick self-check on the edited files:
- Each edited doc still parses — headings intact, tables well-formed.
- Any file created or deleted this run was warranted by the code — matches a Create & Delete Docs case, not a guess.
CLAUDE.md ## Agents and ## Specifications tables list every file now on disk, including files created this run and excluding files deleted this run.- Human-authored prose preserved — the diff touches only stale facts.
Fix any issue inline with the Edit tool. Then continue to PHASE 8.
PHASE 8: COMMIT / RESULT
Standalone
Commit the docs you changed, including any file you created or deleted:
git add -A -- .claude/agents docs/specs CLAUDE.md
git commit -m "docs: Update project documentation via update-claude-files"
git add -A on these paths stages new and deleted files too, not just edits. Stage only the areas you touched. If nothing changed, say "No changes to commit." Then print a summary:
=== Documentation Update Complete ===
Branch: [current_branch]
Agents updated: [list or "none"]
Agents created: [list or "none"]
Agents deleted: [list or "none"]
Specs updated: [list or "none"]
Specs created: [list or "none"]
Specs deleted: [list or "none"]
CLAUDE.md: [sections or "none"]
Files modified: [N]
Embedded
Do NOT commit — the caller (plan-and-do Step 12) commits real changes. Always write the result file so the caller has one code path:
mkdir -p docs/state
Write docs/state/UPDATE-CLAUDE-FILES-RESULT.md (gitignored, never committed) with this exact schema:
# Documentation Update Result
status: updated | no-changes | skipped-no-agents | error
## Agents
- Updated: [list or "none"]
- Created: [list or "none"]
- Deleted: [list or "none"]
## Specs
- Updated: [list or "none"]
- Created: [list or "none"]
- Deleted: [list or "none"]
## CLAUDE.md
- Sections updated: [list or "none"]
## Notes
[one or two lines: what changed and why, or why nothing changed, or the error. Embedded mode never deletes — if a file looked ripe for deletion, note it here instead.]
## Files Modified
[full paths, one per line, or "none"]
Never call AskUserQuestion in embedded mode. If anything fails mid-run, write status: error with the reason into the result file and return — never propagate a hard stop that could block the PR.
STOP — update complete.
Context Recovery
No state file. All state comes from the project: re-glob .claude/agents/ and docs/specs/, re-read CLAUDE.md, and re-run the PHASE 3 scan to rebuild scope.
