| name | prompt-to-spec-converter |
| description | Convert vague product or engineering requests into executable repo-local specs before coding. Use when a task is ambiguous, feature-sized, risky, cross-cutting, or needs acceptance criteria, non-goals, testing plan, rollout notes, or architecture impact. |
Prompt To Spec Converter
Purpose
Turn a user request into a decision-complete spec that an agent or engineer can implement without guessing.
Use openspec-sdd instead when the user wants formal spec-driven development, OpenSpec artifacts, proposal/design/tasks, delta specs, or archiveable feature history.
Inspect First
- user request and conversation context
- product docs, architecture docs, related source modules, tests, schemas, routes, and existing specs
- constraints from
AGENTS.md and validation scripts
Procedure
-
Separate facts from assumptions.
- Keep requirements grounded in user text and repo facts.
- Ask only for high-impact product intent that cannot be derived.
- Use
$research-first-change when the spec depends on current external APIs, package behavior, standards, or security guidance.
-
Draft the spec.
- Problem
- Goals
- Non-goals
- Requirements
- Acceptance criteria
- Architecture impact
- Testing plan
- Rollout/risk
- Assumptions
- For UI features, include accessible-name expectations for icon-only actions.
-
Save the spec.
- Use
docs/specs/YYYY-MM-DD-feature-name.md.
- Pick a short kebab-case feature name from the request.
-
Link follow-on work.
- Reference validation commands and affected docs.
- Use
task-planning-and-pr-protocol when the spec is ready for implementation planning.
- Use
openspec-sdd when the lightweight spec should become a formal OpenSpec change.
- Use
feature-state-machine when the spec becomes multi-step implementation work with WIP state and evidence.
Validation
- Confirm acceptance criteria are testable.
- Confirm assumptions are explicit.
- Confirm affected modules and validation commands are named when known.
- For web UI specs, confirm the testing plan includes a browser-level workflow when a complete user lifecycle changes.
Completion Criteria
- The implementation task has clear goals, boundaries, tests, and risk notes.
- The spec avoids hidden product decisions.