# Increment

> Plan and create SpecWeave increments with PM and Architect agent collaboration. Use when starting new features, hotfixes, bugs, or any development work that needs specification and task breakdown. Creates spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md with proper AC-IDs and living docs integration.

- Skill: `majiayu000/increment-2` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add majiayu000/increment-2`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/increment-2/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/increment-2

---


# Plan Product Increment

## CRITICAL: Plan Mode Required (BLOCKING)

**You MUST be in plan mode before proceeding.** If not, call `EnterPlanMode` now and wait for confirmation before continuing to Step 0A.

1. Call `EnterPlanMode` immediately
2. Wait for plan mode confirmation
3. Then proceed to Step 0A

Increment planning produces specs, plans, and task breakdowns that require user review. Do not skip plan mode or defer it — the user must approve the plan before any implementation begins.

## Project Overrides

!`s="increment"; for d in .specweave/skill-memories .claude/skill-memories "$HOME/.claude/skill-memories"; do p="$d/$s.md"; [ -f "$p" ] && awk '/^## Learnings$/{ok=1;next}/^## /{ok=0}ok' "$p" && break; done 2>/dev/null; true`

## Project Context

!`.specweave/scripts/skill-context.sh increment 2>/dev/null; true`

**Self-contained increment planning for ANY user project after `specweave init`.**

## Workflow Overview

```
STEP 0A: Discipline Check (BLOCKING)
STEP 0B: WIP Enforcement
STEP 0C: Tech Stack Detection
STEP 1:  Pre-flight (TDD mode, multi-project, Deep Interview check)
STEP 2:  Project Context (resolve project/board)
STEP 3:  Create Increment (via Template API) ← folder + ID exist after this
STEP 3a: Deep Interview (if enabled) ← runs AFTER folder exists
STEP 4:  Delegation (architect + test-aware-planner)
STEP 5:  Post-Creation Sync
STEP 6:  Execution Strategy Recommendation
```

**CRITICAL**: Step 3 (Create Increment) MUST run before Step 3a (Deep Interview).
The interview state file is written to `.specweave/state/interview-{increment-id}.json`,
and the enforcement guard looks for it by increment ID. If the interview runs before the
increment folder exists, the guard cannot find the state file and blocks spec.md writing.

## Step 0A: Discipline Check (MANDATORY)

**Cannot start N+1 until N is DONE.**

```bash
if ! specweave check-discipline; then
  echo "Cannot create new increment! Close existing work first."
  echo "Run: /sw:done <id>"
  exit 1
fi
```

## Step 0B: WIP Enforcement

Default: 1 active increment (focus). Allow 2 for emergencies.

```typescript
const active = MetadataManager.getAllActive();
const limits = config.limits || { maxActiveIncrements: 1, hardCap: 3 };

if (active.length >= limits.hardCap) {
  // BLOCK - ask user to complete/pause existing
  console.log("WIP LIMIT REACHED");
  console.log("Options: /sw:done <id> | /sw:pause <id>");
}

if (active.length >= limits.maxActiveIncrements) {
  // SOFT WARNING - hotfix/bug can bypass
  const isEmergency = ['hotfix', 'bug'].includes(incrementType);
  if (!isEmergency) {
    // Prompt: complete, pause, or continue anyway
  }
}
```

**Type-Based Limits:**
- Hotfix/Bug: Unlimited (emergency)
- Feature/Change-Request: Max 2
- Refactor: Max 1
- Experiment: Unlimited

## Step 0C: Tech Stack Detection

Auto-detect from project files:

| File | Language |
|------|----------|
| package.json | TypeScript/JavaScript |
| requirements.txt | Python |
| go.mod | Go |
| Cargo.toml | Rust |
| pom.xml | Java |
| *.csproj | C#/.NET |

If detection fails, ask user.

## Step 1: Pre-flight Checks

```bash
# 1. Check TDD mode
jq -r '.testing.defaultTestMode // "test-after"' .specweave/config.json 2>/dev/null

# 2. Check multi-project config
specweave context projects 2>/dev/null

# 3. Check deep interview mode (note: interview itself runs at Step 3a, after increment exists)
DEEP_INTERVIEW=$(jq -r '.planning.deepInterview.enabled // false' .specweave/config.json 2>/dev/null)

# 4. Check WIP limits
find .specweave/increments -maxdepth 2 -name "metadata.json" -exec grep -l '"status":"active"' {} \; 2>/dev/null | wc -l
```

## Step 2: Project Context

```bash
# Get project/board values for spec.md
specweave context projects
```

Every US MUST have `**Project**:` field. For 2-level structures, also `**Board**:`.

## Step 3: Create Increment

### 3a. Determine Increment Location

**CRITICAL for multi-repo setups:**

```bash
# Check if this is a multi-repo umbrella project
if [ -d "repositories" ]; then
  echo "MULTI-REPO: Increments belong in EACH repo's .specweave/"
  ORG=$(jq -r '.repository.organization // empty' .specweave/config.json 2>/dev/null)
  [ -z "$ORG" ] && ORG=$(jq -r '[.sync.profiles[].config.owner // .sync.profiles[].config.organization] | map(select(. != null)) | first // empty' .specweave/config.json 2>/dev/null)
  [ -z "$ORG" ] && ORG=$(ls -d repositories/*/ 2>/dev/null | head -1 | xargs basename 2>/dev/null)
  echo "Organization: $ORG"
  ls -d repositories/*/* 2>/dev/null | head -20
else
  echo "SINGLE-REPO: Use .specweave/increments/"
fi
```

**Multi-repo rules:**
- Each repository has its OWN `.specweave/increments/` directory
- Team agents MUST create increments in their assigned repo's `.specweave/`
- The umbrella root `.specweave/` is for umbrella-level config ONLY
- Run `specweave init` in each repo if `.specweave/` doesn't exist
- Repos MUST be at `repositories/{ORG}/{repo-name}/` — NEVER directly under `repositories/`

### 3b. Get Unique ID

```bash
# Check ALL folders for existing IDs
find .specweave/increments -maxdepth 2 -type d -name "[0-9]*" 2>/dev/null | grep -oE '[0-9]{4}E?' | sort -u | tail -5

# For multi-repo, also check child repos
find repositories -path "*/specweave/increments/*" -maxdepth 5 -type d -name "[0-9]*" 2>/dev/null | grep -oE '[0-9]{4}E?' | sort -u | tail -5
```

### 3c. Create via CLI (preferred)

```bash
specweave create-increment --id "XXXX-name" --title "Feature Title" --description "Brief description" --project "my-app"
```

**Optional flags**: `--type hotfix` | `--priority P1` | `--board "team-name"` | `--json`

### 3d. Create manually (if CLI unavailable)

```bash
mkdir -p .specweave/increments/XXXX-name
```

Create files in order: metadata.json FIRST, then spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md.

## Quick Reference

### Increment Types

| Type | Use When | WIP Limit |
|------|----------|-----------|
| **feature** | New functionality | Max 2 |
| **hotfix** | Production broken | Unlimited |
| **bug** | Needs RCA | Unlimited |
| **change-request** | Business changes | Max 2 |
| **refactor** | Technical debt | Max 1 |
| **experiment** | POC/spike | Unlimited |

### Directory Structure

```
.specweave/increments/####-name/
├── metadata.json  # REQUIRED - create FIRST
├── spec.md        # REQUIRED - user stories, ACs
├── plan.md        # OPTIONAL - architecture
└── tasks.md       # REQUIRED - implementation
```

### User Story Format

```markdown
### US-001: Feature Name
**Project**: my-app    # <- REQUIRED! Get from: specweave context projects

**As a** [role]
**I want** [capability]
**So that** [benefit]

**Acceptance Criteria**:
- [ ] **AC-US1-01**: [Criterion 1]
- [ ] **AC-US1-02**: [Criterion 2]
```

## Critical Rules

1. **Project field is MANDATORY** - Every US MUST have `**Project**:` field
2. **Use Template Creator CLI** (REQUIRED): `specweave create-increment --id "XXXX-name" --title "Title" --description "Desc" --project "my-app"`
3. **NO agent spawning** - Skills MUST NOT spawn Task() agents (causes crashes). Guide user in main conversation.
4. **Increment naming** - Format: `####-descriptive-kebab-case`
5. **Multi-repo** - In umbrella projects with `repositories/` folder, create increments in EACH repo's `.specweave/`, not the umbrella root

## Step 3a: Deep Interview Mode (if enabled)

**IMPORTANT**: This step runs AFTER the increment folder is created (Step 3), so the
interview state file can reference the real increment ID.

**If deep interview is enabled, delegate to PM skill:**

```typescript
Skill({ skill: "sw:pm", args: "Deep interview for increment XXXX-name: <user description>" })
```

The PM skill will:
1. Assess complexity and determine question count (trivial: 0-3, small: 4-8, medium: 9-18, large: 19-40)
2. Interview the user across relevant categories
3. Write interview state to `.specweave/state/interview-{increment-id}.json`
4. Return interview summary for spec.md creation

**After PM returns**, read the interview state file to confirm all categories are covered
before proceeding to spec.md creation (especially when `enforcement: "strict"`).

## Step 4: Delegation

After increment creation:

```typescript
// Invoke architect for plan.md
Skill({ skill: "sw:architect", args: "Design architecture for increment XXXX" })

// Invoke test-aware planner for tasks.md
Skill({ skill: "sw:test-aware-planner", args: "Generate tasks for increment XXXX" })
```

## Step 5: Post-Creation Sync

After delegation completes:

```bash
/sw:sync-specs {increment-id}
/sw-github:sync {increment-id}  # If configured
```

## Step 6: Execution Strategy Recommendation

After delegation completes, analyze the increment:

1. **Count tasks**: `grep -c '^\- \[ \]\|^### T-' tasks.md`
2. **Count domains** from spec.md user stories and plan.md architecture
3. **Classify**: Low (<=8 tasks, 1 domain) | Medium (9-15, 1-2 domains) | High (>15 OR 3+ domains)

**Show recommendation in output:**

```
EXECUTION STRATEGY
================================================
Tasks: [N] | Domains: [M] | Complexity: [Low/Medium/High]

  /sw:do <id>         - Step-by-step, full control
  /sw:auto <id>       - Autonomous sequential (unattended)
  /sw:team-lead       - Parallel multi-agent (best quality for multi-domain, higher token cost)
```

See CLAUDE.md Execution Strategy section for the full decision matrix.

## Output

```
Created increment 0003-user-authentication

   Tech stack: TypeScript, NextJS, PostgreSQL
   Location: .specweave/increments/0003-user-authentication/

   Files: spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md, metadata.json

   Next: /sw:do 0003 | /sw:auto 0003 | /sw:team-lead (see Execution Strategy)
```

## Error Handling

- `.specweave/` not found: "Run specweave init first"
- Vague description: Ask clarifying questions
- Skill fails: Fall back to keyword prompts for PM/Architect skills

---

**This command is the main entry point for creating new work in SpecWeave.**