SpecKit Coach
Coach the user through the official SpecKit CLI and complementary SpecKit Pro workflows. This skill provides guidance and bounded project repair; it does not run an autonomous workflow itself. In Codex, use $skill-name syntax for plugin skills rather than legacy custom slash-command syntax.
Start with the project that exists
- Use
speckit-pro/skills/speckit-autopilot/references/capability-discovery.md for capability selection and speckit-pro/skills/speckit-autopilot/references/grounding.md for external-fact grounding.
- Discover the session's available tools and skills before recommending an external action. Ground external claims in an observed result; say when the available evidence is insufficient.
- Inspect
.specify/presets/*/preset.yml and .specify/extensions/*/extension.yml when present. Read the installed configuration before advising, so the advice reflects the project's actual constraints.
- Treat mutable actions as user-controlled. Explain the intended change and request confirmation before installing, removing, enabling, disabling, or configuring extensions.
Route the request
Use the smallest relevant reference; do not load the whole library.
| User goal |
Read or do |
| Learn SDD, start a project, recover from a failed phase, or assess artifacts |
Getting started and SDD methodology as needed. |
| Use an installed official Spec Kit command |
Command guide for inputs, artifacts, mistakes, and recovery. Inspect the active installed command definition for version-specific mechanics. For gate questions, read the live autopilot contract as a reference only; do not execute or invoke it. |
| Choose or author checklists |
Checklist domains. Read the feature's spec.md and plan.md, rank the relevant risks, and offer enriched prompts for two to four domains. |
| Design a constitution |
Constitution guide. |
Create or repair .specify/quality-gates.json, pick gate thresholds, or record a permanent gate skip |
Quality gates guide. Measure the existing code before proposing a ceiling; write the file only after the operator confirms. |
| Design a multi-spec roadmap or split a feature |
Technical-roadmap template and slicing heuristics. Derive independently executable vertical slices with observable outcomes and explicit real dependencies; review the graph before writing. |
| Create a PRD and roadmap from an unformed idea |
Route to $speckit-prd; use its PRD and roadmap templates. |
| Track one spec through phases or understand scaffold-created workflow files |
Workflow template. For scaffold creation, population, inputs, or output locations, also read the live scaffold skill as a reference only; do not execute or invoke it. Keep artifacts, gates, and decisions current. |
| Explain the roadmap home note |
Roadmap-MOC guide. The curated zone is author-owned; the generated index is regenerated, not hand-edited. |
| Explain or configure presets, extensions, hooks, catalogs, or upgrade recovery |
Presets and extensions guide. Discover and inspect first; confirm before any mutation. |
| Explain autonomous execution, consensus, remediation, review loops, or configuration |
Read the live autopilot skill as a reference only; explain its current contract without executing or invoking it. |
| Scope a raw brief interactively |
Route to $grill-me; do not conduct its interview here. |
| Scaffold a roadmap item, inspect status, resolve a review, or repair Codex agents |
Route respectively to $speckit-scaffold-spec, $speckit-status, $speckit-resolve-pr, or the SpecKit Pro install skill. |
| Archive merged-spec records or clean up archived specs |
Route to $speckit-archive-cleanup; do not copy or execute its cleanup workflow here. |
Essential SDD guidance
The normal flow is constitution → specify → clarify (as needed) → plan → checklist (as needed) → tasks → analyze (as needed) → implement. Preserve the traceability markers in the artifacts: user stories, functional requirements, clarifications, parallel-safe tasks, and checklist gaps. Do not advance past a failed gate; explain the artifact or evidence that must change first.
For roadmap decomposition, prefer delivery slices over technical layers when a slice can be independently verified. Keep cross-spec dependencies explicit, minimize them, and use mocks only when the handoff contract is defined.
Project fixup
For a request to repair an existing SpecKit Pro project:
- Confirm the target root and inspect
git status; preserve unrelated changes.
- Inspect presets and resolve each affected core template with
specify preset resolve. Move durable local customizations into a project preset rather than modifying core templates.
- Restore a core template only from a reviewed source (version control, verified backup, or official template); never reconstruct it by guesswork.
- Preserve any host PR template and run the relevant project checks before reporting the resolved template paths, restored files, and remaining manual follow-up.
1---2name: speckit-coach-23description: Coach developers through Spec-Driven Development and SpecKit Pro. Use for SDD methodology, SpecKit command and gate guidance, technical-roadmap and workflow design, roadmap-MOC guidance, checklist selection, SpecKit project repair, or SpecKit preset and extension discovery and configuration. Not for running autopilot, conducting grill-me, or unrelated coding (including MCP tool implementation).4---56# SpecKit Coach78Coach the user through the official SpecKit CLI and complementary SpecKit Pro workflows. This skill provides guidance and bounded project repair; it does not run an autonomous workflow itself. In Codex, use `$skill-name` syntax for plugin skills rather than legacy custom slash-command syntax.910## Start with the project that exists1112- Use `speckit-pro/skills/speckit-autopilot/references/capability-discovery.md` for capability selection and `speckit-pro/skills/speckit-autopilot/references/grounding.md` for external-fact grounding.13- Discover the session's available tools and skills before recommending an external action. Ground external claims in an observed result; say when the available evidence is insufficient.14- Inspect `.specify/presets/*/preset.yml` and `.specify/extensions/*/extension.yml` when present. Read the installed configuration before advising, so the advice reflects the project's actual constraints.15- Treat mutable actions as user-controlled. Explain the intended change and request confirmation before installing, removing, enabling, disabling, or configuring extensions.1617## Route the request1819Use the smallest relevant reference; do not load the whole library.2021| User goal | Read or do |22|---|---|23| Learn SDD, start a project, recover from a failed phase, or assess artifacts | [Getting started](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/getting-started.md) and [SDD methodology](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/sdd-methodology.md) as needed. |24| Use an installed official Spec Kit command | [Command guide](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/command-guide.md) for inputs, artifacts, mistakes, and recovery. Inspect the active installed command definition for version-specific mechanics. For gate questions, read the [live autopilot contract](../speckit-autopilot/SKILL.md) as a reference only; do not execute or invoke it. |25| Choose or author checklists | [Checklist domains](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/checklist-domains-guide.md). Read the feature's `spec.md` and `plan.md`, rank the relevant risks, and offer enriched prompts for two to four domains. |26| Design a constitution | [Constitution guide](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/constitution-guide.md). |27| Create or repair `.specify/quality-gates.json`, pick gate thresholds, or record a permanent gate skip | [Quality gates guide](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/quality-gates-guide.md). Measure the existing code before proposing a ceiling; write the file only after the operator confirms. |28| Design a multi-spec roadmap or split a feature | [Technical-roadmap template](../../skills/speckit-coach/templates/technical-roadmap-template.md) and [slicing heuristics](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/slicing-heuristics.md). Derive independently executable vertical slices with observable outcomes and explicit real dependencies; review the graph before writing. |29| Create a PRD and roadmap from an unformed idea | Route to `$speckit-prd`; use its PRD and roadmap templates. |30| Track one spec through phases or understand scaffold-created workflow files | [Workflow template](../../skills/speckit-coach/templates/workflow-template.md). For scaffold creation, population, inputs, or output locations, also read the [live scaffold skill](../speckit-scaffold-spec/SKILL.md) as a reference only; do not execute or invoke it. Keep artifacts, gates, and decisions current. |31| Explain the roadmap home note | [Roadmap-MOC guide](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/roadmap-moc-guide.md). The curated zone is author-owned; the generated index is regenerated, not hand-edited. |32| Explain or configure presets, extensions, hooks, catalogs, or upgrade recovery | [Presets and extensions guide](../../skills/speckit-coach/references/presets-extensions-guide.md). Discover and inspect first; confirm before any mutation. |33| Explain autonomous execution, consensus, remediation, review loops, or configuration | Read [the live autopilot skill](../speckit-autopilot/SKILL.md) as a reference only; explain its current contract without executing or invoking it. |34| Scope a raw brief interactively | Route to `$grill-me`; do not conduct its interview here. |35| Scaffold a roadmap item, inspect status, resolve a review, or repair Codex agents | Route respectively to `$speckit-scaffold-spec`, `$speckit-status`, `$speckit-resolve-pr`, or the SpecKit Pro `install` skill. |36| Archive merged-spec records or clean up archived specs | Route to `$speckit-archive-cleanup`; do not copy or execute its cleanup workflow here. |3738## Essential SDD guidance3940The normal flow is `constitution → specify → clarify (as needed) → plan → checklist (as needed) → tasks → analyze (as needed) → implement`. Preserve the traceability markers in the artifacts: user stories, functional requirements, clarifications, parallel-safe tasks, and checklist gaps. Do not advance past a failed gate; explain the artifact or evidence that must change first.4142For roadmap decomposition, prefer delivery slices over technical layers when a slice can be independently verified. Keep cross-spec dependencies explicit, minimize them, and use mocks only when the handoff contract is defined.4344## Project fixup4546For a request to repair an existing SpecKit Pro project:47481. Confirm the target root and inspect `git status`; preserve unrelated changes.492. Inspect presets and resolve each affected core template with `specify preset resolve`. Move durable local customizations into a project preset rather than modifying core templates.503. Restore a core template only from a reviewed source (version control, verified backup, or official template); never reconstruct it by guesswork.514. Preserve any host PR template and run the relevant project checks before reporting the resolved template paths, restored files, and remaining manual follow-up.
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