How do I install the Openspec Archive Change skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add redhat-developer/openspec-archive-change in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

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Is Openspec Archive Change free to use?

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Who published Openspec Archive Change?

redhat-developer (@redhat-developer) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Openspec Archive Change by redhat-developer

Name: Openspec Archive Change
Author: redhat-developer

Openspec Archive Change

Archives a completed OpenSpec change into openspec/changes/archive/, after confirming artifact and task completion and offering to sync any delta specs into the main specs first. Use for "archive this change", "finalize <change>", or "this is done, wrap it up". Warns but does not block on incomplete artifacts or tasks — the user decides whether to proceed anyway.

redhat-developer 43f7a35 2 files · 3.2 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Archive an OpenSpec change

Move a change from active to archived, confirming completeness and offering to sync its delta specs into the long-lived main specs first.

Steps

Select the change. If not given, run openspec list --json, show only active (non-archived) changes with their schema, and let the user choose. Never guess.
Check artifact completion: openspec status --change "<name>" --json — read schemaName and each artifact's status. If any are not done, show a warning listing them and confirm the user wants to proceed anyway.
Check task completion. Read the tasks file (typically tasks.md), count - [ ] vs - [x]. If incomplete tasks exist, warn with the count and confirm before proceeding. No tasks file means no warning needed.
Assess delta spec sync state. Check openspec/changes/<name>/specs/. If delta specs exist, compare each against its main spec at openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md, determine what would change, and show a combined summary before offering: "Sync now (recommended)" vs "Archive without syncing" (or, if already synced, "Archive now" / "Sync anyway" / "Cancel"). If the user chooses sync, delegate via the Task tool (subagent_type: general-purpose) with the prompt "Invoke /openspec-sync-specs for change ''" plus the analyzed delta summary — then archive regardless of the sync choice made.
Perform the archive:
```
mkdir -p openspec/changes/archive
mv openspec/changes/<name> openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>
```
Use the current date. If the target directory already exists, fail with an error and suggest renaming the existing archive or using a different date. .openspec.yaml moves with the directory automatically.
Display a summary: change name, schema, archive location, whether specs were synced, and any warnings from steps 2-3.

Output

## Archive Complete

**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** synced to main specs / no delta specs / sync skipped

Guardrails

Always prompt for change selection if not given — never auto-select.
Warnings inform and require confirmation; they never silently block.
Preserve .openspec.yaml when moving to archive.
If delta specs exist, always run the sync assessment and show the combined summary before prompting, regardless of the user's eventual choice.

Completion

Complete when the change directory has moved to openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/, any chosen spec sync has run, and the summary — including every warning surfaced along the way — has been shown to the user.

---name: openspec-archive-changedescription: Archives a completed OpenSpec change into openspec/changes/archive/, after confirming artifact and task completion and offering to sync any delta specs into the main specs first. Use for "archive this change", "finalize <change>", or "this is done, wrap it up". Warns but does not block on incomplete artifacts or tasks — the user decides whether to proceed anyway.---# Archive an OpenSpec changeMove a change from active to archived, confirming completeness and offeringto sync its delta specs into the long-lived main specs first.## Steps1. **Select the change.** If not given, run `openspec list --json`, show only active (non-archived) changes with their schema, and let the user choose. Never guess.2. **Check artifact completion:** `openspec status --change "<name>" --json` — read `schemaName` and each artifact's status. If any are not `done`, show a warning listing them and confirm the user wants to proceed anyway.3. **Check task completion.** Read the tasks file (typically `tasks.md`), count `- [ ]` vs `- [x]`. If incomplete tasks exist, warn with the count and confirm before proceeding. No tasks file means no warning needed.4. **Assess delta spec sync state.** Check `openspec/changes/<name>/specs/`. If delta specs exist, compare each against its main spec at `openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md`, determine what would change, and show a combined summary before offering: "Sync now (recommended)" vs "Archive without syncing" (or, if already synced, "Archive now" / "Sync anyway" / "Cancel"). If the user chooses sync, delegate via the Task tool (`subagent_type: general-purpose`) with the prompt "Invoke `/openspec-sync-specs` for change '<name>'" plus the analyzed delta summary — then archive regardless of the sync choice made.5. **Perform the archive:** ```bash mkdir -p openspec/changes/archive mv openspec/changes/<name> openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name> ``` Use the current date. If the target directory already exists, fail with an error and suggest renaming the existing archive or using a different date. `.openspec.yaml` moves with the directory automatically.6. **Display a summary:** change name, schema, archive location, whether specs were synced, and any warnings from steps 2-3.## Output```## Archive Complete**Change:** <change-name>**Schema:** <schema-name>**Archived to:** openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/**Specs:** synced to main specs / no delta specs / sync skipped```## Guardrails- Always prompt for change selection if not given — never auto-select.- Warnings inform and require confirmation; they never silently block.- Preserve `.openspec.yaml` when moving to archive.- If delta specs exist, always run the sync assessment and show the combined summary before prompting, regardless of the user's eventual choice.## CompletionComplete when the change directory has moved to`openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/`, any chosen spec sync has run,and the summary — including every warning surfaced along the way — has beenshown to the user.

Frequently asked questions