# Capture

> Document a module, component, or system — automatically picks the right type (ADR, spec, doc, or guide). Use when you need comprehensive docs for a codebase element and don't want to choose the document type yourself.

- Skill: `thedixitjain/capture-3` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add thedixitjain/capture-3`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/thedixitjain/capture-3/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Web & Frontend
- Author: thedixitjain (https://skillmd.com/u/thedixitjain)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/thedixitjain/capture-3

---



# /archcore:capture

Document a module, component, or topic. You describe what needs documenting — the system picks the right document type.

## When to use

- "Document the auth module"
- "Capture how the payment system works"
- "Write down the API contract"
- "Create reference docs for the config system"

**Not capture:**
- Recording a specific decision → `/archcore:decide`
- Planning a feature → `/archcore:plan`
- Making something a standard → `/archcore:decide`
- Reading applicable rules/ADRs/specs before coding → `/archcore:context`
- Picking up where work left off → `/archcore:context`

## Routing table

Given `$ARGUMENTS` and conversation context, classify what the user needs:

| Signal | Route | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| User describes **behavior others rely on** — an API/interface/schema/protocol boundary, or a feature/subsystem with states, field-driven rules, and invariants | → `spec` | Single spec |
| User describes **reference material** (registry, glossary, lookup) | → `doc` | Single doc |
| User describes **how-to instructions** or procedures | → `guide` | Single guide |
| User describes a **module comprehensively** ("document everything about X") | → `adr` + `guide` (+ `spec` if others rely on the module's behavior) | Multiple docs with relations |
| Ambiguous | → ask one question | "Is this primarily a decision, a contract/behavior spec, reference material, or instructions?" |

Default: if still unclear after one question, create an `adr` (the most common documentation need) — unless others rely on the subject's behavior, in which case create a `spec`.

## Execution

### Step 1: Check existing

`mcp__archcore__list_documents` — scan for existing documents on this topic. Prevent duplicates.

If a match is a global document (`global: true` / `read_only: true` / `source_kind: "global"`), load `skills/_shared/globals.md`: it is read-only org-wide context, not editable here. Create the local document (a refinement/override) and do not modify it or call `add_relation` referencing the global. Absent any global match, proceed as usual.

### Step 2: Route

Apply the routing table above. If `$ARGUMENTS` clearly signals a type, proceed. If ambiguous, use `AskUserQuestion` to ask: "Is this primarily a decision, a contract/behavior spec, reference material, or instructions?"

### Step 3: Create documents

For each document determined by routing:

**If ADR:**
- Ask: "What was the decision? What alternatives were considered?"
- Compose content covering Context, Decision, Alternatives Considered, Consequences.
- `mcp__archcore__create_document(type="adr")`

**If spec:**
- Read `skills/_shared/precision-rules.md` and `skills/_shared/spec-contract.md` once before composing — the contract defines what a spec is (behavior others rely on right now), the routing gate against `prd`, and the notation.
- Ask: "Who depends on this, and what is its surface — the interface, or the parts/states/fields that drive behavior? What are the key constraints, invariants, and failure behaviors?"
- Compose the six sections defined in `spec-contract.md`: Purpose & Scope, Surface, Normative Behavior (EARS clauses + BCP 14 keywords), Constraints & Invariants, Failure Behavior, Conformance.
- `mcp__archcore__create_document(type="spec")`

**If doc:**
- Ask: "What information should this reference contain?"
- Compose content covering Overview, Content (structured sections/tables), Examples.
- `mcp__archcore__create_document(type="doc")`

**If guide:**
- Ask: "What task does this guide walk through? What prerequisites exist?"
- Compose content covering Prerequisites, Steps (numbered), Verification, Common Issues.
- `mcp__archcore__create_document(type="guide")`

### Step 4: Relate

After each document, call `mcp__archcore__add_relation` to link to existing related documents. If multiple documents were created, link them with `related`.

## Result

One or more documents created and linked. Report: which documents, their paths, relations added, and suggested next actions (e.g., "consider adding a rule to codify this decision").

---

**Source:** [`hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins`](https://github.com/hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins) → `plugins/archcore-ai/plugin/skills/capture/SKILL.md`