openspec-continue-change

Continue working on a change by creating the next artifact.

Input: Optionally specify a change name. If omitted, check if it can be inferred from conversation context. If vague or ambiguous you MUST prompt for available changes.

Steps

If no change name provided, prompt for selection
Run
```
openspec list --json
```
to get available changes sorted by most recently modified. Then use the AskUserQuestion tool to let the user select which change to work on.
Present the top 3-4 most recently modified changes as options, showing:
- Change name
- Schema (from
```
schema
```
  field if present, otherwise "spec-driven")
- Status (e.g., "0/5 tasks", "complete", "no tasks")
- How recently it was modified (from
```
lastModified
```
  field)
Mark the most recently modified change as "(Recommended)" since it's likely what the user wants to continue.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT guess or auto-select a change. Always let the user choose.
Check current status
bash
```
openspec status --change "<name>" --json
```
Parse the JSON to understand current state. The response includes:
- ```
schemaName
```
  : The workflow schema being used (e.g., "spec-driven")
- ```
artifacts
```
  : Array of artifacts with their status ("done", "ready", "blocked")
- ```
isComplete
```
  : Boolean indicating if all artifacts are complete
Act based on status:
If all artifacts are complete (
isComplete: true
):
- Congratulate the user
- Show final status including the schema used
- Suggest: "All artifacts created! You can now implement this change or archive it."
- STOP
If artifacts are ready to create (status shows artifacts with
```
status: "ready"
```
):
- Pick the FIRST artifact with
```
status: "ready"
```
  from the status output
- Get its instructions:
  bash
```
openspec instructions <artifact-id> --change "<name>" --json
```
- Parse the JSON. The key fields are:
  - context
    : Project background (constraints for you - do NOT include in output)
  - rules
    : Artifact-specific rules (constraints for you - do NOT include in output)
  - template
    : The structure to use for your output file
  - instruction
    : Schema-specific guidance
  - outputPath
    : Where to write the artifact
  - dependencies
    : Completed artifacts to read for context
- Create the artifact file:
  - Read any completed dependency files for context
  - Use
    template
    as the structure - fill in its sections
  - Apply
    context
    and
    rules
    as constraints when writing - but do NOT copy them into the file
  - Write to the output path specified in instructions
- Show what was created and what's now unlocked
- STOP after creating ONE artifact
If no artifacts are ready (all blocked):
- This shouldn't happen with a valid schema
- Show status and suggest checking for issues
After creating an artifact, show progress
bash
```
openspec status --change "<name>"
```

Output

After each invocation, show:

Which artifact was created
Schema workflow being used
Current progress (N/M complete)
What artifacts are now unlocked
Prompt: "Want to continue? Just ask me to continue or tell me what to do next."

Artifact Creation Guidelines

The artifact types and their purpose depend on the schema. Use the

instruction

field from the instructions output to understand what to create.

Common artifact patterns:

spec-driven schema (proposal → specs → design → tasks):

proposal.md: Ask user about the change if not clear. Fill in Why, What Changes, Capabilities, Impact.
- The Capabilities section is critical - each capability listed will need a spec file.
specs/<capability>/spec.md: Create one spec per capability listed in the proposal's Capabilities section (use the capability name, not the change name).
design.md: Document technical decisions, architecture, and implementation approach.
tasks.md: Break down implementation into checkboxed tasks.

For other schemas, follow the

instruction

field from the CLI output.

Guardrails

Create ONE artifact per invocation
Always read dependency artifacts before creating a new one
Never skip artifacts or create out of order
If context is unclear, ask the user before creating
Verify the artifact file exists after writing before marking progress
Use the schema's artifact sequence, don't assume specific artifact names
IMPORTANT:
```
context
```
and
```
rules
```
are constraints for YOU, not content for the file
- Do NOT copy
```
<context>
```
  ,
```
<rules>
```
  ,
```
<project_context>
```
  blocks into the artifact
- These guide what you write, but should never appear in the output

openspec-continue-change

NPX Install

SKILL.md Content