---
name: Kiro Steering Management
slug: kiro-steering-management
category: AI Engineering
description: "Kiro Steering Management maintains {{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/ as persistent project knowledge, bootstrapping core steering files from the codebase and syncing them as the project evolves. Use it to keep AI agents' shared context aligned with codebase patterns and principles."
github: "https://github.com/gotalab/cc-sdd/tree/main/tools/cc-sdd/templates/agents/antigravity-skills/skills/kiro-steering"
language: TypeScript
stars: 3619
forks: 275
install: "npx degit https://github.com/gotalab/cc-sdd/tree/main/tools/cc-sdd/templates/agents/antigravity-skills/skills/kiro-steering ~/.claude/skills/kiro-steering"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/kiro-steering
source_path: tools/cc-sdd/templates/agents/antigravity-skills/skills/kiro-steering/SKILL.md
collection_size: 24
category_size: 2451
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/gotalab/cc-sdd"
added: 2026-08-16T07:02:06.709Z
last_synced: 2026-08-16T07:02:06.709Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/kiro-steering-management"
---

# Kiro Steering Management

Kiro Steering Management maintains {{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/ as persistent project knowledge, bootstrapping core steering files from the codebase and syncing them as the project evolves. Use it to keep AI agents' shared context aligned with codebase patterns and principles.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/gotalab/cc-sdd/tree/main/tools/cc-sdd/templates/agents/antigravity-skills/skills/kiro-steering ~/.claude/skills/kiro-steering
```

## README

# Kiro Steering Management

<background_information>
**Role**: Maintain `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` as persistent project memory.

**Mission**:
- Bootstrap: Generate core steering from codebase (first-time)
- Sync: Keep steering and codebase aligned (maintenance)
- Preserve: User customizations are sacred, updates are additive

**Success Criteria**:
- Steering captures patterns and principles, not exhaustive lists
- Code drift detected and reported
- All `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md` treated equally (core + custom)
</background_information>

<instructions>
## Scenario Detection

Check `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` status:

**Bootstrap Mode**: Empty OR missing core files (product.md, tech.md, structure.md)  
**Sync Mode**: All core files exist

---

## Bootstrap Flow

1. Load templates from `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/templates/steering/`
2. Analyze codebase (JIT):

#### Parallel Research

The following research areas are independent and can be executed in parallel:
1. **Product analysis**: README, package.json, documentation files for purpose, value, core capabilities
2. **Tech analysis**: Config files, dependencies, frameworks for technology patterns and decisions
3. **Structure analysis**: Directory tree, naming conventions, import patterns for organization

If multi-agent is enabled, spawn sub-agents for each area above. Otherwise execute sequentially.

After all parallel research completes, synthesize patterns for steering files.

3. Extract patterns (not lists):
   - Product: Purpose, value, core capabilities
   - Tech: Frameworks, decisions, conventions
   - Structure: Organization, naming, imports
4. Generate steering files (follow templates)
5. Load principles from `rules/steering-principles.md` from this skill's directory
6. Present summary for review

**Focus**: Patterns that guide decisions, not catalogs of files/dependencies.

---

## Sync Flow

1. Load all existing steering (`{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md`)
2. Analyze codebase for changes (JIT)
3. Detect drift:
   - **Steering → Code**: Missing elements → Warning
   - **Code → Steering**: New patterns → Update candidate
   - **Custom files**: Check relevance
4. Propose updates (additive, preserve user content)
5. Report: Updates, warnings, recommendations

**Update Philosophy**: Add, don't replace. Preserve user sections.

---

## Granularity Principle

From `rules/steering-principles.md` (in this skill's directory):

> "If new code follows existing patterns, steering shouldn't need updating."

Document patterns and principles, not exhaustive lists.

**Bad**: List every file in directory tree  
**Good**: Describe organization pattern with examples

</instructions>

## Tool guidance

- **Glob**: Find source/config files
- **Read**: Read steering, docs, configs
- **Grep**: Search patterns
- **Bash** with `ls`: Analyze structure

**JIT Strategy**: Fetch when needed, not upfront.

## Output description

Chat summary only (files updated directly).

### Bootstrap:
```
✅ Steering Created

## Generated:
- product.md: [Brief description]
- tech.md: [Key stack]
- structure.md: [Organization]

Review and approve as Source of Truth.
```

### Sync:
```
✅ Steering Updated

## Changes:
- tech.md: React 18 → 19
- structure.md: Added API pattern

## Code Drift:
- Components not following import conventions

## Recommendations:
- Consider api-standards.md
```

## Examples

### Bootstrap
**Input**: Empty steering, React TypeScript project
**Output**: 3 files with patterns - "Feature-first", "TypeScript strict", "React 19"

### Sync
**Input**: Existing steering, new `/api` directory
**Output**: Updated structure.md, flagged non-compliant files, suggested api-standards.md

## Safety & Fallback

- **Security**: Never include keys, passwords, secrets (see principles)
- **Uncertainty**: Report both states, ask user
- **Preservation**: Add rather than replace when in doubt

## Notes

- All `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md` loaded as project memory
- Templates and principles are external for customization
- Focus on patterns, not catalogs
- "Golden Rule": New code following patterns shouldn't require steering updates
- Avoid documenting agent-specific tooling directories (e.g. `.cursor/`, `.gemini/`, `.claude/`)
- `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/` content should NOT be documented in steering files (settings are metadata, not project knowledge)
- Light references to `{{KIRO_DIR}}/specs/` and `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` are acceptable; avoid other `.kiro/` directories