Write a Spec

Write a Spec is a Writing skill for Claude Code, published by inkeep in open-knowledge.

3.5K stars219 forkson inkeep/open-knowledgeAdded 2026/08/16+1% in starsRepository updated 2026/08/16

2nd-brainagent-skillsclaudecodexcompany-braindocsknowledge-knowledge-baseknowledge-managementllmllm-wikillm-wiki-karpathymarkdownmarkdown-editormdmdxnotespkmsecond-brainskills

Install in seconds

Install Write a Spec

Copy Write a Spec into your Claude Code skills folder. Run the command in your terminal, or review the source on GitHub before installing.

terminal

npx degit https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge/tree/main/packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle/write-a-spec ~/.claude/skills/write-a-spec

Requires Node.js. Downloads this skill only — not the rest of the repository — into your Claude Code skills folder.

Without Node.js

git clone https://github.com/inkeep/open-knowledge.git

Clones the whole repository, then copy the skill’s own directory into your skills folder yourself.

In this catalog

Source file: packages/server/assets/skills/packs/software-lifecycle/write-a-spec/SKILL.md in inkeep/open-knowledge
Installs to: ~/.claude/skills/write-a-spec
Collection: One of 18 skills cataloged from this repository
Category: Writing — 1012 skills

What Write a Spec does

Write a Spec scopes a feature end to end and writes an implementation spec under specs/ from an accepted proposal, including current-system mapping, goals/non-goals, a Decision Log, an Open Questions backlog, and a migration + test plan.

Write a Spec is cataloged under Writing on DirSkills. Write a Spec comes from a repository tagged 2nd-brain, agent-skills, claude, codex and company-brain.

Documentation

README

Excerpt

Write a spec — scope a feature and commit an implementation spec

This skill is pack guidance. The platform /open-knowledge skill (read/write/preview/linking/grounding rules) still governs every markdown operation — this layers spec-writing craft on top.

A spec is the contract between "we decided to build this" and "here is how it gets built." It is derived from an ACCEPTED proposal, maps the system that exists TODAY before proposing a change, and records its one-way-door choices in a Decision Log so the reasoning survives the author leaving. A spec that skips the current-system mapping, or resolves its open questions silently, is a liability — it reads authoritative while being unfounded.

This is the opening of the README. Read the full README on GitHub.

Commands Write a Spec provides

Slash commands named in this skill’s SKILL.md, listed in the order they first appear.

/open-knowledge
/frame-a-proposal
/record-a-decision
/write-a-postmortem

Frequently asked about Write a Spec

What else does inkeep publish alongside Write a Spec?
Write a Spec is one of 18 skills that DirSkills catalogs from inkeep/open-knowledge, the repository it ships in. Its siblings there include Codebase Wiki, Consolidate Notes and Frame a Proposal. Each one is a separate skill with its own page in this directory, installs the same way Write a Spec does, and is maintained by inkeep in that same repository. The rest of the collection is listed on the inkeep/open-knowledge page.
How does Write a Spec compare to other Writing skills?
Write a Spec ranks #191 by stars among the 1012 Writing skills in this catalog. The most-starred ones next to it are Article Writing, Social Media Content Calendar and Knowledge Comic Creator. DirSkills ranks by the star count of the repository each skill ships in, so that order reflects how popular those repositories are rather than any review of Write a Spec against them. Open each page to compare what they document and how they install.