openspec-sync-specs

Sync delta specs from a change to main specs.

This is an agent-driven operation - you will read delta specs and directly edit main specs to apply the changes. This allows intelligent merging (e.g., adding a scenario without copying the entire requirement).

Store selection: If the user names a store (a store is a standalone OpenSpec repo registered on this machine) or the work lives in one, run openspec store list --json to discover registered store ids, then pass --store <id> on the commands that read or write specs and changes (new change, status, instructions, list, show, validate, archive, doctor, context, schemas, view). Once selected, treat --store <id> as sticky for the rest of the workflow. Every unscoped example of those commands below is shorthand: before running it, append the flag. For example, run openspec status --change "<name>" --json --store "<id>", not the unscoped form shown below. Other commands do not take the flag. Hints printed by commands already carry the flag; keep it on follow-ups. Without a store, commands act on the nearest local openspec/ root.

<capability-path> is the spec directory relative to specs/ (for example, user-auth or identity/user-auth). Preserve the full path from each delta spec when resolving its main spec.

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

1. Select the change

   If a name is provided, use it. Otherwise:

   • Infer from conversation context if the user mentioned a change
   • Auto-select if only one active change exists
   • If ambiguous, run openspec list --json to get available changes and ask the user to select one

   When prompting, show changes that have delta specs (under specs/ directory).

   Always announce: "Using change: " and how to override (e.g., $openspec-sync-specs (Codex) or /openspec-sync-specs (other agents) <other>).

2. Resolve change context

   Run:

   openspec status --change "<name>" --json
   

   The JSON includes planningHome.root. Main specs live under <planningHome.root>/openspec/specs/ — use that (store-aware) root for every main-spec path below, not a hardcoded repo path. When a store is selected it points at the store, not the current repository.

3. Find delta specs

   Use artifactPaths.specs.existingOutputPaths from the status JSON as the only source of delta spec paths. If the specs entry is missing or existingOutputPaths is empty, report that there are no delta specs to sync, do not infer them from other artifacts, and stop without requesting artifact instructions or writing a main spec.

   Sync every path in existingOutputPaths unless the caller narrowed the set. A caller narrows it by naming an explicit list of complete entries from existingOutputPaths — copy those absolute values verbatim. Archive does this inline, and a user can too (for example, by selecting the entry ending in /specs/billing/invoices/spec.md). Then sync only the named paths and leave the remaining delta specs untouched: bulk archive excludes a delta whose implementation it could not find, and syncing it anyway would write a main spec the caller deliberately withheld. Carry that narrowed selection through step 4; never widen it back to the full list. If a named path is not in existingOutputPaths, do not sync it — report it and stop, rather than dropping it silently. If the named list is empty, report that there is nothing to sync and stop without writing a main spec.

   Each delta spec file contains sections like:

   • ## ADDED Requirements - New requirements to add
   • ## MODIFIED Requirements - Changes to existing requirements
   • ## REMOVED Requirements - Requirements to remove
   • ## RENAMED Requirements - Requirements to rename (FROM:/TO: format)

   If no delta specs found, inform user and stop.