Slash Command Reference

Slash commands are invoked inside your AI agent (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, etc.). They are generated from Spec Kitty command templates and typically accept optional free-form arguments.

Syntax format in this reference:

  • COMMAND: /spec-kitty.<name> [arguments]
  • Arguments: free-form text passed as $ARGUMENTS in templates

/spec-kitty.specify

Syntax: /spec-kitty.specify [description]

Purpose: Create or update a mission specification from a natural-language description.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from the repository root checkout (no worktree).
  • If the mission should land on a branch other than the current branch, resolve that intent first with spec-kitty agent mission branch-context --json --target-branch <branch>.
  • Discovery interview is required before generating artifacts.

What it does:

  • Runs a discovery interview and confirms an intent summary.
  • Determines mission (software-dev or research).
  • Calls spec-kitty agent mission create to create mission scaffolding.

Creates/updates:

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/spec.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/meta.json
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/checklists/requirements.md

Related: /spec-kitty.plan, /spec-kitty.charter

/spec-kitty.plan

Syntax: /spec-kitty.plan [notes]

Purpose: Create the implementation plan and design artifacts based on the spec.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from the repository root checkout.
  • Spec exists for the feature.

What it does:

  • Conducts planning interrogation.
  • Calls spec-kitty agent mission setup-plan.
  • Generates planning artifacts and updates agent context files.

Creates/updates (as applicable):

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/plan.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/research.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/data-model.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/contracts/
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/quickstart.md
  • Agent context file (e.g., CLAUDE.md)

Related: /spec-kitty.specify, /spec-kitty.tasks, /spec-kitty.research

/spec-kitty.tasks

Syntax: /spec-kitty.tasks [notes]

Purpose: Generate work packages and task prompts from spec and plan.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from the repository root checkout.
  • spec.md and plan.md exist.

What it does:

  • Reads spec/plan (and optional research artifacts).
  • Writes tasks.md plus one prompt file per work package.
  • Calls spec-kitty agent mission finalize-tasks to populate dependencies.

Creates/updates:

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks/WPxx-*.md (flat directory)

Related: /spec-kitty.plan, /spec-kitty.implement, /spec-kitty.analyze

/spec-kitty.implement

Syntax: /spec-kitty.implement [WP_ID]

Purpose: Resolve the execution workspace and start implementation for a specific work package.

Prerequisites:

  • Work packages exist in kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks/.
  • Run from the repository root checkout for the action prompt; the execution workspace is created or reused by the CLI.

What it does:

  • If explicit slash-command args are provided, forwards the WP selection into the resolver-first action flow.
  • Step 1: spec-kitty agent action implement WP## --agent <agent> to show the prompt and move the WP to doing.
  • Step 2: spec-kitty implement WP## to create or reuse the execution workspace.
  • Implementation happens inside the resolved workspace path printed by the command.

Creates/updates:

  • .worktrees/<feature>-lane-<id>/
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks/WP##-*.md lane status updates

Related: /spec-kitty.tasks, /spec-kitty.review

/spec-kitty.review

Syntax: /spec-kitty.review [WP_ID]

Purpose: Review a completed work package and update its lane status.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from any checkout where the mission can be resolved; review will attach to the canonical execution workspace if needed.
  • WP must be in lane: "for_review".

What it does:

  • If WP_ID is provided, forwards it to the resolver-first workflow as an explicit --wp-id.
  • Loads the WP prompt, supporting artifacts, and code changes.
  • Performs structured review and records feedback via --review-feedback-file.
  • Persists feedback in shared git common-dir and writes frontmatter review_feedback pointer (feedback://...) in the WP file.
  • Moves the WP to approved (review passed, merge pending) or back to planned (needs changes). The merge workflow later records done.
  • Updates tasks.md status when approved.

Creates/updates:

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks/WP##-*.md (review feedback, lane changes)
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks.md (checkbox status)

Related: /spec-kitty.implement, /spec-kitty.accept

/spec-kitty.accept

Syntax: /spec-kitty.accept [options]

Purpose: Validate mission readiness and generate acceptance results.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from any checkout or branch where mission auto-detection works.
  • All WPs should be approved or done, with review feedback resolved.
  • Run this after the implement-review loop and before /spec-kitty.merge.

What it does:

  • Auto-detects mission slug and validation commands when possible.
  • Runs spec-kitty agent mission accept to perform acceptance checks.
  • Outputs acceptance summary and merge instructions.

Creates/updates:

  • Acceptance output in the mission directory (and optional commits depending on mode)

Related: /spec-kitty.review, /spec-kitty.merge

/spec-kitty.merge

Syntax: /spec-kitty.merge [options]

Purpose: Merge an accepted mission into the target branch and clean up worktrees.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from any checkout where the mission can be resolved (repository root checkout or execution workspace).
  • By default, merge lands in the mission's recorded target branch; use --target <branch> only when you intentionally want to override it.
  • Mission must pass /spec-kitty.accept.

What it does:

  • Executes spec-kitty merge with selected strategy and cleanup flags.
  • Optionally pushes to origin and deletes worktrees/branches.
  • After merge, run /spec-kitty-mission-review, then surface the retrospective captured at the runtime terminus. Canonical post-merge sequence (FR-019):
    1. Mission review — /spec-kitty-mission-review confirms spec→code fidelity.
    2. Author or verify the retrospective — under default policy, the runtime authored it during merge; verify via cat .kittify/missions/<mission_id>/retrospective.yaml. If absent (older mission, generator failure under warn policy), author with spec-kitty retrospect create --mission <slug>.
    3. Surface findings — spec-kitty retrospect summary aggregates across missions (read-only); spec-kitty agent retrospect synthesize --mission <slug> previews or applies proposals from one record (dry-run by default; add --apply to mutate).

Creates/updates:

  • Merges mission branch into target branch.
  • Deletes worktree and/or mission branch depending on flags.

Related: /spec-kitty.accept

/spec-kitty.status

Syntax: /spec-kitty.status

Purpose: Display current kanban status for work packages.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from a repo or worktree with access to kitty-specs/<feature>/tasks/.

What it does:

  • Runs spec-kitty agent tasks status.
  • Shows a lane-based status board, progress metrics, and next steps.

Creates/updates: None (read-only).

Related: /spec-kitty.tasks, /spec-kitty.implement

/spec-kitty.dashboard

Syntax: /spec-kitty.dashboard

Purpose: Open or stop the Spec Kitty dashboard in the browser.

Prerequisites:

  • Can run from the repository root checkout or any worktree.

What it does:

  • Runs spec-kitty dashboard to start or stop the dashboard server.

Creates/updates: None (read-only status server).

Related: /spec-kitty.status

/spec-kitty.charter

Syntax: /spec-kitty.charter

Purpose: Create or update the project charter.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from the repository root checkout.

What it does:

  • Runs a phase-based discovery interview (minimal or comprehensive).
  • Writes project-wide principles to the charter file.

Creates/updates:

  • .kittify/charter/charter.md

Related: /spec-kitty.specify, /spec-kitty.plan

/spec-kitty.research

Syntax: /spec-kitty.research [--force]

Purpose: Scaffold research artifacts for Phase 0 research.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from any checkout where the mission can be resolved.

What it does:

  • Runs spec-kitty research to create research templates.

Creates/updates:

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/research.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/data-model.md
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/research/evidence-log.csv
  • kitty-specs/<feature>/research/source-register.csv

Related: /spec-kitty.plan

/spec-kitty.analyze

Syntax: /spec-kitty.analyze [notes]

Purpose: Cross-artifact consistency analysis after tasks generation.

Prerequisites:

  • Run from any checkout where the mission can be resolved.
  • spec.md, plan.md, and tasks.md must exist.

What it does:

  • Reads spec, plan, tasks, and charter (if present).
  • Produces and persists an analysis report of gaps and conflicts.
  • Records source artifact hashes so implementation can reject stale analysis.

Creates/updates:

  • kitty-specs/<feature>/analysis-report.md

Related: /spec-kitty.tasks, /spec-kitty.implement

Getting Started

Practical Usage

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