Archive a completed change
Archive a completed change.
Input: Optionally specify a change name after /spectra-archive (e.g., /spectra-archive add-auth). If omitted, check if it can be inferred from conversation context. If vague or ambiguous you MUST prompt for available changes.
Prerequisites: This skill requires the spectra CLI. If any spectra command fails with "command not found" or similar, report the error and STOP.
Steps
If no change name provided, prompt for selection
Run spectra list --json to get available changes. Use the AskUserQuestion tool to let the user select.
Show only active changes (not already archived). Include the schema used for each change if available.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT guess or auto-select a change. Always let the user choose.
Check artifact completion status
Run spectra status --change "<name>" --json to check artifact completion.
Parse the JSON to understand:
schemaName: The workflow being usedartifacts: List of artifacts with their status (done or other)If any artifacts are not done:
Check task completion status
Read the tasks file (typically tasks.md) to check for incomplete tasks.
Count tasks marked with - [ ] (incomplete) vs - [x] (complete).
If incomplete tasks found:
If no tasks file exists: Proceed without task-related warning.
Assess delta spec sync state
Check for delta specs at docs/openspec/changes/<name>/specs/. If none exist, proceed without sync prompt.
If delta specs exist:
docs/openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.mdPrompt options:
If user chooses sync, use Task tool (subagent_type: "general-purpose", prompt: "Use Skill tool to invoke spectra-sync-specs for change '<name>'. Delta spec analysis: <include the analyzed delta spec summary>"). Proceed to archive regardless of choice.
Perform the archive
Use the spectra archive CLI command which handles the full archive workflow
(spec snapshot, delta application, @trace injection, identity recording, vector indexing):
spectra archive <name>
Optional flags:
--skip-specs — skip delta spec application (for tooling/doc-only changes)--mark-tasks-complete — mark all incomplete tasks as complete before archiving--no-validate — skip delta spec validationIf archive fails with "already exists" error, suggest renaming existing archive.
Display summary
Show archive completion summary including:
Output On Success
## Archive Complete
**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** docs/openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** ✓ Synced to main specs
All artifacts complete. All tasks complete.
Output On Success (No Delta Specs)
## Archive Complete
**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** docs/openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** No delta specs
All artifacts complete. All tasks complete.
Output On Success With Warnings
## Archive Complete (with warnings)
**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** docs/openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** Sync skipped (user chose to skip)
**Warnings:**
- Archived with 2 incomplete artifacts
- Archived with 3 incomplete tasks
- Delta spec sync was skipped (user chose to skip)
Review the archive if this was not intentional.
Output On Error (Archive Exists)
## Archive Failed
**Change:** <change-name>
**Target:** docs/openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
Target archive directory already exists.
**Options:**
1. Rename the existing archive
2. Delete the existing archive if it's a duplicate
3. Wait until a different date to archive
Guardrails
spectra-sync-specs (agent-driven)