openspec-archive-change - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: openspec-archive-change description: Archive a completed change in the experimental workflow. Use when the user wants to finalize and archive a change after implementation is complete. license: MIT compatibility: Requires openspec CLI. metadata: author: openspec version: "1.0" generatedBy: "1.4.1"

Archive a completed change in the experimental workflow.

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

If no change name provided, prompt for selection

Run openspec 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 openspec status --change "<name>" --json to check artifact completion.

Parse the JSON to understand:
- schemaName: The workflow being used
- planningHome, changeRoot, artifactPaths, and actionContext: path and scope context
- artifacts: List of artifacts with their status (done or other)
If status reports actionContext.mode: "workspace-planning", explain that workspace archive is not supported in this slice and STOP. Do not move workspace changes into repo-local archives or edit linked repos.

If any artifacts are not done:
- Display warning listing incomplete artifacts
- Use AskUserQuestion tool to confirm user wants to proceed
- Proceed if user confirms
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:
- Display warning showing count of incomplete tasks
- Use AskUserQuestion tool to confirm user wants to proceed
- Proceed if user confirms
If no tasks file exists: Proceed without task-related warning.
Assess delta spec sync state

Use artifactPaths.specs.existingOutputPaths from status JSON to check for delta specs. If none exist, proceed without sync prompt.

If delta specs exist:
- Compare each delta spec with its corresponding main spec at openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md
- Determine what changes would be applied (adds, modifications, removals, renames)
- Show a combined summary before prompting
Prompt options:
- If changes needed: "Sync now (recommended)", "Archive without syncing"
- If already synced: "Archive now", "Sync anyway", "Cancel"
If user chooses sync, use Task tool (subagent_type: "general-purpose", prompt: "Use Skill tool to invoke openspec-sync-specs for change ''. Delta spec analysis: "). Proceed to archive regardless of choice.
Perform the archive

Create an archive directory under planningHome.changesDir if it doesn't exist:
```
mkdir -p "<planningHome.changesDir>/archive"
```
Generate target name using current date: YYYY-MM-DD-<change-name>

Check if target already exists:
- If yes: Fail with error, suggest renaming existing archive or using different date
- If no: Move changeRoot to the archive directory
```
mv "<changeRoot>" "<planningHome.changesDir>/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>"
```
Display summary

Show archive completion summary including:
- Change name
- Schema that was used
- Archive location
- Whether specs were synced (if applicable)
- Note about any warnings (incomplete artifacts/tasks)

Output On Success

## Archive Complete

**Change:** <change-name>
**Schema:** <schema-name>
**Archived to:** the archive path derived from `planningHome.changesDir`/YYYY-MM-DD-<name>/
**Specs:** ✓ Synced to main specs (or "No delta specs" or "Sync skipped")

All artifacts complete. All tasks complete.

Guardrails

Always prompt for change selection if not provided
Use artifact graph (openspec status --json) for completion checking
Don't block archive on warnings - just inform and confirm
Preserve .openspec.yaml when moving to archive (it moves with the directory)
Show clear summary of what happened
If sync is requested, use openspec-sync-specs approach (agent-driven)
If delta specs exist, always run the sync assessment and show the combined summary before prompting