Does this skill write application code?

No, Explore mode is strictly for thinking, investigating, and planning. It will read your files to understand context but will never modify your application code.

How do I transition from exploring to coding?

Once your ideas are clear, you can exit explore mode and begin implementation using commands like /opsx:new to start a new change or /opsx:ff to fast-forward.

Does it require any external tools?

Yes, this skill requires the OpenSpec CLI to be installed on your system to manage the lifecycle and status of your technical artifacts.

What are OpenSpec artifacts?

These are standardized documentation files like proposal.md, design.md, and tasks.md that capture the intent and structure of a change before implementation begins.

Can I use this with an existing project?

Yes, it can analyze your existing codebase to help you map out new features or understand complex legacy logic grounded in your actual files.

OpenSpec Explore Mode

Name: OpenSpec Explore Mode
Author: TomazWang

byTomazWang

0•

Productivity & Workflow

Activates a specialized thinking mode for brainstorming ideas, investigating codebase complexities, and clarifying requirements without writing implementation code.

OpenSpec Explore is a dedicated discovery skill for Claude Code that transforms the AI into a collaborative thinking partner for the pre-implementation phase. It allows developers to step back from active coding to deep-dive into architectural patterns, compare technical trade-offs, and map out requirements using visual ASCII diagrams and grounded codebase analysis. Designed to work seamlessly with the OpenSpec CLI, it ensures that high-level insights are captured in formal design documents and proposals before a single line of application code is written, significantly reducing technical debt and scope creep through intentional planning.

Key Features

01Direct integration with OpenSpec artifacts like proposals and design specs

02Visual ASCII diagram generation for systems, state machines, and data flows

03Interactive discovery and brainstorming without auto-implementing code

040 GitHub stars

05Flexible comparison modeling for evaluating technical trade-offs and options

06Codebase-grounded architectural mapping and complexity identification

Use Cases

01Documenting complex design decisions and trade-offs in OpenSpec files

02Brainstorming a new feature's architecture and potential integration points

03Investigating legacy codebases to surface hidden dependencies and technical risks

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add tomazwang/agent-toolkit openspec-explore

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill