Enforce /create-spec usage when starting new work without specs

[carmandale]

Problem

When users ask Claude to implement new features or work on tasks that don't have an existing spec, there's no guidance or enforcement to use the /create-spec command. This leads to:

• Work starting without proper planning and documentation
• Skipping the Agent OS structured workflow
• Missing important spec components (technical specs, tests, cross-references)
• Inconsistent project organization

Example Scenario

User: "Help me add a dark mode feature to my app"
Claude: Starts implementing without creating a spec

Proposed Solution

Add detection and enforcement in the hooks system to:

1. Detect new work requests - Identify when user is asking for new feature implementation
2. Check for existing spec - Verify if a spec already exists for the requested work
3. Prompt for /create-spec - If no spec exists, prompt user to run /create-spec first
4. Block implementation - Prevent starting work until spec is created

Implementation Ideas

• Add spec detection to user-prompt-submit-hook.sh
• Create patterns to identify new feature requests
• Check .agent-os/specs/ directory for related specs
• Inject guidance message when spec is missing

Expected Behavior

User: "Help me add a dark mode feature to my app"
Claude: "I notice you're requesting a new feature. Let's start by creating a proper spec for this work. Please run /create-spec to begin the Agent OS workflow for planning this feature."

Benefits

• Ensures all work follows Agent OS workflow
• Prevents ad-hoc development
• Maintains project structure and documentation
• Improves long-term maintainability

[carmandale]

Current Status: Not implemented

The hook system still doesn't enforce /create-spec usage when users request new features. This remains a valid enhancement for future implementation.

Priority: Medium - Would improve workflow consistency but not blocking core functionality.

[carmandale]

Still needed: enforce /create-spec when starting new work without an active spec folder. Proposal: pretool hook detects new work intent without .agent-os/specs/* for current date/issue → prompt and block until /create-spec is run. Will implement as a small hook enhancement.