Spec-Kit Constitution

Spec-Kit Constitution

Create or update the project constitution at .specify/​memory/​constitution.md. This file defines the governing principles, constraints, and governance rules for specification-driven development.

Scope - What Constitution Contains

MUST contain:

• Project governance principles (high-level, technology-agnostic)
• Non-negotiable development rules
• Quality standards and expectations
• Amendment procedures and versioning policy
• Compliance review expectations

MUST NOT contain:

• Technology stack (languages, frameworks, databases) - belongs in /​speckit-03-plan
• Implementation details - belongs in /​speckit-03-plan
• Specific tools or versions - belongs in /​speckit-03-plan
• API designs or data models - belongs in /​speckit-03-plan

The constitution defines the "laws" of the project. The plan defines how to implement features within those laws.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

You MUST consider the user input before proceeding (if not empty).

Prerequisites Check

1. Check if constitution template exists:

   cat .specify/​memory/​constitution.md 2>/​dev/​null || echo "NO_CONSTITUTION"
   

2. If file doesn't exist, copy from skill references:

   • Read the constitution template from this skill's references/​constitution-template.md
   • Create .specify/​memory/​constitution.md with the template

Execution Flow

1. Load the existing constitution template at .specify/​memory/​constitution.md.

   • Identify every placeholder token of the form [ALL_CAPS_IDENTIFIER].
   • IMPORTANT: The user might require fewer or more principles than the template. Adapt accordingly.

2. Collect/​derive values for placeholders:

   • If user input supplies a value, use it.
   • Otherwise infer from existing repo context (README, docs, prior constitution versions).
   • For governance dates:
     • RATIFICATION_DATE is the original adoption date (if unknown, ask or mark TODO)
     • LAST_AMENDED_DATE is today if changes are made
   • CONSTITUTION_VERSION must increment according to semantic versioning:
     • MAJOR: Backward incompatible governance/​principle removals or redefinitions
     • MINOR: New principle/​section added or materially expanded guidance
     • PATCH: Clarifications, wording, typo fixes, non-semantic refinements

3. Draft the updated constitution content:

   • Replace every placeholder with concrete text (no bracketed tokens left)
   • Preserve heading hierarchy
   • Ensure each Principle section has: succinct name, paragraph or bullet list capturing non-negotiable rules, explicit rationale
   • Ensure Governance section lists amendment procedure, versioning policy, and compliance review expectations

4. Consistency propagation (validate against templates if they exist):

   • Check .specify/​templates/​plan-template.md for constitution alignment
   • Check .specify/​templates/​spec-template.md for scope/​requirements alignment
   • Check .specify/​templates/​tasks-template.md for task categorization alignment

5. Produce a Sync Impact Report (prepend as HTML comment at top of constitution file):

   • Version change: old -> new
   • List of modified principles
   • Added/​removed sections
   • Templates requiring updates
   • Follow-up TODOs if any placeholders deferred

6. Validation before final output:

   • No remaining unexplained bracket tokens
   • Version line matches report
   • Dates in ISO format YYYY-MM-DD
   • Principles are declarative, testable, and free of vague language

7. Phase Separation Validation (REQUIRED):

   Before writing, scan the draft constitution for technology-specific content that belongs in /​speckit-03-plan:

   Check for violations - constitution MUST NOT mention:

   • Programming languages (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java, C#, etc.)
   • Frameworks (React, Django, Express, Spring, Rails, FastAPI, etc.)
   • Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, SQLite, Redis, etc.)
   • Infrastructure (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure, etc.)
   • Specific libraries or packages
   • Version numbers of tools
   • File extensions tied to languages (.py, .js, .ts, etc.)
   • API specifications (REST, GraphQL, gRPC)

   If violations found:

   ╭─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
   │  PHASE SEPARATION VIOLATION DETECTED                           │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │  Constitution contains technology-specific content:            │
   │  - [list each violation]                                       │
   │                                                                 │
   │  Technology decisions belong in /​speckit-03-plan, not here.    │
   │  Constitution must be technology-agnostic to survive tech      │
   │  stack changes.                                                 │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │  ACTION: Removing technology references and generalizing...    │
   ╰─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯
   

   Auto-fix: Rewrite the violating sections to be technology-agnostic:

   • "Use Python" → "Use appropriate language for the domain"
   • "Store in PostgreSQL" → "Use persistent storage"
   • "Deploy with Docker" → "Use containerization when appropriate"

   Re-validate after fixes until no violations remain.

8. Write the completed constitution back to .specify/​memory/​constitution.md

9. Output final summary to the user with:

   • New version and bump rationale
   • Any files flagged for manual follow-up
   • Suggested commit message

Formatting Requirements

• Use Markdown headings exactly as in the template
• Wrap long rationale lines for readability (<100 chars)
• Keep a single blank line between sections
• Avoid trailing whitespace

Next Steps

After creating the constitution, you can:

• Run /​speckit-01-specify to create a feature specification

The constitution will be loaded and validated by all other speckit skills.