SpecDDCode review and governance
Code review and governance guides for using SpecDD as a practical review contract: review pull requests against local specs, require spec updates when behavior changes, approve generated specs before implementation, and treat authority and boundary changes with the right level of scrutiny.
- How to review a SpecDD pull request
Use SpecDD in pull request review by comparing the diff to the governing specs, checking local authority, and requiring aligned code, specs, tests, and tasks.
Read guide - How to require spec updates in code review
Keep SpecDD trustworthy by requiring .sdd updates in the same pull request when implementation changes the durable contract.
Read guide - How to review agent-generated specs
Treat agent-generated specs as drafts until reviewed: confirm the boundary, remove inferred behavior, tighten authority, and approve only useful local contracts.
Read guide - How to use SpecDD in architecture reviews
Make architecture review actionable with SpecDD: discuss tradeoffs in design review, then encode accepted boundaries and authority in the owning specs.
Read guide - How to define write authority for agents
Use SpecDD write authority to tell agents exactly what may change, what may only be read, and which dependencies or paths remain off limits.
Read guide - How to create a SpecDD review checklist
Build a practical SpecDD review checklist so pull requests are checked consistently without making every change heavy.
Read guide - How to reject a spec-driven change constructively
Use SpecDD to make rejection precise: point to authority, behavior, boundaries, tasks, or verification gaps and suggest a narrow correction.
Read guide - How to review changes to Must not and Forbids
Treat Must not and Forbids changes as governance changes: they alter what future humans and agents are allowed to do.
Read guide - How to review a spec-only pull request
Spec-only pull requests are not harmless docs by default: review them as changes to future implementation authority.
Read guide
More How-To categories
- Getting started
Start with spec-driven development, write your first local SpecDD spec, and run a small end-to-end change with human-and-agent-friendly guardrails.
11 guides - Install and setup
Install the SpecDD CLI, prepare Node.js when needed, initialize or update projects, and verify the framework files are wired correctly.
9 guides - Set up your agent
Set up Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Junie, Cline, Antigravity, and universal Agent Skills for SpecDD.
15 guides - Editor setup
Install SpecDD editor support, validate .sdd files, resolve path warnings, and use completions and section hints while writing specs.
4 guides - Agent workflows
Use SpecDD with agents by keeping prompts short, plans spec-bound, file changes authorized, context durable, and reviews tied to local .sdd contracts.
15 guides - Write specs by level
Write SpecDD specs at the right level: root specs for project context, module specs for area boundaries, and focused specs for local behavior and contracts.
14 guides - Use spec sections
Use SpecDD sections correctly: write only sections that add local value, keep authority clear, and express behavior, boundaries, tasks, scenarios, paths, and examples.
25 guides - Spec-writing technique
Improve SpecDD craft with techniques for small specs, right-level placement, naming, splitting, explicit rules, draft review, edge cases, and compatibility.
16 guides - Spec-driven workflows
Use SpecDD workflows to draft, review, implement, synchronize, and evolve local specs without losing source-of-truth context.
11 guides - Work with SpecDD skills
Use SpecDD skills deliberately: choose the right skill for the phase, keep authority clear, chain skills safely, and verify each result against local specs.
17 guides - Software design practices
Use SpecDD to make software design decisions operational: responsibility, boundaries, layers, cohesion, debt prevention, public APIs, and dependency direction.
20 guides - Adopt SpecDD on existing projects
Adopt SpecDD gradually in live codebases by starting with active areas, reviewing generated specs, expanding folder by folder, and measuring practical review and delivery signals.
10 guides - Testing and quality
Turn SpecDD specs into practical quality work: TDD and BDD loops, acceptance criteria, coverage tracing, CI checks, regression tests, and testability review.
11 guides - Refactoring and maintenance
Use SpecDD to keep maintenance safe: preserve specified behavior, maintain authority while moving code, keep specs current, and delete obsolete contracts carefully.
9 guides - Security and risk
Use SpecDD to make security and risk constraints local, explicit, reviewable, and hard for humans or agents to weaken accidentally.
13 guides - Teams and process
Use SpecDD as a team process by keeping durable behavior in specs, project planning in tickets, conventions in bootstrap.project.md, and reviews lightweight but consistent.
13 guides - Troubleshooting
Fix common SpecDD problems: agent setup, .sdd highlighting, CLI and Node errors, ambiguous specs, unresolved paths, vague specs, stale criteria, and skill installs.
12 guides