OpenSpec Explore Mode

Puts Claude into a no-code 'thinking partner' mode for exploring ideas, diagnosing problems, and clarifying requirements before implementation.

Dev & CodingIntermediate★ 968⑂ 2AI score 9/10Last updated: Oct 30, 2026

What it does

Switches Claude into think-only mode: it may read files, grep the codebase, and investigate architecture, but it must never write application code.
Installs a stance rather than a workflow — curious questions, challenged assumptions, multiple open threads instead of a scripted interrogation.
Encourages liberal ASCII diagrams: system sketches, state machines, data flows, dependency graphs, and comparison tables.
Runs openspec list --json to detect active changes, then reads proposal.md, design.md, tasks.md, and specs/<capability>/spec.md for context.
Includes a mapping table of insight type → artifact to capture it in, and only offers to save; never auto-writes.

Who it's for

Developers and teams running spec-driven development with the OpenSpec CLI.
Anyone who wants to pin down scope and problem definition before any code is written.
People frustrated by AI assistants that jump straight to implementation on vague prompts.

Example uses

Vague idea — "I'm thinking about real-time collaboration" → it sketches the Presence → Cursors → CRDT complexity spectrum and asks where you want to start.
Diagnosing existing code — "The auth system is a mess" → it reads the repo, diagrams the OAuth/session/permission flow, and names the three tangles.
Technology comparison — "Postgres or SQLite?" → it asks for context first, then builds a constraint-by-constraint table before giving a verdict plus the exception case.
Stuck mid-change — stalled on task 4 of add-auth-system, it reads the change artifacts, traces options, and offers to update design.md or add a spike task.

· · · Install guide · · ·

Try it now, no install

Paste this into Claude to use the skill without installing anything.

Read the instructions in this file and follow them to help me:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Gitruck/cli/HEAD/.agents/skills/openspec-explore/SKILL.md

What I want: (describe your task here)

If Claude can't open the link, open it yourself and paste the contents instead.

↓ If it works for you, download the ZIP below and install it. Then it runs on its own — no pasting each time.

Install in the Claude app (no terminal)

Download the ZIP with the button below.
In Claude, open Settings → Capabilities and turn on 'Code execution and file creation'. (one time)
Go to Customize → Skills → + → 'Upload a skill' and upload the ZIP.

↓ Download ZIP

Install in Claude Code

Let Claude do it — paste this into Claude Code

Install the skill I found on AI Skill Mart.
Copy the .agents/skills/openspec-explore folder from the GitHub repo Gitruck/cli into my ~/.claude/skills/openspec-explore/.
When it's done, tell me in one line what this skill can do.

Install with a command instead

git clone https://github.com/Gitruck/cli.git /tmp/gitruck-cli && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r /tmp/gitruck-cli/.agents/skills/openspec-explore ~/.claude/skills/

⚠ This is a third-party skill. Check the source repository before installing.

Prerequisites: Claude Code installed and the openspec CLI available (the skill relies on openspec list --json and the openspec/changes/ layout).
Clone the repo: run git clone https://github.com/Gitruck/cli.git /tmp/gitruck-cli in your terminal.
Create the skills directory: mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
Copy the skill: cp -r /tmp/gitruck-cli/.agents/skills/openspec-explore ~/.claude/skills/
Verify: ls ~/.claude/skills/openspec-explore/SKILL.md
Use it: restart Claude Code, then say "enter explore mode and help me think through this feature" (optionally naming an active change).
Tip: when you're ready to build, explicitly exit explore mode — this skill is designed to refuse implementation work.

View source on GitHub ↗License: MIT