Living Docs Navigator
Access project knowledge stored in .specweave/docs/internal/.
Quick Navigation
When you need context, read relevant files from these locations:
📋 Specifications (Features & User Stories)
.specweave/docs/internal/specs/- Feature specifications with user stories
- Acceptance criteria
- Implementation history
Find specs: ls.specweave/docs/internal/specs/
📐 Architecture Decisions (ADRs)
.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/- WHY decisions were made
- Trade-offs considered
- Context for design choices
Find ADRs: ls.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/
🏗️ System Architecture
.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/- High-level design (HLD)
- System diagrams
- Component architecture
Find architecture docs: ls.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.md
📊 Operations
.specweave/docs/internal/operations/- Runbooks
- SLOs
- Incident procedures
💼 Strategy
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/- Business requirements
- Product vision
- PRDs
🛡️ Governance
.specweave/docs/internal/governance/- Security policies
- Coding standards
- Compliance docs
How to Use
Before Implementing a Feature
- Check for related specs:
grep -ril "keyword".specweave/docs/internal/specs/ - Read relevant ADRs:
grep -l "topic".specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/*.md - Load the context by reading the files found.
Before Making Design Decisions
- Check existing ADRs to avoid contradicting past decisions
- Read architecture docs to understand current patterns
- Follow established conventions
Example Workflow
Task: "Implement user authentication"
1. Search for related docs:
grep -ril "auth" .specweave/docs/internal/
2. Found:
- .specweave/docs/internal/specs/backend/us-001-authentication.md
- .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/0001-jwt-vs-sessions.md
- .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/auth-flow.md
3. Read each file for context before implementing.Progressive Disclosure Pattern
This skill follows progressive disclosure:
- Metadata only (this SKILL.md) loads initially (~200 tokens)
- You search for relevant docs using grep/ls
- You read only the specific files you need
- Result: Minimal tokens, maximum context
No RAG needed - Claude's native file reading is more accurate.
Integration with /sw:do
When executing /sw:do:
- Extract topic keywords from spec.md
- Search living docs for matches
- Read relevant ADRs and architecture docs
- Apply context during implementation
Tips
- ADRs are critical - always check before design decisions
- Specs show history - see what was already built
- Use grep liberally - find docs by keyword, not guessing paths
- Cross-reference - related documents link to each other
Stakeholder Views
Living docs serve different audiences. Navigate by role:
For Business Stakeholders
Quick access to high-level, non-technical documentation:
.specweave/docs/internal/
├── strategy/ # Business context
│ ├── executive-summary.md # Project overview for leadership
│ ├── feature-dashboard.md # Feature status tracking
│ ├── roadmap.md # Product roadmap
│ └── business-impact/ # Per-feature impact statements
├── operations/ # System health
│ └── health-dashboard.md # Current system status
└── specs/
└── _feature-status.md # Active features & completion %Use case: Board reports, investor updates, quarterly reviews
For Technical Leads
Quick access to architecture and decisions:
# Recent architectural decisions
ls -lt .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/ | head -10
# Search for decisions about specific topics
grep -ril "authentication" .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/
# Find system architecture diagrams
ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.mdUse case: Design reviews, tech debt assessment, onboarding
For Product Managers
Quick access to specifications and progress:
# Feature specifications
ls .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
# Find features by keyword
grep -ril "checkout" .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
# Check increment status
ls .specweave/increments/*/metadata.jsonUse case: Sprint planning, release notes, stakeholder updates
Executive Summary Generation
Living docs can be transformed into executive-friendly formats:
Automatic Generation
Use the stakeholder-docs skill to generate:
- Executive summaries from technical specs
- Feature status dashboards
- Business impact statements
- Release summaries
"Create an executive summary of our current project status"
"Generate a feature status dashboard for Q1"Manual Navigation
For quick stakeholder context:
- Project Overview:
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/executive-summary.md - Feature Status:
.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/feature-dashboard.md - Recent Decisions: Latest 3 ADRs in
architecture/adr/
Visual Documentation
When documentation needs diagrams or illustrations:
Architecture Diagrams
Use Mermaid in markdown files:
graph TD A[Client] --> B[API Gateway] B --> C[Auth Service]
AI-Generated Illustrations
Use the /sw:image-generation skill for professional visuals:
"Generate an architecture diagram illustration for the API docs" "Create a feature illustration for the living docs"
Brand colors: Purple #7c3aed, Light purple #a78bfa
Related Skills
- stakeholder-docs: Generate executive-friendly views
- docs-writer: Create detailed documentation
- image-generation: Add visuals via
/sw:image-generation - docusaurus: Preview docs as website via
/sw-docs:view