Agents Overview

Four specialized agents that guide the AI-DLC development lifecycle

The Agent System

specs.md provides four specialized agents that guide you through the entire development lifecycle. Each agent has a focused responsibility and set of commands.

Agent Architecture

Agent Responsibilities

Master Agent

Orchestrates the overall flow, routes requests, maintains project awareness

Inception Agent

Captures intents, elaborates requirements, decomposes into units

Construction Agent

Executes bolts, builds code, runs tests through validated stages

Operations Agent

Deploys, verifies, and monitors systems in production

Invoking Agents

These are NOT command-line commands. These are prompts you type in your AI coding tool’s chat interface (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, etc.).

How to Use

1. Open your AI coding tool (Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot)
2. Start a chat/conversation
3. Type the agent prompt to activate it

Claude Code

Type in Claude Code’s chat:

/specsmd-master-agent
/specsmd-inception-agent
/specsmd-construction-agent
/specsmd-operations-agent

Cursor

Type in Cursor’s chat (either format works):

/specsmd-master-agent
/specsmd-inception-agent
/specsmd-construction-agent
/specsmd-operations-agent

Or use the @ prefix:

@specsmd-master-agent
@specsmd-inception-agent
@specsmd-construction-agent
@specsmd-operations-agent

GitHub Copilot

Type in Copilot’s chat:

/specsmd-master-agent
/specsmd-inception-agent
/specsmd-construction-agent
/specsmd-operations-agent

Agent Session Lifecycle

Each agent session follows a pattern:

1. Context Loading

   Agent reads relevant artifacts from Memory Bank

2. Command Execution

   Agent performs the requested command

3. Human Validation

   Agent pauses for approval at checkpoints

4. Artifact Storage

   Agent writes results back to Memory Bank

Each agent invocation starts fresh. Agents read context from the Memory Bank at startup. Ensure artifacts are saved after each step.

Command Reference

Master Agent

Command	Purpose
project-init	Initialize project with standards
analyze-context	View current project state
route-request	Get directed to the right agent
explain-flow	Learn about AI-DLC methodology
answer-question	Get help with any specs.md question

Inception Agent

Command	Purpose
intent-create	Create a new intent
intent-list	List all intents
requirements	Elaborate intent requirements
context	Define system context
units	Decompose into units
story-create	Create stories for a unit
bolt-plan	Plan bolts for stories
review	Review inception artifacts

Construction Agent

Command	Purpose
bolt-start	Start/continue executing a bolt
bolt-status	Check bolt progress
bolt-list	List all bolts
bolt-replan	Replan bolts if needed

Operations Agent

Command	Purpose
build	Build the project
deploy	Deploy to environment
verify	Verify deployment
monitor	Set up monitoring

Routing Between Agents

The Master Agent can route you to the appropriate agent:

> I want to add a new feature

Master Agent: That sounds like a new Intent. Let me route you 
to the Inception Agent.

/specsmd-inception-agent intent-create

Best Practices

Start with Master

When unsure where to begin, start with the Master Agent. It will guide you to the right place.

Complete Artifacts

Finish and save artifacts before switching agents. Context is loaded from Memory Bank.

Follow the Flow

Inception → Construction → Operations. Don’t skip phases.

Use Commands

Each agent has specific commands. Use them rather than free-form requests.