How It Works

← Getting Started · Español

---

The pipeline

Every task follows the same story:

Requirement → Plan → Tasks → Code → Review

flowchart LR
  subgraph phases [Flow phases]
    R[Refining<br/>task.md]
    D[Designing<br/>plan.md + tasks.md]
    I[Implementing<br/>source code]
    V[Reviewing<br/>review.md]
  end
  R --> D
  D -->|/approve| I
  I --> V
  V -->|PASS| A[Archive + flow off]
  V -->|FAIL| I

Phase file	Agent	Writes code?	Main output
refining	Refiner	No	task.md with AC1, AC2…
designing	SDD	No	plan.md, tasks.md
implementing	Implementer	Yes	Your codebase + tasks.md checkboxes
reviewing	Reviewer	No	review.md

Older projects may still have sdd.md instead of plan.md — agents prefer plan.md when both exist.

---

Direct mode vs Flow mode

	Direct mode	Flow mode
When	Default	After nueva tarea, flow on, etc.
Flag	No .agents-state/.flow-enabled	File exists
Behavior	Normal assistant	Orchestrator picks phase agent
Overhead	None	Artifacts in .agents-state/current/

Why two modes: small fixes should stay fast. Structured work opts in explicitly.

---

What to inspect in each phase

Use this as a reading guide — open the file, check the section, decide if you need to intervene.

Refining — read task.md

Check	Good sign	Red flag
AC*	Specific, testable	Vague (“make it better”)
Constraints	Lists what must not break	Empty on risky changes
Out of Scope	Explicit exclusions	Missing on large tasks

You do not need to edit the file yourself — reply in chat and the Refiner updates it.

Designing — read plan.md and tasks.md

Check	Good sign	Red flag
plan.md	Lists files and approach you agree with	Surprise refactors
tasks.md	Steps with Files / Verify / Done when	Vague tasks without verify command
Traceability	ACs mapped to scenarios	ACs with no plan

Approve only when you would be comfortable seeing the diff described in the plan.

Implementing — read tasks.md + git diff

Check	Good sign	Red flag
Task order	[test] before [impl]; RED/GREEN in Task Notes	Skipped tests or missing RED evidence
Slices	[review] with PASS in Slice Reviews	Skipped slice review on large tasks
Scope	Matches task Files	Unrelated files changed
Blockers	Agent asks you	Silent assumptions

Reviewing — read review.md

Check	Good sign	Red flag
Each AC	Row with evidence	Missing AC row
Verification	Gate complete + pasted output	Summary without real output
TDD	RED/GREEN per TXX in Task Notes	PASS without prior failing test
Decision	Clear PASS or FAIL	Ambiguous summary

---

Four agents in plain language

Refiner

Turns your idea into a crisp task.md. Asks up to a few questions per round when input is vague; summarizes when you already wrote a detailed ticket. Never edits source code.

SDD (Solution Design)

Produces the technical plan and task checklist from task.md. Presents summary in chat and waits. Never edits source code until you /approve.

Implementer

Only agent that may change source files. Follows tasks.md exactly. Stops on spec gaps instead of guessing.

Reviewer

Maps every AC to evidence, runs .agents-docs/verification.md, writes review.md. On PASS, archives the session and turns flow off.

---

Activation phrases

Start flow	End flow
nueva tarea · activar flujo · flow on · new task	modo directo · flow off · desactivar flujo · direct mode
nueva tarea desde TEAM-123 · Linear issue URL	(same end phrases)

The orchestrator reads phase.md on each message to decide which agent rules apply.

---

Linear sync (optional)

When .specflow-linear.json has "enabled": true and you start from an issue id, the agent in Cursor uses Linear MCP to load the ticket and update board states.

SpecFlow event	Default Linear state
Refining complete	Todo
/approve	In Progress
Review PASS	Done

Setup is not in the CLI API — see Linear Integration for the Cursor plugin checklist.

---

Files in .agents-state/current/

File	Appears in phase	Purpose
phase.md	Always	Current phase — routing source of truth
refinement-log.md	Refining	Q&A (compacted after task.md)
task.md	Refining+	Requirement + AC1, AC2…
plan.md	Designing+	Approved design (legacy: sdd.md)
tasks.md	Implementing+	Checklist for Implementer
review.md	Reviewing	Result + verification output
linear.json	Linear tasks	Active issue identifier (optional)

When flow is inactive, current/ may be empty — that is normal.

---

Approval gate

/approve

Also accepted: aprobado, dale.

Why: separates “I like the plan” from “start coding”. The Implementer must not run until approval is explicit.

---

Verify your setup anytime

specflow doctor
specflow doctor --run

doctor checks installed files, adapters, and flow artifacts. --run executes the verification commands you documented for your project.

---

← Getting Started · CLI Reference →