Spec Kitty’s mission system lets you choose a workflow optimized for your type of work. This document explains why missions exist and how they shape your experience.
Not all projects are the same:
| Work Type | Primary Goal | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Software development | Working code | Write tests, implement features, review code |
| Research | Validated findings | Collect evidence, analyze data, synthesize conclusions |
| Documentation | Clear docs | Audit gaps, create content, validate accessibility |
A workflow designed for software development doesn’t fit research:
Missions solve this by providing domain-specific workflows, validation rules, and artifacts.
When you run /spec-kitty.specify, Spec Kitty prompts for the mission type:
? Select mission type:
Software Dev Kitty - Build high-quality software with structured workflows
Deep Research Kitty - Conduct systematic research with evidence synthesis
Documentation Kitty - Create high-quality documentation following Divio principles
Your choice determines:
The mission selection is stored per-feature:
// kitty-specs/012-user-auth/meta.json
{
"mission": "software-dev",
"created": "2026-01-15T10:00:00Z"
}
Different features can use different missions:
kitty-specs/012-user-auth/ → Software Dev Kittykitty-specs/013-market-analysis/ → Deep Research Kittykitty-specs/014-user-docs/ → Documentation KittyEach mission provides:
Templates: Slash command prompts optimized for the domain Phases: Workflow stages appropriate for the work type Artifacts: Files created during the workflow
Focus: Building software features with test-driven development.
Workflow phases:
Key practices:
Required artifacts:
spec.md - Feature specificationplan.md - Technical designtasks.md - Work packagesValidation checks:
Focus: Systematic research with evidence-based conclusions.
Workflow phases:
Key practices:
Required artifacts:
spec.md - Research question and scopeplan.md - Methodology plantasks.md - Research work packagesfindings.md - Synthesized findingsValidation checks:
Focus: Creating documentation following Write the Docs best practices.
Workflow phases:
Key practices:
Required artifacts:
spec.md - Documentation needsplan.md - Structure and generator configtasks.md - Documentation work packagesgap-analysis.md - Coverage matrix and gapsValidation checks:
[TODO] markers)Each mission customizes the slash commands with domain-appropriate prompts:
| Mission | Prompt Focus |
|---|---|
| Software Dev | User scenarios and acceptance criteria |
| Deep Research | Research question, scope, expected outcomes |
| Documentation | Iteration mode, Divio types, target audience |
| Mission | Prompt Focus |
|---|---|
| Software Dev | Technical architecture and implementation plan |
| Deep Research | Research methodology and data collection strategy |
| Documentation | Documentation structure and generator configuration |
| Mission | Prompt Focus |
|---|---|
| Software Dev | Work packages with TDD workflow |
| Deep Research | Literature review, data collection, analysis |
| Documentation | Template creation, generator setup, content authoring |
Early versions set the mission at project level:
.kittify/
└── mission.yaml # One mission for entire project
Problem: Real projects need different approaches for different features:
Now missions are selected per-feature:
kitty-specs/
├── 010-auth-system/
│ └── meta.json # mission: "software-dev"
├── 011-library-comparison/
│ └── meta.json # mission: "research"
└── 012-user-docs/
└── meta.json # mission: "documentation"
Benefits:
The agent_context field in each mission provides instructions that shape agent behavior:
Software Dev agent:
You are a software development agent following TDD practices. Tests before code (non-negotiable).
Research agent:
You are a research agent conducting systematic literature reviews. Document ALL sources.
Documentation agent:
You are a documentation agent following Write the Docs best practices and Divio system.
These instructions guide AI agents to behave appropriately for the domain.
This document explains why missions exist and how they differ. For how to select and use missions, see the tutorials and how-to guides.