---
name: openspec-explore
description: Explore ideas without implementing or bypassing WealthLedger SDD approvals.
allowed-tools: Bash(openspec:*)
license: MIT
compatibility: Requires openspec CLI.
metadata:
  author: openspec
  version: "1.0"
  generatedBy: "1.10.0"
---

Explore the actual codebase, clarify intent, compare mature solutions, surface risks and visualize trade-offs. Do not implement or modify application code.

**OpenSpec store (WealthLedger):** Use only `wealth-ledger-specs`, whose physical root is `specs/openspec`. Every OpenSpec command that reads or writes specs or changes MUST include `--store wealth-ledger-specs`; keep this flag on every follow-up. Do not infer a store from cwd, the nearest root, or machine configuration.

**OpenSpec version preflight:** Before the first OpenSpec command, work from the workspace root and run `bash specs/scripts/verify-openspec-version.sh`. A missing or mismatched CLI is a blocking result.

**Approval boundary:** Exploration does not approve artifacts. If the user explicitly asks to capture a decision, create at most ONE planning artifact per invocation and then STOP for explicit Change Owner approval. File/status existence is not approval.

**Planning gate:** When exploration captures an artifact, run `bash specs/scripts/verify-openspec-planning.sh "<name>"` after the write and before requesting approval. Fix structural failures; if the captured decision changes upstream semantics, return to the earliest affected artifact and invalidate dependent approvals.

## Workflow

- Discover with `openspec list --json --store wealth-ledger-specs`; resolve an existing change with `openspec status --change "<name>" --json --store wealth-ledger-specs` and read its returned artifact paths.
- Read relevant code and durable documentation. Ask only material questions. Compare mature supported solutions before custom auth, security, storage, integrations, observability, caching, concurrency, infrastructure or tooling.
- Offer to capture a stable decision in the current artifact; do not auto-capture it.
- When explicitly requested, scaffold a new change with `openspec new change "<name>" --store wealth-ledger-specs` or read existing status. Confirm dependency approvals from the conversation. The selected artifact must be the first `ready` one.
- Run `openspec instructions "<artifact-id>" --change "<name>" --json --store wealth-ledger-specs`, read completed dependencies, follow its template/instruction and create or update only that artifact at `resolvedOutputPath`.
- Show fresh status and stop for owner approval before downstream work.

If an approved upstream artifact changes, state which downstream approvals are invalidated and stop without regenerating them.

## Guardrails

- Never write implementation code in explore mode.
- Create at most ONE planning artifact per invocation.
- Never create an unapproved prerequisite or downstream artifact because status reports it ready.
- Keep versioned planning documents only in `specs/openspec`.