Anws
Anws is a spec-driven workflow framework for AI-assisted development across modern AI IDEs and coding tools.
It helps teams build production-ready software through a disciplined path:
PRD -> Architecture -> ADR -> Tasks -> Review -> Code -> Upgrade
Anws enforces design-first principles, preserves context in files, and prevents architectural drift across multi-tool AI coding workflows.
TL;DR: a design-first workflow framework for AI coding tools that turns vibe coding into production-oriented engineering.
ANWS
- Axiom — principle before implementation
- Nexus — connection before fragmentation
- Weave — coherence before accumulation
- Sovereignty — human judgment before automation
Why Anws Exists
Modern AI coding sessions fail in predictable ways:
-
Architecture drift
- different sessions generate incompatible structures
-
Context amnesia
- a fresh chat loses system decisions, trade-offs, and task state
-
Planning collapse
- code gets written before requirements and interfaces are stabilized
-
Unsafe upgrades
- workflow files change over time, but existing projects cannot be updated cleanly
Anws addresses those problems with:
- Versioned architecture docs under
.anws/v{N}/
- A root anchor file via
AGENTS.md
- Workflow-first execution instead of prompt-only improvisation
- Controlled update semantics for
AGENTS.md, installed targets, and upgrade history
What's New in v2.0.0
v2.0.0 is a major release. It is not just a template refresh; it upgrades the project protocol.
-
Unified architecture root
- move from split legacy roots to
.anws/
- standardize versioned docs and changelog storage
-
Controlled AGENTS.md updates
- marker-based merge for modern files
- automatic migration for recognized legacy files
- safe preservation for unrecognized legacy files
-
Multi-target projection model
- one canonical source
- multiple target IDE layouts
- no fake sharing of physical files across targets
-
Codex projection strategy update
- Codex is now treated as Preview
- because Codex prompts are no longer available, Anws now packages workflow guidance into
.codex/skills/anws-system/
SKILL.md is the navigation shell for the bundle
- workflow details, including
/quickstart, now live under references/*.md
-
Trae / Qoder / Kilo Code support
- Trae follows the same skills-only bundle family as Codex via
.trae/skills/anws-system/
- Qoder adds native
.qoder/commands/ + .qoder/skills/
- Kilo Code adds native
.kilocode/workflows/ + .kilocode/skills/
-
OpenCode support
- adds native projection support for
.opencode/commands/ and .opencode/skills/
init, update, manifest ownership, drift detection, and diff flows all understand OpenCode
-
Stronger anws update semantics
- install-lock aware
- directory-scan fallback
- drift detection
- target-by-target update summary
-
Built-in ecosystem integration
- integrates
nexus-skills
- adopts
nexus-mapper as the structural analysis backbone for /probe
- completes the workflow rename from legacy
/scout to /probe
-
Branded CLI experience
- unified logo
- confirmation UI
- changelog generation
- release-oriented terminal output
Quick Start
Install via npm
npm install -g @haaaiawd/anws
cd your-project
anws init
-
Requirement
-
Install behavior
anws init installs one or more target projections into their native folders
- example:
anws init --target windsurf,opencode
Update an Existing Project
cd your-project
anws update
-
Preview mode
anws update --check previews grouped diffs without writing files
-
State source
anws update reads .anws/install-lock.json
- if the lock is missing or invalid, it falls back to directory scan
- if lock drift is detected, directory scan becomes the effective source for the current update
- a real
anws update can rebuild .anws/install-lock.json from detected targets when fallback is active
-
AGENTS.md behavior
- marker-based file -> update stable sections, preserve
AUTO block
- recognized legacy file -> migrate into new marker-based structure
- unrecognized legacy file -> warn and preserve unchanged
-
Legacy migration
- if a project still has
.agent/, the CLI can guide migration to .agents/
- after successful migration, interactive mode can also ask whether to delete the old
.agent/
-
Upgrade record
- every successful update refreshes
.anws/changelog/
- target state is written back to
.anws/install-lock.json
Migration Notes for Existing Users
If you used older Anws / Antigravity layouts, v2.0.0 matters because:
-
Directory protocol changed
- old references to
genesis/ and anws/changelog/ are replaced by .anws/
-
AGENTS.md is no longer “always skip”
- it is now a controlled managed file with merge / migrate / preserve semantics
-
Target installation is explicit
- Anws now models target IDEs as first-class projections
If you maintain old docs or release notes, update those references before publishing new project templates.
Compatibility
Anws keeps a single canonical workflow / skill source, then projects it into the native directory structure expected by each tool.
Every supported target now receives:
- a root
AGENTS.md
- a target-native
skills/ projection
- one target-native workflow entry surface, depending on the tool:
workflows
commands
prompts
- aggregated
skills for Codex / Trae skills-only bundles
| Windsurf | ✅ Full Support | AGENTS.md + .windsurf/workflows/ + .windsurf/skills/ |
| Antigravity | ✅ Full Support | .agents/workflows/ + .agents/skills/ + AGENTS.md |
| Claude Code | ✅ Full Support | AGENTS.md + .claude/commands/ + .claude/skills/ |
| GitHub Copilot | ✅ Full Support | AGENTS.md + .github/prompts/ + .github/skills/ |
| Cursor | ✅ Supported | AGENTS.md + .cursor/commands/ + .cursor/skills/ |
| Codex | ⚠️ Preview | AGENTS.md + .codex/skills/anws-system/ + .codex/skills/<skill>/ |
| OpenCode | ✅ Supported | AGENTS.md + .opencode/commands/ + .opencode/skills/ |
| Trae | ✅ Supported | AGENTS.md + .trae/skills/anws-system/ + .trae/skills/<skill>/ |
| Qoder | ✅ Supported | AGENTS.md + .qoder/commands/ + .qoder/skills/ |
| Kilo Code | ✅ Supported | AGENTS.md + .kilocode/workflows/ + .kilocode/skills/ |
Recommended Workflow
Use Anws as a lifecycle, not just a folder pack.
/quickstart | Route the user through the correct workflow path | Auto-detected state | Full orchestration |
/genesis | Start from zero with PRD and architecture | Vague idea | PRD, architecture, ADRs |
/probe | Analyze a legacy codebase before change | Existing code | Risk report |
/design-system | Design one system in depth | Architecture overview | System design doc |
/challenge | Review design or tasks with adversarial pressure | Docs / tasks | Challenge report |
/blueprint | Break architecture into executable work | PRD + architecture | 05_TASKS.md |
/forge | Turn approved tasks into code | Tasks | Working implementation |
/change | Modify an existing task only | Small scoped change | Updated task/design docs |
/explore | Research ambiguous or strategic topics | Topic | Exploration report |
/craft | Create workflows, skills, and prompts | Creation request | Reusable assets |
/upgrade | Route post-update upgrade work | Update changelog | Change or genesis path |
Core Principles
1. Versioned Architecture
- architecture is evolved, not silently edited
- major structural changes move from
.anws/v1 to .anws/v2
- ADRs preserve the reason behind the shape of the system
2. Filesystem as Memory
AGENTS.md is the recovery anchor
.anws/v{N}/ stores durable architecture context
.anws/changelog/ records upgrade history for future sessions
3. Thinking Before Coding
- workflows force staged reasoning before implementation
- the built-in
sequential-thinking skill standardizes deep analysis
- review steps exist to catch drift before code lands
Project Layout
your-project/
├── .anws/
│ ├── install-lock.json
│ ├── changelog/
│ └── v{N}/
├── AGENTS.md
├── .windsurf/
│ ├── workflows/
│ └── skills/
├── .agents/
│ ├── workflows/
│ └── skills/
├── .cursor/
│ ├── commands/
│ └── skills/
├── .claude/
│ ├── commands/
│ └── skills/
├── .github/
│ ├── prompts/
│ └── skills/
├── .opencode/
│ ├── commands/
│ └── skills/
├── .qoder/
│ ├── commands/
│ └── skills/
├── .kilocode/
│ ├── workflows/
│ └── skills/
├── .trae/
│ └── skills/
│ ├── anws-system/
│ │ ├── SKILL.md
│ │ └── references/
│ └── <skill>/
│ └── SKILL.md
└── .codex/
├── skills/
│ ├── anws-system/
│ │ ├── SKILL.md
│ │ └── references/
│ └── <skill>/
│ └── SKILL.md
One source model. Multiple target layouts. Explicit ownership on disk.
Built with Itself
Anws is dogfooded on its own development.
-
Architecture design
- the CLI itself was designed through
/genesis
-
Task decomposition
- implementation work was planned through
/blueprint
-
Execution
- code and doc changes were driven through
/forge
This repository is both the product and a working reference implementation.
Deep Thinking & Architecture Design

Interactive Requirement Alignment

Autonomous Skill Invocation

Contributing
Contributions are welcome. Before opening a PR, make sure changes align with the spec-driven workflow and the target projection model.
License
MIT © 2026
Made for architects who code, and AIs who think.
Good architecture isn't written. It's designed.