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+# RFC 0001 Appendix: Research, Decisions & Background
+
+> This document accompanies [RFC 0001: OpenSpec Workspaces](./0001-openspec-workspaces.md).
+> It contains the research, Q&A, decision rationale, and design exploration that informed the main RFC.
+
+---
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+1. [Executive Summary](#executive-summary)
+2. [Background & Motivation](#background--motivation)
+3. [Key Decisions (V1)](#key-decisions-v1)
+4. [Research: Cross-Platform Storage](#research-cross-platform-storage)
+5. [Q&A: Design Clarifications](#qa-design-clarifications)
+6. [Risk Analysis](#risk-analysis)
+7. [Alternatives Considered](#alternatives-considered)
+8. [Future Considerations](#future-considerations)
+
+---
+
+## Executive Summary
+
+OpenSpec is being split into two concerns:
+
+1. **Specs** (source of truth) — remain in-repo at `/openspec/specs/`
+2. **Change proposals** (planning context) — move to a centralized user-scoped directory at `~/.config/openspec/`
+
+This enables:
+- Multi-repo planning without duplicating proposals
+- Simplified change lifecycle (no archival step)
+- Path to customizable planning workflows
+- Better agent context management
+
+---
+
+## Background & Motivation
+
+### Problems Being Solved
+
+1. **Multi-repo coordination**: Teams working across multiple repos currently must duplicate change proposals in each repo, leading to drift and coordination overhead.
+
+2. **Convoluted archival process**: The current workflow requires agents to make exact copies of specs, then archive changes after applying. This is error-prone and adds friction.
+
+3. **Limited customization**: The tightly-coupled structure makes it hard to customize the planning process or add features.
+
+### Benefits of the New Approach
+
+| Benefit | Single-Repo Users | Multi-Repo Teams |
+|---------|-------------------|------------------|
+| Simpler workflow | No archival step | Single change spans repos |
+| Better PRs | Spec + code diff together | Coordinated changes |
+| Agent context | Clear active change | Cross-repo awareness |
+| Customization | Planning templates | Shared workflows |
+
+### Why Split Specs and Changes?
+
+- **Specs are code** — they belong with the codebase, versioned in git, reviewed in PRs
+- **Changes are ephemeral** — they're planning artifacts that don't need to live in the repo permanently
+- **Cross-repo changes need a home** — can't pick one repo arbitrarily; centralized location is neutral ground
+
+---
+
+## Key Decisions (V1)
+
+### 1. Workspace/Index Location
+
+**Decision**: `~/.config/openspec/index.json` (XDG-style)
+
+**Rationale**: XDG spec is the modern standard for CLI tools, has clear cross-platform mappings, and libraries exist in every language.
+
+**RepoId format**: `{primary-remote-url}@{default-branch}`
+- Supports multiple local clone paths for the same repo
+- SSH/HTTPS variants normalize to same ID
+- Repos without remotes fall back to local path hash
+
+### 2. Active Context Projection
+
+**Decision**: Write a git-ignored shadow manifest `./.openspec-context.json` in each attached repo.
+
+**V1 Schema**:
+```
+schemaVersion, generatedAt, repoId, workspaceId, branch,
+activeChangeId|null, changeTitle, status,
+specRoots, tasks array, warnings,
+sourceHash/sourceVersion
+```
+
+**Rationale**: Agents can discover context without CLI calls; file is lightweight and regenerated on demand.
+
+### 3. Refresh Policy
+
+**Decision**: Regenerate the manifest on any context-touching command (`openspec status/context/set-active/attach`) if missing or branch mismatch detected. Force refresh via `openspec context --refresh`.
+
+**V1 Simplification**: No age checks; git-less repos skip branch checks.
+
+### 4. Drift Detection
+
+**Decision**: `openspec verify` auto-runs on `status/context`, surfaces drift as **warnings only** (non-blocking).
+
+**Rationale**: Start with visibility, not enforcement. Let users understand drift before making it blocking.
+
+### 5. Task Storage
+
+**Decision**: Stay as Markdown checkboxes in V1.
+
+**Future option**: Normalize to structured format (JSONL/SQLite) for better agent integration, but not required for V1.
+
+### 6. Cross-Repo Specs
+
+**Decision**: Defer to future version with dedicated "specs repo" as canonical home for cross-repo capabilities.
+
+**Rationale**: This is complex and not needed for V1. Single-repo and simple multi-repo cases work without it.
+
+### 7. Active Change Detection
+
+**Decision**: Use git branch to determine which change is active.
+
+**How it works**:
+- When user creates a change, they optionally create a feature branch
+- OpenSpec detects current branch and maps it to corresponding change
+- If on main/master, user can manually select which change to work on
+
+**Open questions** (deferred):
+- Where is branch→change mapping stored?
+- Handling multiple changes for same branch?
+- Branch renames?
+
+### 8. Agent Integration Strategy
+
+**Decision**: Support multiple modes (hybrid approach).
+
+| Mode | Target | How it works |
+|------|--------|--------------|
+| SDK mode | Claude Code, etc. | OpenSpec invokes agent, injects context, verifies completion |
+| CLI mode | Cursor, etc. | Agent calls CLI commands, best-effort tracking |
+| Manual mode | Any | User manually syncs, OpenSpec provides verification |
+
+**Rationale**: Provide best experience where possible while still working with any agent.
+
+### 9. Spec Sync Strategy
+
+**Decision**: Push-based updates as ideal path, `openspec verify` for manual sync/drift detection.
+
+**Push-based** (ideal): All changes go through OpenSpec commands which update both the proposal and trigger code changes.
+
+**Pull-based** (fallback): `openspec verify` command compares spec-deltas to actual spec files and reports what's out of sync.
+
+**Automatic sync** (future): File watchers or git hooks, but start with manual for V1.
+
+---
+
+## Research: Cross-Platform Storage
+
+### Location Options Compared
+
+| Approach | macOS | Linux | Windows | Used by |
+|----------|-------|-------|---------|---------|
+| XDG spec | `~/.config/openspec` | `~/.config/openspec` | `%APPDATA%\openspec` | Many CLI tools |
+| Home dotfile | `~/.openspec` | `~/.openspec` | `%USERPROFILE%\.openspec` | npm, cargo, rustup |
+| App Support | `~/Library/Application Support/openspec` | `~/.local/share/openspec` | `%LOCALAPPDATA%\openspec` | VS Code, Electron apps |
+
+### Recommendation
+
+Use XDG-style (`~/.config/openspec`) because:
+- Modern standard for CLI tools
+- Clear cross-platform mappings
+- Libraries exist in every language (`dirs` in Rust, `appdirs` in Python, `env-paths` in Node)
+- Keeps home directory cleaner than dotfiles
+
+**Note**: `~/.openspec` is hidden by default (dot prefix) which conflicts with "open in editor" goal. Consider `~/openspec` if visibility matters, but XDG is more conventional.
+
+---
+
+## Q&A: Design Clarifications
+
+### Location and Structure
+
+**Q1: Where exactly does `.openspec` live?**
+
+A: `~/.config/openspec` (XDG-style). For V1, assume change proposals only exist locally. Cloud/git-based sync for team sharing is deferred.
+
+**Q2: What's the structure inside `.openspec`?**
+
+A: File-based structure so teams can open the folder in their code editor:
+```
+~/.config/openspec/
+├─ index.json                    # repo/workspace index
+└─ workspaces/<workspace-id>/
+   ├─ workspace.json             # attached repos, defaults
+   └─ changes/<change-id>/
+       ├─ proposal.md            # overview, design choices
+       ├─ tasks.md               # task breakdown with checkboxes
+       └─ specs/                 # spec deltas
+```
+
+**Q3: How are repos "attached" to a workspace?**
+
+A: Configuration reference (not symlinks). User selects a folder/repository locally. Does not need to be git-enabled, but git provides branch detection benefits.
+
+### Multi-Repo Mechanics
+
+**Q4: How does a single change span multiple repos?**
+
+A: Expand existing spec-deltas concept across repos. Task phases can be split between repos (e.g., "Phase 1: API repo", "Phase 2: Frontend repo").
+
+**Q5: How do PRs work across repos?**
+
+A: Left to the developer. OpenSpec helps create changes in each repo; PR management is manual. This is intentional — automated cross-repo transactions are complex and error-prone.
+
+**Q6: How do you handle version coordination?**
+
+A: Planning is based on local version of repos (or main/master). Explicit version dependencies are out of scope for V1.
+
+**Q7: Where do cross-repo specs live?**
+
+A: Deferred. Initial thinking: a dedicated "specs repo" that OpenSpec manages. For V1, keep specs in individual repos.
+
+### Agent Integration
+
+**Q8: How do agents discover the relevant context?**
+
+A: Agent calls OpenSpec CLI from the repository. CLI identifies workspace and returns relevant context. Alternatively, read `.openspec-context.json` manifest directly.
+
+**Q9: Do agents need CLI commands to access context?**
+
+A: CLI is the primary method. The manifest (`.openspec-context.json`) provides a cached view to reduce CLI calls. Trade-off: manifest can be stale, but refresh is cheap.
+
+**Q10: What if an agent modifies specs directly?**
+
+A: Changes live in `~/.config/openspec`, specs live in repos. Agent can modify specs directly (they're just files). `openspec verify` detects drift between expected and actual state.
+
+### Workflow and State
+
+**Q11: What's the lifecycle of a change?**
+
+A: `Draft → In Progress → Completed`
+
+There may be sub-states in drafting (research, planning, breakdown). This should be configurable for users.
+
+**Q12: What does the "work log" contain?**
+
+A: Agent-generated record of work done. Less important for V1; deferred.
+
+**Q13: How does "active change" context work?**
+
+A: Branch-based detection is the primary method. Open question: how to handle non-git repos or when working on main. Stored state vs. git reconstruction needs more thought.
+
+**Q14: How do you resume work on a change?**
+
+A: Agent reads the change, looks at which tasks are ticked off, reviews any work log, and picks up from there.
+
+### Task Management
+
+**Q15: Why is task management "unknown" if it's core to planning?**
+
+A: Goal is minimal V1, not complete solution. Markdown checkboxes work today. Agent forgetfulness is a known issue but not blocking for V1.
+
+**Q16: What's wrong with current task tracking?**
+
+A: Agents forget to tick checkboxes after doing work. This is an agent behavior problem, not purely a data model problem. Solutions involve better prompting, verification, or agent-side tooling.
+
+**Q17: Should task state live in `.openspec` or in-repo?**
+
+A: Central (`~/.config/openspec`) for simplicity.
+
+### Migration and Compatibility
+
+**Q18: How do existing users migrate?**
+
+A: Automatic migration on CLI update. Detect existing `/openspec/changes`, copy to workspace store, write manifests.
+
+**Q19: Are you removing the in-repo changes workflow?**
+
+A: Yes, eventually. One flow to maintain. May keep legacy layout as read-only during transition.
+
+---
+
+## Risk Analysis
+
+### High Risk
+
+#### Agent Context Accessibility (Partially Mitigated)
+
+Moving change context outside the repo is the biggest risk. Currently, agents work because all context is co-located in `/openspec/`.
+
+**Concerns**:
+- Agents lose direct filesystem access to change proposals
+- CLI fetch adds friction and indirection
+- Not all agent systems can invoke CLI commands mid-task
+- Mental model breaks: "where I'm coding" vs. "where my plan lives"
+
+**Mitigation**: Hybrid agent integration (SDK/CLI/Manual modes), shadow manifest for quick reads.
+
+### Medium-High Risk
+
+#### Multi-Repo Coordination Complexity
+
+Multi-repo is the main selling point but introduces complexity:
+- No atomic cross-repo git transactions
+- PR coordination is manual and error-prone
+- Version dependencies need explicit modeling
+- CI/CD becomes more complex
+
+**Mitigation**: V1 keeps it simple — no automated PR orchestration, no version enforcement. Let users handle coordination manually.
+
+#### Cross-Repo Spec Ownership
+
+Where do specs live that span multiple repos?
+
+**Options considered**:
+| Option | Problem |
+|--------|---------|
+| Duplicated in each repo | Sync problems, unclear authority |
+| In one "primary" repo | Arbitrary, hard to discover |
+| In centralized `.openspec` | Split location for specs |
+| In separate "specs repo" | Another repo to maintain |
+
+**Decision**: Defer to future "specs repo" concept. V1 keeps specs in individual repos.
+
+### Medium Risk
+
+#### Task Management Undefined
+
+Task management is central but left undefined. This affects:
+- Data model for tasks
+- Agent integration
+- Work log concept
+
+**Mitigation**: Start with Markdown checkboxes. Iterate based on real usage.
+
+#### Location and Portability (Partially Mitigated)
+
+User-level directory creates challenges:
+- CI/CD access
+- Team collaboration
+- Machine portability
+- Discoverability
+
+**Mitigation**: Cross-platform location research done. V1 is local-only; team sync deferred.
+
+#### State Synchronization (Partially Mitigated)
+
+Specs in-repo, changes out-of-repo can drift:
+- Direct spec edits bypass change tracking
+- Stale `.openspec` state
+- Orphaned changes when repos deleted
+
+**Mitigation**: `openspec verify` for drift detection. Automatic sync is future work.
+
+### Low-Medium Risk
+
+#### Backwards Compatibility
+
+Existing users have workflows around `/openspec/changes/`.
+
+**Mitigation**: Clear migration path, automatic migration on update, optional read-only legacy support during transition.
+
+---
+
+## Alternatives Considered
+
+### Keep Everything In-Repo
+
+**Pros**: Simple, portable, git-versioned, agent-friendly
+**Cons**: Can't support multi-repo, archival is messy
+
+**Why rejected**: Multi-repo is a key goal; this doesn't solve it.
+
+### Monorepo-Only Support
+
+**Pros**: Simpler than true multi-repo, single git history
+**Cons**: Many teams don't use monorepos, doesn't help existing multi-repo setups
+
+**Why rejected**: Too limiting; multi-repo is common in practice.
+
+### Git Submodules for Changes
+
+**Pros**: Git-native, versioned, portable
+**Cons**: Submodules are notoriously painful, adds complexity
+
+**Why rejected**: Complexity outweighs benefits.
+
+### Cloud-First Storage
+
+**Pros**: Team sync built-in, no local state issues
+**Cons**: Requires account/auth, internet dependency, privacy concerns
+
+**Why rejected**: Local-first is simpler for V1; cloud can be added later.
+
+---
+
+## Future Considerations
+
+### Post-V1 Features
+
+1. **Team sync**: Git-based or cloud-based workspace sharing
+2. **CI/CD integration**: Environment overrides, workspace exports
+3. **Structured tasks**: JSONL or SQLite for better agent integration
+4. **Cross-repo specs**: Dedicated specs repo as canonical home
+5. **Work logs**: Agent-generated session records
+6. **Branch→change mapping**: More robust active change detection
+7. **API/SDK**: Programmatic access beyond CLI
+
+### Open Design Questions
+
+- How granular is drift detection?
+- Should verification block PR creation or just warn?
+- How to handle branch renames?
+- What if multiple changes exist for the same branch?
+- How to represent cross-repo spec ownership without a dedicated specs repo?
+
+### Agent Integration Evolution
+
+Current thinking on improving agent task completion:
+1. Better prompting (explicit reminders to tick checkboxes)
+2. Verification commands (agent calls `openspec verify` before finishing)
+3. SDK mode (OpenSpec invokes agent, validates completion)
+4. Work log (track what agent actually did vs. what was planned)
+
+---
+
+## References
+
+- [RFC 0001: OpenSpec Workspaces](./0001-openspec-workspaces.md) — the main RFC
+- XDG Base Directory Specification
+- Similar tools: Nx, Turborepo, Lerna (monorepo coordination)
diff --git a/rfcs/0001-openspec-workspaces.md b/rfcs/0001-openspec-workspaces.md
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+# RFC 0001: OpenSpec Workspaces and Off-Repo Change Storage
+
+**Status:** Draft
+**Authors/Reviewers:** TBC
+**Last Updated:** 2024-XX-XX
+
+> **See also:** [Appendix: Research & Decisions](./0001-openspec-workspaces-appendix.md) for background research, Q&A, and detailed decision rationale.
+
+## Purpose
+
+**Problem:** Users working on features that span multiple repos must currently duplicate change proposals in each repo, leading to drift and coordination overhead. Single-repo users also suffer from a convoluted archive step when applying changes.
+
+**Solution:**
+- Enable multi-repo planning by moving change proposals out of individual repos while keeping specs in-repo.
+- Preserve agent usability with a lightweight, discoverable context projection per repo.
+- Simplify the change lifecycle (apply changes directly, drop archiving) and keep the spec and code diff side-by-side.
+
+## Goals (V1)
+
+- Single source of truth for changes lives in a user-scoped workspace store (`~/.config/openspec`).
+- Specs stay in the repo; only change proposals and workspace metadata move out-of-repo.
+- Agents and humans can see "what change is active here?" via a small manifest in the repo root.
+- Lay the groundwork for customizable workflows (hooks, reusable instructions) scoped to a workspace.
+- Keep task tracking simple (Markdown checkboxes) while allowing future structured storage.
+- Provide a clear migration path from in-repo `/openspec/changes`.
+
+## Non-Goals (V1)
+
+- Team/shared cloud sync (local-only for now).
+- Automatic cross-repo PR orchestration or transactions.
+- Rich task model or work log; basic checkboxes only.
+- Replacing existing specs layout in-repo.
+- CI/CD integration (workspace store lives in user home; CI pipelines that need change context should use environment overrides or check in workspace exports—deferred to future work).
+
+## Before and After (Conceptual)
+
+```
+Before (today)
+repo/
+└─ openspec/
+   ├─ specs/
+   └─ changes/<change-id>/
+       ├─ proposal.md
+       ├─ tasks.md
+       └─ specs/... (deltas)
+
+After (V1)
+repo/
+├─ openspec/specs/              # unchanged spec source of truth
+├─ .openspec-context.json       # git-ignored manifest (shadow)
+└─ ...code...
+
+~/.config/openspec/             # user-scoped workspace store
+├─ index.json                   # repo/workspace index
+└─ workspaces/<workspace-id>/
+   ├─ workspace.json            # attached repos, defaults
+   └─ changes/<change-id>/      # proposals, tasks, deltas
+       ├─ proposal.md
+       ├─ tasks.md
+       └─ specs/... (deltas)
+```
+
+## Proposed Model (High-Level)
+
+- **Workspace store**: XDG path `~/.config/openspec` holds `index.json` plus per-workspace folders.
+- **Identifiers**:
+  - `workspaceId`: user-provided slug or auto-generated UUID (e.g., `default`, `my-project`).
+  - `changeId`: user-provided slug derived from change title or auto-generated (e.g., `add-user-auth`).
+  - `repoId`: `{primary-remote-url}@{default-branch}` (normalized: SSH/HTTPS variants resolve to same ID). For repos without remotes, fallback to local path hash.
+- **Context projection**: generate `./.openspec-context.json` in each attached repo (git-ignored) with:
+  - `schemaVersion`, `generatedAt`, `repoId`, `workspaceId`, `branch`
+  - `activeChangeId|null`, `changeTitle`, `status`
+  - `specRoots`, `tasks` (checkbox state), `warnings`
+  - `sourceHash`/`sourceVersion` for drift detection
+- **Refresh policy**: regenerate manifest on `openspec status/context/set-active/attach`, or `openspec context --refresh`.
+- **Drift detection**: `openspec verify` runs on `status/context`, warns (non-blocking) when:
+  - Manifest `sourceHash` (hash of change proposal + tasks) differs from workspace store.
+  - In-repo specs differ from expected state based on applied changes.
+  - Branch in manifest doesn't match current git branch.
+- **Tasks**: stay as Markdown checkboxes in change folders; structured format is future work.
+- **Cross-repo specs**: defer to future dedicated "specs repo"; out-of-scope for V1.
+
+## Workspace Customization & Hooks
+
+Workspaces double as the unit of customization. Moving changes into `~/.config/openspec` gives us a neutral location to store **per-workspace workflow configuration** that can be projected into every attached repo alongside the manifest. Early capabilities include:
+
+- **Lifecycle hooks**: Users can define shell commands or scripts (e.g., `./scripts/post-create.sh`) that OpenSpec runs after key events such as `change create`, `change apply`, `task toggle`, or `context --refresh`. Hooks let teams codify "what happens next?" right after a proposal is created—notify Slack, scaffold implementation branches, sync Linear tickets, etc.
+- **Workflow presets**: Workspace metadata (`workspace.json`) can include reusable instructions/templates that describe the expected flow (e.g., "After proposal, run design review checklist", "Before apply, execute `openspec verify --strict`"). Agents surface these reminders in their startup instructions, and humans can read them from the manifest.
+- **Composable steps**: Hooks are optional and orderable, so teams can compose bespoke workflows (e.g., `change.create` → run linting hooks, attach repo-specific instructions; `change.apply` → trigger spec sync + notify QA). V1 focuses on definition + discovery—the appendix tracks richer automation (custom task types, SDK integrations) for future versions.
+
+This section keeps the RFC honest about a core benefit of workspaces: breaking the monolithic flow into smaller, customizable checkpoints without hard-coding them in every repo. Detailed research and long-term options live in the appendix’s "Future Considerations" and "Risk Analysis" tables.
+
+## ASCII Flow (Agent View)
+
+```
+          +---------------------------+
+          | ~/.config/openspec        |
+          |  - index.json             |
+          |  - workspaces/<ws>/...    |
+          +-------------+-------------+
+                        |
+                        | openspec status/context --refresh
+                        v
+      +---------------------------+
+      | repo/                     |
+      |  - .openspec-context.json |  <- lightweight shadow manifest
+      |  - openspec/specs/...     |  <- truth for specs
+      |  - code                   |
+      +---------------------------+
+```
+
+## Agent Workflow
+
+How agents discover and use change context:
+
+1. **Discover active change**: Agent reads `.openspec-context.json` in repo root (or calls `openspec status --json`).
+   - Manifest provides: `activeChangeId`, `changeTitle`, `status`, `tasks` summary, `warnings`.
+   - If manifest missing or stale, agent calls `openspec context --refresh`.
+
+2. **Read full change details**: Agent calls `openspec change show <changeId> --json` to get:
+   - Full proposal content (`proposal.md`)
+   - Complete task list with checkbox states (`tasks.md`)
+   - Spec deltas (what specs will change)
+   - Paths to all change artifacts in workspace store
+
+3. **Update task progress**: Agent calls `openspec task toggle <changeId> <taskIndex>` or edits `tasks.md` directly via workspace path (provided in step 2).
+
+4. **Resume work**: On session start, agent reads manifest → identifies incomplete tasks → continues from last known state.
+
+**Fallback for non-CLI agents**: If agent cannot invoke CLI, it reads the manifest for summary context and relies on user to sync task state manually.
+
+## Workflows (Before → After)
+
+- **Create change**
+  - *Before*: `openspec change create` writes under `repo/openspec/changes`.
+  - *After*: same command writes under `~/.config/openspec/workspaces/<ws>/changes/<id>`, then projects manifest into repo.
+
+- **Resume work**
+  - *Before*: read `/openspec/changes/<id>` directly in repo.
+  - *After*: `openspec status` (or manifest) tells active change; agent reads tasks/proposal via CLI or manifest pointers.
+
+- **Apply spec update**
+  - *Before*: copy deltas into `/openspec/specs` and archive change.
+  - *After*: applying a change updates in-repo specs directly; no archive step. Change record stays in workspace store.
+
+## CLI Impact (V1)
+
+- **New/updated commands** (shape, not syntax-final):
+  - `openspec context [--refresh]` → writes `.openspec-context.json`.
+  - `openspec attach <repo-path>` → register repo to workspace, emit manifest.
+  - `openspec status [--json]` → shows active workspace/change, drift warnings.
+  - `openspec verify` → compare change store vs. repo specs/tasks, warn on drift.
+  - `openspec change show <changeId> [--json]` → output full change details (proposal, tasks, spec deltas, artifact paths).
+  - `openspec change apply <changeId>` → applies spec deltas to in-repo specs, updates change status to `completed`, refreshes manifest.
+  - `openspec task toggle <changeId> <taskIndex>` → toggle checkbox state in `tasks.md`, refresh manifest.
+  - Existing `change create/validate` operate on workspace store paths.
+
+## Data Examples
+
+- **Manifest sketch (`./.openspec-context.json`):**
+  ```json
+  {
+    "schemaVersion": "1",
+    "generatedAt": "2024-XX-XXT12:00:00Z",
+    "repoId": "git@github.com:org/api.git@main",
+    "workspaceId": "my-project",
+    "branch": "feature/add-auth",
+    "activeChangeId": "add-user-auth",
+    "changeTitle": "Add user authentication",
+    "status": "in-progress",
+    "specRoots": ["openspec/specs"],
+    "tasks": [
+      {"title": "Define auth spec", "done": true},
+      {"title": "Implement JWT middleware", "done": false}
+    ],
+    "warnings": [],
+    "sourceHash": "abc123",
+    "relatedRepos": [
+      {"repoId": "git@github.com:org/frontend.git@main", "role": "consumer"}
+    ]
+  }
+  ```
+
+  *Note: `relatedRepos` shows other repos in the same workspace affected by this change. Each repo gets its own manifest with the same `activeChangeId`.*
+
+- **Workspace index (`~/.config/openspec/index.json`):**
+  ```json
+  {
+    "workspaces": [
+      {
+        "id": "my-project",
+        "repos": [
+          {
+            "repoId": "git@github.com:org/api.git@main",
+            "paths": ["/Users/me/dev/api"]
+          },
+          {
+            "repoId": "git@github.com:org/frontend.git@main",
+            "paths": ["/Users/me/dev/frontend"]
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+  ```
+
+## Migration (Happy Path)
+
+- Detect existing `/openspec/changes` and prompt to migrate into the workspace store.
+- Copy change folders to `~/.config/openspec/workspaces/<ws>/changes/`.
+- Write manifests into each repo (`.openspec-context.json`) pointing to migrated changes.
+- Keep in-repo specs untouched; future changes update specs directly.
+- Optionally keep legacy layout temporarily as read-only until confident.
+
+## Risks / Tradeoffs
+
+- **Loss of co-location**: agents need CLI/manifest indirection; mitigated by shadow manifest and simple commands (see Agent Workflow).
+- **Portability**: local-only workspace; migration between machines requires exporting/importing the workspace folder.
+- **CI/CD access**: out-of-scope for V1 (see Non-Goals); workaround is environment override or workspace export.
+- **Drift**: specs live in-repo, changes live out-of-repo; mitigated by `openspec verify` and manifest hashes.
+- **Back-compat**: legacy `/openspec/changes` requires migration; optionally support read-only compatibility during transition.
+
+## Open Questions (Post-V1)
+
+- Where to store branch→change mapping (manifest vs. workspace config) and how to handle branch renames?
+- Minimal API/SDK needed for agent integrations vs. relying solely on CLI.
+- Packaging/sync of workspace store for teams (git repo? cloud bucket?).
+- How to represent cross-repo spec ownership without a dedicated specs repo?
+
+## Acceptance Checklist (for reviewers)
+
+- High-level model understandable via bullets + diagrams.
+- Data shapes for manifest and index are clear enough for implementation.
+- Migration story covers legacy users.
+- Risks called out with basic mitigations.
+
+---
+
+## Appendix: User Flows
+
+### A. Single-Repo Setup
+
+```bash
+cd ~/dev/my-project
+openspec init                    # creates workspace, attaches current repo
+# → ~/.config/openspec/index.json updated
+# → .openspec-context.json written (git-ignored)
+# → openspec/specs/ created if missing
+```
+
+That's it. User is ready to create changes.
+
+---
+
+### B. Multi-Repo Setup
+
+```bash
+# Create workspace and attach first repo
+cd ~/dev/api
+openspec init --workspace my-platform
+
+# Attach additional repos to same workspace
+cd ~/dev/frontend
+openspec attach --workspace my-platform
+
+cd ~/dev/shared-types
+openspec attach --workspace my-platform
+```
+
+All three repos now share `my-platform` workspace. Changes created in any repo can reference specs across all attached repos.
+
+---
+
+### C. Creating a Change Proposal
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant User
+    participant CLI as openspec CLI
+    participant WS as ~/.config/openspec
+    participant Repo as repo/
+
+    User->>CLI: openspec change create "Add auth"
+    CLI->>WS: Create workspaces/<ws>/changes/add-auth/
+    CLI->>WS: Write proposal.md, tasks.md
+    CLI->>Repo: Write .openspec-context.json
+    CLI->>User: Change "add-auth" created ✓
+
+    Note over User,Repo: User/agent can now edit proposal.md and tasks.md
+```
+
+---
+
+### D. Applying a Change Proposal
+
+```mermaid
+sequenceDiagram
+    participant User
+    participant CLI as openspec CLI
+    participant WS as ~/.config/openspec
+    participant Repo as repo/
+
+    User->>CLI: openspec change apply add-auth
+    CLI->>WS: Read changes/add-auth/specs/*.md (deltas)
+    CLI->>Repo: Merge deltas into openspec/specs/
+    CLI->>WS: Update change status → "completed"
+    CLI->>Repo: Refresh .openspec-context.json
+    CLI->>User: Specs updated, change complete ✓
+
+    Note over Repo: User commits spec changes + code together
+```
+
+---
+
+### E. After the Work is Done
+
+Once a change is applied:
+
+| Location | State |
+|----------|-------|
+| `repo/openspec/specs/` | Updated with new/modified specs |
+| `repo/.openspec-context.json` | `activeChangeId: null` or next change |
+| `~/.config/openspec/.../changes/add-auth/` | Retained as historical record (status: `completed`) |
+
+**Next steps for user:**
+1. `git add . && git commit` — spec updates and code ship together
+2. Create PR, merge
+3. Start next change or detach repo from workspace when done