DocGuard
by raccioly
README.md
# 🛡️ DocGuard
**English** · [Português (BR)](README.pt-BR.md) · [Español](README.es.md)
> **The enforcement layer for Spec-Driven Development.**
> Validate. Score. Enforce. Ship documentation that AI agents can actually use.
[](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/docguard-cli)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/docguard-cli)
[](https://pypi.org/project/docguard-cli/)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
[](https://nodejs.org)
[-green)](package.json)
[](https://github.com/github/spec-kit)
[](https://glama.ai/mcp/servers/raccioly/docguard)
[](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/)
---
> **✨ See what DocGuard catches in 30 seconds — no install, no setup:**
> ```bash
> npx docguard-cli demo
> ```
> Runs against a baked-in sample project with intentional drift and shows you the findings + a clear path to fixing them.
---
## Table of Contents
- [What is DocGuard?](#what-is-docguard)
- [Why DocGuard?](#why-docguard)
- [Quick Start](#-quick-start)
- [Spec Kit Integration](#-spec-kit-integration)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Validators](#-validators)
- [Templates](#-templates)
- [AI Agent Support](#-ai-agent-support)
- [Slash Commands](#-slash-commands)
- [Examples](#-examples)
- [Testing](#-testing)
- [Enterprise Adoption](#-enterprise-adoption)
- [CI/CD Integration](#%EF%B8%8F-cicd-integration)
- [What's New](#-whats-new)
- [File Structure](#-file-structure)
- [Configuration](#%EF%B8%8F-configuration)
- [Research Credits](#-research-credits)
---
## What is DocGuard?
DocGuard enforces **Canonical-Driven Development (CDD)** — a methodology where documentation is the source of truth, not an afterthought. AI writes the docs, DocGuard validates them.
| Traditional Development | Canonical-Driven Development |
|:----|:----|
| Code first, docs maybe | Docs first, code conforms |
| Docs rot silently | Drift is tracked and enforced |
| Docs are optional | Docs are required and validated |
| One AI agent, one context | Any agent, shared context via canonical docs |
DocGuard is an official [GitHub Spec Kit](https://github.com/github/spec-kit) community extension. It validates the artifacts that Spec Kit creates, ensuring your specs stay high-quality throughout the development lifecycle.
📖 **[Philosophy](PHILOSOPHY.md)** · 📋 **[CDD Standard](STANDARD.md)** · ⚖️ **[Comparisons](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/COMPARISONS.md)** · 🔬 **[Validation](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/VALIDATION.md)** · 🗺️ **[Roadmap](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/ROADMAP.md)**
### Architecture
```mermaid
graph TD
CLI["CLI Entry<br/>docguard.mjs"] --> Commands["Commands (23)"]
Commands --> guard["guard"]
Commands --> generate["generate"]
Commands --> score["score"]
Commands --> diagnose["diagnose"]
Commands --> setup["setup wizard"]
Commands --> other["diff · init · fix · trace · impact · sync · reconcile · retire · specs<br/>explain · memory · upgrade · agents · hooks · badge · ci · watch"]
guard --> Validators["Validators (29)"]
generate --> Scanners["Scanners (4)<br/>routes · schemas · doc-tools · speckit"]
score --> Scoring["Weighted Scoring<br/>8 categories"]
diagnose --> Validators
diagnose --> AIPrompts["AI-Ready<br/>Fix Prompts"]
Validators --> Output["Output"]
Scanners --> Output
Scoring --> Output
Output --> Terminal["Terminal"]
Output --> JSON["JSON"]
Output --> Badge["Badge"]
style CLI fill:#2d5016,color:#fff
style Validators fill:#1a3a5c,color:#fff
style Scanners fill:#1a3a5c,color:#fff
style Output fill:#5c3a1a,color:#fff
```
> **Distribution**: Node.js core (npm) · Python wrapper (PyPI) · GitHub Action (`action.yml`) · Spec Kit Extension (ZIP)
---
## Why DocGuard?
DocGuard checks declared documentation facts against repository evidence and gives agents structured repair tasks. Deterministic checks cover supported facts, references, and generated sections. Human-authored requirements and architectural decisions retain their authority when implementation diverges.
A guard result describes the checks performed. The CDD grade measures structural maturity. Exact declarations in `.docguard-evidence.json` can verify selected statements against current local evidence; every other statement remains unverified. Coverage and unresolved claims remain visible, so teams can choose an appropriate enforcement policy.
Research motivates evaluation of this approach. A 2026 study found that repository context files did not generally improve task success and increased inference cost in its evaluated settings. It also found agents generally followed the instructions. These results support testing concise, relevant context and measuring actual task outcomes; they do not establish DocGuard's effectiveness. [Evaluating AGENTS.md, revised June 2026](https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.11988v2).
The [current roadmap](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/ROADMAP.md) prioritizes accurate detection, reproducible evidence, document lifecycle management, and contributor-supplied regression cases. Released plans and superseded specifications are removed from active AI context and remain recoverable from Git.
---
## ⚡ Quick Start
> **Package naming:** this repo is `raccioly/docguard`; the published package is **`docguard-cli`** on both [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/docguard-cli) and [PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/docguard-cli/); the installed command is `docguard`. Same project — the `-cli` suffix is just the registry name. The package runs **no install scripts**, so `npm i -g docguard-cli --ignore-scripts` is equivalent.
### Node.js (npm)
```bash
# No install needed — run directly
npx docguard-cli diagnose
# Or install globally
npm i -g docguard-cli
docguard diagnose
```
### Python (PyPI)
```bash
pip install docguard-cli
docguard diagnose
```
> **Note:** The Python package is a thin wrapper that delegates to `npx`. Node.js 18+ is required on the system.
### Docker (MCP server)
The MCP server ships as a container image on GHCR — no Node.js install required. Public image, so no authentication is needed to pull it:
```bash
# Run the MCP server against the current directory
docker run -i --rm -v "$PWD":/workspace ghcr.io/raccioly/docguard:latest
```
The entrypoint is the **stdio** MCP transport: stdout is the JSON-RPC channel, so don't pipe anything else into it. Mount the project you want inspected at `/workspace` and pass `{"projectDir": "/workspace"}` in tool calls (or rely on the default working directory).
Pin a version rather than tracking `latest` in CI:
```bash
docker run -i --rm -v "$PWD":/workspace ghcr.io/raccioly/docguard:0.34.9
```
The server is **read-only** — it never writes to the mounted project.
### More ways to integrate
- **pre-commit** — changed-only guard on every commit:
```yaml
repos:
- repo: https://github.com/raccioly/docguard
rev: v0.29.0
hooks: [{ id: docguard-guard }] # docguard-guard-full for pre-push
```
- **MCP** (Claude, Cursor, any MCP client) — `claude mcp add docguard -- npx -y docguard-cli mcp`; 5 read-only tools (guard, score, explain, verify-claims, diagnose). Registry manifest ships in-repo (`server.json`, Smithery-ready).
- **GitLab CI** — component staged at [`templates/ci/gitlab-component.yml`](templates/ci/gitlab-component.yml) (guard/score/ci job with a SARIF artifact).
- **Homebrew** — `brew install raccioly/tap/docguard` (formula in [`packaging/homebrew/`](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/tree/main/packaging/homebrew)).
### Core Workflow
```bash
# 1. Initialize docs for your project
npx docguard-cli init
# 2. Or reverse-engineer docs from existing code
npx docguard-cli generate
# 3. AI diagnoses issues and generates fix prompts
npx docguard-cli diagnose
# 4. Validate — use as CI gate
npx docguard-cli guard
# 5. Check maturity score
npx docguard-cli score
```
### The AI Loop
```
diagnose → AI reads prompts → AI fixes docs → guard verifies
↑ ↓
└───────────────── issues found? ←──────────────────────┘
```
`diagnose` is the primary command. It runs all validators, maps every failure to an AI-actionable fix prompt, and outputs a remediation plan. Your AI agent runs it, fixes the docs, and runs `guard` to verify.
### Mechanical vs. agent fixes
DocGuard splits drift into two kinds and is explicit about which is which:
| Kind | Example | How it's fixed |
|------|---------|----------------|
| **Mechanical** (deterministic) | An endpoint documented in `API-REFERENCE.md` that the OpenAPI spec confirms is gone | `docguard fix --write` deletes the row + detail block itself — **no AI** |
| **Agent** (needs judgment) | Rewriting an X-Ray prose section as CloudWatch; writing a new endpoint's request/response | Routed to an AI agent via `diagnose` / `fix --doc` prompts |
`docguard fix --write` only touches docs marked `<!-- docguard:generated true -->` (override with `--force`), is idempotent, and prints exactly what changed. It never rewrites prose — that stays with the agent.
### Continuous documentation workflow
```
guard ──▶ fix --write (mechanical, auto) ──▶ guard ──▶ diagnose (agent prompts for the rest)
```
- **CI / pre-commit:** `docguard hooks --type pre-commit --auto-fix` installs a hook that applies mechanical fixes, re-stages the docs, then runs `guard`; anything left is surfaced as agent prompts.
- **Agent-driven:** `docguard diagnose --auto` scaffolds missing docs **and** applies mechanical fixes, then emits prompts for the content rewrites that remain.
- **JSON for automation:** `guard`/`diagnose --format json` include a `mechanicalFixes` array and tag each issue `mechanical` vs `agent`, so an agent can apply or delegate precisely.
---
## 🌱 Spec Kit Integration
DocGuard is a [community extension](https://github.com/github/spec-kit/blob/main/extensions/README.md) for GitHub's **Spec Kit** framework. While Spec Kit focuses on **creating** specifications (via AI slash commands like `/speckit.specify` and `/speckit.plan`), DocGuard focuses on **validating** their quality.
### How They Work Together
```
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ Spec Kit │ │ DocGuard │
│ │ │ │
│ /speckit.specify│ ──────→ │ docguard guard │
│ Creates specs │ │ Validates specs │
│ (AI-driven) │ │ (automated) │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
```
| Phase | Tool | What happens |
|:------|:-----|:-------------|
| 1. Initialize | `specify init` | Creates `.specify/` directory and templates |
| 2. Write specs | `/speckit.specify` | AI creates `spec.md` with FR-IDs, user stories |
| 3. **Validate** | **`docguard guard`** | Checks spec quality (mandatory sections, FR/SC IDs) |
| 4. Plan | `/speckit.plan` | AI creates `plan.md` with technical context |
| 5. **Validate** | **`docguard guard`** | Checks plan quality (sections, structure) |
| 6. Tasks | `/speckit.tasks` | AI creates `tasks.md` with phased breakdown |
| 7. **Validate** | **`docguard guard`** | Checks task quality (phases, T-IDs) |
| 8. Implement | `/speckit.implement` | AI writes code |
| 9. **Enforce** | **`docguard guard`** | Final quality gate — CI/CD |
### What DocGuard Validates in Spec Kit Projects
- **spec.md** — Mandatory sections (User Scenarios, Requirements, Success Criteria), FR-xxx IDs, SC-xxx IDs
- **plan.md** — Summary, Technical Context, Project Structure sections
- **tasks.md** — Phased task breakdown (Phase 1, 2, 3+), T-xxx task IDs
- **constitution.md** — Detected at `.specify/memory/constitution.md` or project root
- **Requirement traceability** — FR, SC, NFR, US, AC, UC, SYS, ARCH, MOD, T IDs
### Installing as a Spec Kit Extension
```bash
specify extension add docguard
```
This installs DocGuard's slash commands (`/docguard.init`, `/docguard.guard`, `/docguard.review`, `/docguard.fix`, `/docguard.update`) into your AI agent's command palette.
---
## Usage
DocGuard ships **23 commands** (the "Daily 5" + 18 situational tools, including lifecycle reconciliation, retirement and spec tracking, the zero-install `demo`, the `mcp` server, and the `ci` pipeline gate). Six additional one-shot scaffolders are accessed via `docguard init --with <name>`. Legacy command forms remain compatible until v1.0 and print their replacements.
**The Daily 5** — what you'll reach for 95% of the time:
| Command | What It Does |
|:--------|:-------------|
| `init` | Bootstrap a project (`--wizard` for interactive · `--with <name>` for scaffolders) |
| `guard` | Validate against canonical docs — 29 validators |
| `diff` | Show gaps between docs and code (`--since <ref>` for impact mode) |
| `sync` | Refresh code-truth doc sections — keeps memory always up to date |
| `score` | Structural CDD maturity score (0-100; not a guard verdict; `--diff` for delta between refs) |
**Tools (situational, but day-to-day useful):**
| Command | Purpose |
|:--------|:--------|
| `demo` | Zero-install showcase — runs guard against a baked-in drifting fixture (`npx docguard-cli demo`) |
| `diagnose` | AI orchestrator — guard → emit fix prompts in one command |
| `fix` | Generate AI fix instructions for specific docs (`--doc <name> --format prompt`) |
| `fix --write` | Apply deterministic fixes (no AI — version bumps, counts, anchors, sections) |
| `fix --history` | Audit log of every mechanical fix applied (from `.docguard/fixed.json`) |
| `generate` | Reverse-engineer docs from existing codebase (`--plan` for AI scan) — includes auto-generated Mermaid ER diagrams from your detected schemas (Prisma/Drizzle/TypeORM/Sequelize/Django/Rails) in DATA-MODEL.md |
| `agent` | One-shot agent task graph, or a bounded current-evidence packet for one task (`--task <text>`, `--format json`) |
| `explain <warning\|CODE>` | Paste any warning — or a finding code like `SEC001` — to get the validator's docstring, fix path, and how to suppress |
| `verify --evidence` | Evaluate strict statement-to-source declarations for typed JSON values, bounded collection counts, saved oasdiff JSON, and saved Buf JSON Lines. Results distinguish scoped verification, contradiction, stale inputs, inconclusive evidence, and unsupported formats. |
| `verify --semantic` | Extract documented numbers/limits/enums (retention days, rate limits, GSI/role counts, status enums) as a task list for an agent to check against code — the semantic-drift class regex/AST can't see |
| `verify --instructions` | Audit AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md themselves for drift: duplicate rules, never-vs-always contradictions, stale file pointers, unknown commands — plus clustered rule pairs as agent judgment tasks |
| `feedback` | Review any finding or a synthetic false-positive/false-negative/unsupported fixture; verify its opposite control, reduce it deterministically, search open and closed duplicates, and optionally emit a test-only contribution. Nothing is submitted automatically. |
| `retire` | Find completed or superseded planning material (`--plan`/`--check`; `--fail-on-warning` gates advisory candidates) and explicitly remove clean tracked documentation from active AI context. `.docguard-archive.json` records recovery metadata and retired requirement identities, and `--retention-ref` proves the source revision remains reachable. This is separate from the Spec Kit Archive extension, which consolidates feature documents. |
| `reconcile` | Build a read-only code↔spec review graph since a Git ref. Classifies mechanical facts, approved intent, decisions, unrelated changes, and unsupported evidence; `--write` applies only mechanical generated-section refreshes. |
| `specs` | Maintain the versioned spec registry, preflight new specs, and apply evidence-gated completion transactions with bounded outcomes and active-context regeneration. Verified living specs can record later reviewed maintenance without reopening or duplicating the specification. |
| `specs --check` / `specs --write` | Validate or refresh `.docguard-specs.json`, the byte-stable index of immutable spec IDs, reviewed lifecycle/lineage/scope, artifact digests, task state, explicitly scoped test evidence, and archive tombstones. Refreshes preserve the reviewed block. |
| `specs preflight [--path <spec>]` | Before specification, print current spec lifecycle and evidence. Before planning, check the generated draft for structural blockers and report semantic overlap as review-only evidence. |
| `mcp` | MCP server — exposes guard/score/explain/verify/report/diagnose as native tools for Claude, Cursor, and any MCP client. Stdio: `claude mcp add docguard -- npx docguard-cli mcp`. Team-shared HTTP: `docguard mcp --transport http --port 8585` (loopback by default; non-loopback binds require `--api-key`) |
| `report` | Compliance-evidence bundle for audits — combined readiness, guard verdict, structural maturity, ALCOA+ attributes, and fix history, stamped with git commit and a tamper-evident sha256 integrity hash (`--format json`, `--out <file>`). Evidence, not a gate: always exits 0 |
| `ci` | Pipeline gate: guard + structural maturity in one command with READY/ATTENTION/BLOCKED assessment — never scaffolds or touches source; its only write is its own `.docguard/history.jsonl` (opt out: `--no-history`). `--threshold <n>` fails below a score, `--fail-on-warning` for strict mode, `--format json` for parsers |
| `score --trend` | Score trajectory from recorded `ci` runs — sparkline, delta, and the last 10 runs with commit stamps |
| `memory` | Per-domain accuracy headline (endpoints / entities / env / tech) |
| `memory --diff` | Drill into which specific claims don't match code |
| `memory --pack` | Write `.docguard/context-pack.md` — compact, code-truth-stamped session-start context for AI agents |
| `score --diff` | Drill into which checks pulled each category down |
| `trace` / `trace --reverse <file>` | Requirements traceability — forward AND reverse |
| `trace --features` | Per-feature spec-adherence scores (requirement coverage, task completion, task evidence, artifacts) — worst-first with fix hints |
| `upgrade [--apply] [--pr]` | Check + migrate `.docguard.json` schema; `--pr` opens a PR |
| `watch` | Live mode: re-run guard on file changes |
**`init --with <name>` scaffolders** — picked at init time:
| Scaffolder | What It Generates |
|:-----------|:------------------|
| `agents` | `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `.cursor/rules/`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md` |
| `hooks` | Git pre-commit / pre-push hooks |
| `ci` | GitHub Actions / pipeline YAML |
| `badge` | Shields.io score badges for README |
| `llms` | `llms.txt` (AI-friendly summary) |
| `publish` | External doc-site config (Mintlify) — experimental |
Run them solo (`docguard init --with hooks`) or stacked (`docguard init --with agents,hooks,badge,ci`).
To declare an exact fact, copy `templates/evidence-manifest.json` to
`.docguard-evidence.json`, point its literal Markdown template at one unique
statement, and bind that value to a supported local source. Run
`docguard verify --evidence --format json` before enabling the guard in CI.
External compatibility declarations consume saved oasdiff or Buf output and
require current SHA-256 identities for every declared repository input.
**Deprecation aliases** — `setup` · `agents` · `hooks` · `badge` · `llms` · `publish` · `impact` remain compatible until v1.0 with a yellow stderr warning. `audit → guard` is permanent and silent; `ci` is a current first-class pipeline command.
### CLI Flags
| Flag | Description | Commands |
|:-----|:------------|:---------|
| `--dir <path>` | Project directory (default: `.`); explicit selection suppresses ancestor-root guidance | All |
| `--verbose` | Show detailed output | All |
| `--quiet` / `-q` | Suppress banner — for hooks, CI loops, scripts | All |
| `--format json` | Machine-readable output (clean JSON, no ANSI bleed) | guard, score, diff, trace, diagnose, memory, impact, explain, verify, reconcile, retire, specs |
| `--format sarif` | SARIF 2.1.0 output — findings as rules/results for GitHub Code Scanning and SARIF dashboards | guard |
| `--format junit` | JUnit XML output — one testcase per validator, for GitLab CI (`artifacts:reports:junit`), Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI | guard |
| `--update-baseline` | Adopt DocGuard on a legacy repo without a red day one: freeze today's findings into a committed `.docguard.baseline.json`; guard/ci then gate only NEW drift. Suppression is always visible ("N pre-existing finding(s) suppressed"), and `--no-baseline` shows the full picture | guard |
| `--full` | Generate `llms-full.txt` (full doc bodies inlined) instead of the `llms.txt` link index | llms |
| `--pack` | Write `.docguard/context-pack.md` — agent session-start context | memory |
| `--sync` | Regenerate the agent-file family (CLAUDE.md, Copilot, Cursor, …) from AGENTS.md; hash-marked, never touches hand-written files without `--force` | agents |
| `--check` | CI gate for the synced agent-file family — exit 2 when a variant is stale | agents |
| `--force` | Overwrite existing files (creates `.bak` backups) | generate, agents, init |
| `--force-redo` | Bypass ping-pong suppression in `.docguard/fixed.json` | fix --write |
| `--profile <name>` | Starter / standard / enterprise | init |
| `--no-spec-kit` | Skip auto-init of `.specify/` / `.agent/` scaffolding | init |
| `--changed-only [--since <ref>]` | Pre-commit lite mode (6 fast validators on changed files only) | guard |
| `--timings` | Per-validator wall-time profile (slowest first) | guard |
| `--show-failing` | Show warnings/errors even when status is PASS | guard |
| `--pin` | Record running CLI version into `.docguard.json` (reproducibility) | guard |
| `--diff` | Per-category drill-down | score, memory |
| `--check-only` | Exit 1 if behind (for CI) | upgrade |
| `--apply` | Actually run the migration | upgrade |
| `--pr` | Open a PR with the migration | upgrade |
| `--reverse <file>` | Reverse traceability (code → docs) | trace |
| `--no-indirect` | Skip the reverse-import-graph analysis (docs about modules that import a changed file) | impact, diff --since |
| `--prs` | Open-PR doc-conflict analysis — two PRs impacting the same canonical doc = merge-order risk (needs the `gh` CLI) | impact |
| `--transport http` `--port` `--host` `--api-key` `--path` | Serve MCP over Streamable HTTP instead of stdio (team-shared server; loopback-only unless an api-key is set) | mcp |
| `--history` | Show fix audit log | fix |
When run from a nested package without `--dir`, DocGuard checks only that
selected directory. If a bounded ancestor scan finds a `.docguard.json` or an
npm/pnpm workspace declaration that owns the package, stderr shows an exact
repository-scope rerun command. DocGuard never changes scope automatically. JSON,
SARIF, and JUnit stdout remain valid; machine runs receive one typed
`docguard.repository-root-guidance` JSON diagnostic on stderr. A local config,
an explicit `--dir`, an unmatched workspace, or a nested Git boundary suppresses
the suggestion.
### Example Output
```
$ npx docguard-cli generate
🔮 DocGuard Generate — my-project
Scanning codebase to generate canonical documentation...
Detected Stack:
language: TypeScript ^5.0
framework: Next.js ^14.0
database: PostgreSQL
orm: Drizzle 0.33
testing: Vitest
hosting: AWS Amplify
✅ ARCHITECTURE.md (4 components, 6 tech)
✅ DATA-MODEL.md (12 entities detected)
✅ ENVIRONMENT.md (18 env vars detected)
✅ TEST-SPEC.md (45 tests, 8/10 services mapped)
✅ SECURITY.md (auth: NextAuth.js)
✅ REQUIREMENTS.md (spec-kit aligned)
✅ AGENTS.md
✅ CHANGELOG.md
✅ DRIFT-LOG.md
Generated: 9 Skipped: 0
```
---
## 🔍 Validators
DocGuard runs **29 automated validators** on every `guard` check. Source-facing validators are language-aware where their evidence model applies; repository and document validators operate independently of source language.
> **Counting note:** `guard` prints 30 result rows, not 29. `Structure` emits a
> second check result (`Doc Sections`) under the same validator key, so rows are
> checks, not validators. The published number is the count of shipped
> `cli/validators/*.mjs` modules and is enforced by tests — don't derive it by
> counting output rows.
| # | Validator | What It Checks | Default |
|:--|:----------|:--------------|:--------|
| 1 | **Structure** | Required CDD files exist | ✅ On |
| 2 | **Doc Sections** | Canonical docs have required sections (or N/A markers) | ✅ On |
| 3 | **Docs-Sync** | Routes/services referenced in docs + OpenAPI cross-check | ✅ On |
| 4 | **Drift-Comments** | `// DRIFT:` comments logged in DRIFT-LOG.md (skips test files by default) | ✅ On |
| 5 | **Changelog** | CHANGELOG.md has [Unreleased] section | ✅ On |
| 6 | **Test-Spec** | Tests exist per TEST-SPEC.md rules | ✅ On |
| 7 | **Environment** | Env vars documented, `.env.example` exists | ✅ On |
| 8 | **Security** | No hardcoded secrets in source code | ✅ On |
| 9 | **Architecture** | Imports follow layer boundaries (honors `config.ignore`) | ✅ On |
| 10 | **Freshness** | Docs not stale relative to code changes (rename-aware via `git log --follow`) | ✅ On |
| 11 | **Traceability** | Requirement IDs (FR, SC, NFR, US, AC, T) trace to tests | ✅ On |
| 12 | **Docs-Diff** | Code artifacts match documented entities | ✅ On |
| 13 | **API-Surface** | API-REFERENCE.md endpoints match real routes (OpenAPI cross-check) | ✅ On |
| 14 | **Metadata-Sync** | Version refs consistent across docs | ✅ On |
| 15 | **Docs-Coverage** | Code features referenced in documentation | ✅ On |
| 16 | **Doc-Quality** | Writing quality (readability, passive voice, atomicity, IEEE 830) | ✅ On |
| 17 | **TODO-Tracking** | Untracked TODOs/FIXMEs and skipped tests (skips test files by default) | ✅ On |
| 18 | **Schema-Sync** | Database models documented in DATA-MODEL.md | ✅ On |
| 19 | **Spec-Kit** | Spec quality validation (FR-IDs, mandatory sections, phased tasks) | ✅ On |
| 20 | **Document-Lifecycle** | Exact terminal states, advisory completion signals, incomplete coverage, and manifest/working-tree inconsistencies | ✅ On |
| 21 | **Spec-Registry** | Immutable spec identities, byte-stable evidence projection, reviewed lifecycle preservation, and archive/storage consistency | ✅ On |
| 22 | **Evidence** | Exact declared Markdown statements match current typed JSON, bounded collections, or saved compatibility reports; unsupported and missing evidence stays visible | ✅ On |
| 23 | **Cross-Reference** | Internal markdown links + anchors resolve (with "did you mean?" hints); Obsidian wikilinks validated when the repo uses them as file links (`.obsidian` present or a target resolves) | ✅ On |
| 24 | **Generated-Staleness** | `source=code` sections match scanner output; `status: draft` doc age | ✅ On |
| 25 | **Canonical-Sync** | DocGuard's own README count claims match code-truth (DocGuard repo only — N/A elsewhere) | ✅ On |
| 26 | **Metrics-Consistency** | Hardcoded numbers match actual counts | ✅ On |
| 27 | **Surface-Sync** | Item-level enumerable drift — names in doc tables/lists (commands, checks, etc.) match code-truth (opt-in via `surfaceSync.surfaces`; N/A unless configured) | ✅ On |
| 28 | **Diff-Suspicion** | Change-driven: a doc/agent-instruction file that references code changed since the ref AND shares removed domain symbols is flagged for review (arXiv 2010.01625, F1 74.7) | ✅ On |
| 29 | **Reference-Existence** | Two-revision check: a backticked code symbol present when the doc was last updated but gone at HEAD is flagged as outdated (arXiv 2212.01479) | ✅ On |
| 30 | **API-Doc-Smells** | Bloated (≥300 words) / Lazy (≤6 prose words) API documentation units, keyed on signature-headed sections (F1 0.90/0.95) | ✅ On |
**Per-validator controls** (in `.docguard.json`):
```json
{
"validators": {
"test-spec": false, // disable (kebab-case OR camelCase both accepted)
"freshness": true
},
"severity": {
"todoTracking": "high", // warnings fail CI
"freshness": "low" // warnings ignored for exit code
},
"findingSeverity": {
"TRC004": "low", // only this finding becomes informational
"SEC001": "high" // this exact code always blocks
}
}
```
Exact `findingSeverity` entries take precedence over validator severity. Guard
JSON, SARIF, and JUnit retain the detector's intrinsic severity and add the
effective severity plus the policy source. Intrinsic errors stay blocking unless
their exact stable code is explicitly configured.
---
## 📄 Templates
DocGuard ships **18 professional templates** with metadata, badges, and revision history:
| Template | Type | Purpose |
|:---------|:-----|:--------|
| ARCHITECTURE.md | Canonical | System design, components, layer boundaries |
| DATA-MODEL.md | Canonical | Schemas, entities, relationships |
| SECURITY.md | Canonical | Auth, permissions, secrets management |
| TEST-SPEC.md | Canonical | Test strategy, coverage requirements |
| ENVIRONMENT.md | Canonical | Environment variables, deployment config |
| REQUIREMENTS.md | Canonical | Spec-kit aligned FR/SC IDs, user stories |
| DEPLOYMENT.md | Canonical | Infrastructure, CI/CD, DNS |
| ADR.md | Canonical | Architecture Decision Records |
| ROADMAP.md | Canonical | Project phases, feature tracking |
| KNOWN-GOTCHAS.md | Implementation | Symptom → gotcha → fix entries |
| TROUBLESHOOTING.md | Implementation | Error diagnosis guides |
| RUNBOOKS.md | Implementation | Operational procedures |
| VENDOR-BUGS.md | Implementation | Third-party issue tracker |
| CURRENT-STATE.md | Implementation | Deployment status, tech debt |
| AGENTS.md | Agent | AI agent behavior rules |
| CHANGELOG.md | Tracking | Change log |
| DRIFT-LOG.md | Tracking | Deviation tracking |
| llms.txt | Generated | AI-friendly project summary (llmstxt.org) |
---
## 🤖 AI Agent Support
### One-click MCP install
[](cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=docguard&config=eyJjb21tYW5kIjogIm5weCIsICJhcmdzIjogWyIteSIsICJkb2NndWFyZC1jbGkiLCAibWNwIl19)
[](vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22docguard%22%2C%22command%22%3A%22npx%22%2C%22args%22%3A%5B%22-y%22%2C%22docguard-cli%22%2C%22mcp%22%5D%7D)
- **Claude Code**: `claude mcp add docguard -- npx docguard-cli mcp`
- **Claude Desktop**: download `docguard-v<version>.mcpb` from the [latest release](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/releases/latest) and drag it into Settings → Extensions — you'll be asked which project folder to analyze. No npm, no JSON editing.
- **Anything MCP**: DocGuard is a verified namespace on the [official MCP registry](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0/servers?search=docguard) (`io.github.raccioly/docguard`).
DocGuard works with **every major AI coding agent**. All canonical docs are plain markdown — no vendor lock-in.
| Agent | Compatibility | Auto-Generate Config |
|:------|:---:|:---:|
| Google Antigravity | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent antigravity` |
| Claude Code | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent claude` |
| GitHub Copilot | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent copilot` |
| Cursor | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent cursor` |
| Windsurf | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent windsurf` |
| Cline | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent cline` |
| Google Gemini CLI | ✅ | `docguard agents --agent gemini` |
| Kiro (AWS) | ✅ | — |
### Always-on nudge hook (Claude Code)
```bash
docguard hooks --claude # install (remove: docguard hooks --claude --remove)
```
Registers a `PostToolUse` hook in the project's `.claude/settings.json`. After the
agent edits a canonical doc it is nudged to run `docguard guard --changed-only`;
after it edits a code file the docs reference, it is nudged toward `docguard impact`.
Merge-safe (only DocGuard's own entry is ever added/removed), throttled to one nudge
per file per 30 minutes, and the hook runtime can never break a session (errors are
silent by contract). Explicit opt-in — `init` never installs it for you.
---
## ⚡ Slash Commands
DocGuard provides AI agent slash commands for integrated workflows. Installed automatically via `docguard init` or `specify extension add docguard`:
| Command | What It Does |
|:--------|:-------------|
| `/docguard.init` | Initialize Canonical-Driven Development in a new or existing project |
| `/docguard.guard` | Run quality validation — check all 29 validators |
| `/docguard.review` | Analyze doc quality and suggest improvements |
| `/docguard.fix` | Generate targeted fix prompts for specific issues |
| `/docguard.update` | Update canonical docs after code changes — detect drift and sync documentation |
These commands are installed into your AI agent's command directory:
```
.github/commands/ → GitHub Copilot
.cursor/rules/ → Cursor
.gemini/commands/ → Google Gemini
.claude/commands/ → Claude Code
.agents/workflows/ → Antigravity
```
---
## 🧠 AI Skills (Enterprise)
Beyond slash commands, DocGuard provides **4 enterprise-grade AI skills** — deep behavior protocols that tell AI agents not just *what* to run, but *how to think, validate, and iterate*. Skills are modeled after [Spec Kit's](https://github.com/github/spec-kit) skill architecture.
| Skill | Lines | What It Does |
|:------|:-----:|:-------------|
| `docguard-guard` | 155 | 6-step quality gate with severity triage (CRITICAL→LOW), structured reporting, remediation |
| `docguard-fix` | 195 | 7-step research workflow with per-document codebase research and 3-iteration validation loops |
| `docguard-review` | 170 | Read-only semantic cross-document analysis with 6 analysis passes and quality scoring |
| `docguard-score` | 165 | CDD maturity assessment with ROI-based improvement roadmap and grade progression |
### Workflow Hooks
DocGuard integrates into the spec-kit workflow as an automated quality gate:
| Hook | When | Behavior |
|:-----|:-----|:---------|
| `after_implement` | After `/speckit.implement` | **Mandatory** — always runs DocGuard guard |
| `before_tasks` | Before `/speckit.tasks` | Optional — reviews doc consistency |
| `after_tasks` | After `/speckit.tasks` | Optional — shows CDD maturity score |
### Orchestration Scripts
For advanced users and CI/CD pipelines, DocGuard includes bash scripts with `--json` output:
| Script | Purpose |
|:-------|:--------|
| `docguard-check-docs.sh` | Discover project docs, return JSON inventory with metadata |
| `docguard-suggest-fix.sh` | Run guard, parse results, output prioritized fixes |
| `docguard-init-doc.sh` | Initialize canonical doc with metadata header |
---
## 📁 Examples
Three real-world projects to see DocGuard in action:
| Example | Scenario | What You'll See |
|---------|----------|----------------|
| [01-express-api](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/tree/main/examples/01-express-api) | Node.js API with **zero docs** | Cold-start: `generate` → instant coverage |
| [02-python-flask](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/tree/main/examples/02-python-flask) | Python app with **drifted docs** | Drift detection: catch when docs lie |
| [03-spec-kit-project](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/tree/main/examples/03-spec-kit-project) | Full CDD + Spec Kit | Gold standard: what maturity looks like |
See [examples/README.md](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/examples/README.md) for step-by-step instructions.
---
## 🧪 Testing
### Test Suite
```bash
npm test # 33 tests across 18 describe blocks
```
Covers all 15 CLI commands, project type detection, compliance profiles, JSON output format, and help completeness.
### CI Matrix
| Node.js | OS | Status |
|---------|-----|--------|
| 18 | ubuntu-latest | ✅ |
| 20 | ubuntu-latest | ✅ |
| 22 | ubuntu-latest | ✅ |
### Self-Validation (Dogfooding)
DocGuard runs its own `guard`, `score`, `diff`, `diagnose`, and `badge` commands against itself in CI — ensuring the tool passes its own checks.
---
## 🏢 Enterprise Adoption
Everything runs local or in your CI — no SaaS, no data leaving your infra.
The pieces that matter at company scale:
| Need | DocGuard answer |
|------|-----------------|
| **Adopt on a legacy repo** without a red pipeline on day one | `guard --update-baseline` freezes existing findings into a committed `.docguard.baseline.json`; only NEW drift gates from then on (suppression always visible) |
| **Audit trail** for compliance reviews | `docguard report` — commit-stamped evidence bundle (guard verdict, findings by code, CDD score, ALCOA+ data-integrity attributes, fix history) with a tamper-evident sha256 integrity hash |
| **Every CI system**, not just GitHub | `guard --format sarif` (GitHub Code Scanning) · `--format junit` (GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI) · `--format json` (anything else) |
| **Trajectory, not snapshots** | `docguard ci` records every run to `.docguard/history.jsonl`; `score --trend` shows the sparkline + delta |
| **AI agents on the team** | MCP server (stdio or team-shared HTTP) exposes guard/score/explain/verify/report/diagnose as read-only tools; `agents --sync` keeps the whole agent-file family drift-proof |
| **Data-integrity framing auditors know** | ALCOA+ scoring (FDA 21 CFR Part 11 / EMA Annex 11 vocabulary) built into `score` and `report` |
## ⚙️ CI/CD Integration
> **Full recipes:** see [`docs-canonical/CI-RECIPES.md`](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/docs-canonical/CI-RECIPES.md) for guard, auto-fix (commits mechanical fixes back to PRs), nightly sync, score-on-PR, and pre-commit configs.
### GitHub Actions — Guard (most common)
```yaml
name: DocGuard Guard
on: [pull_request, push]
permissions: { pull-requests: write } # for the sticky PR comment (optional)
jobs:
docguard:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
with: { fetch-depth: 0 }
- uses: raccioly/docguard@v0.12.0
with:
command: guard
```
On pull requests, guard mode also gives inline PR feedback (both default on):
| Input | Default | Description |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| `annotations` | `true` | Inline `::error`/`::warning` annotations on the PR diff, one per guard finding (capped at 50; a final notice reports how many were elided) |
| `pr-comment` | `true` | Sticky PR comment with the guard verdict, top findings (by code), and which canonical docs the PR's changed files impact (`diff --since origin/<base>`). Needs `permissions: pull-requests: write`; degrades to a log warning without it |
Both run even when guard fails — that's when the feedback matters. Prefer native
code-scanning integration? `docguard guard --format sarif` uploads straight to
GitHub Code Scanning via `github/codeql-action/upload-sarif`.
### GitHub Actions — Auto-Fix (commits mechanical fixes back)
```yaml
name: DocGuard Auto-Fix
on: { pull_request: { types: [opened, synchronize, reopened] } }
permissions: { contents: write, pull-requests: write }
jobs:
autofix:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
if: github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
with:
ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
fetch-depth: 0
- uses: raccioly/docguard@v0.12.0
with: { command: fix, auto-commit: 'true', comment-on-pr: 'true' }
```
### Pre-commit Hook
```bash
npx docguard-cli hooks --type pre-commit
```
### Workflow starters (copy directly)
Two ready-to-use templates ship with the Spec Kit extension and as standalone files:
- `extensions/spec-kit-docguard/templates/github-workflows/docguard-guard.yml` — mandatory CI gate
- `extensions/spec-kit-docguard/templates/github-workflows/docguard-autofix.yml` — PR auto-fix
---
## ✨ What's New
Highlights from recent releases:
- **Adoption baseline** — `guard --update-baseline` freezes a legacy repo's existing findings
into a committed `.docguard.baseline.json`; guard/ci then gate only NEW drift, with suppression
always visible. Adopt today, burn down at your own pace.
- **`docguard report`** — commit-stamped compliance-evidence bundle (guard verdict, findings by
code, CDD score, ALCOA+ attributes, fix history) with a tamper-evident sha256 integrity hash.
Also exposed as the `docguard_report` MCP tool.
- **Score history + `score --trend`** — `docguard ci` records every run to
`.docguard/history.jsonl`; the trend view shows the sparkline and delta over time.
- **Three machine formats for guard** — `--format json`, `--format sarif` (GitHub Code
Scanning), and `--format junit` (GitLab, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, CircleCI).
- **MCP server, stdio + team HTTP** — guard/score/explain/verify/report/diagnose as read-only
agent tools: `claude mcp add docguard -- npx docguard-cli mcp`.
- **Agent-file family sync** — `agents --sync` treats AGENTS.md as canonical and regenerates
CLAUDE.md / `.cursor/rules` / Copilot / Gemini variants with drift-proof source-hash markers.
- **`verify --evidence`, `verify --semantic`, and `verify --instructions`** — check exact local
evidence declarations first, extract remaining numbers/limits/enums as agent tasks, and audit
agent-instruction files for contradictions and stale pointers.
- **`docguard agent`** — one-shot ordered task graph with pre-filled code-truth, collapsing ~10
agent round-trips into one call.
- **`docguard agent --task <text>`** — opt-in task context from approved current
specs and canonical docs, with hashed excerpts, source/test pointers, strict
budgets, and honest abstention. The frozen 27-run evaluation preserved every
tested behavior and cut median steps by 50% and latency by 17% versus the
context pack, while using 80% more uncached input tokens.
See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for the full history.
---
## 📁 File Structure
```
your-project/
├── .specify/ # Spec Kit (if using specify init)
│ ├── specs/
│ │ └── 001-feature/
│ │ ├── spec.md # Requirements (FR-IDs, user stories)
│ │ ├── plan.md # Implementation plan
│ │ └── tasks.md # Task breakdown
│ ├── memory/
│ │ └── constitution.md # Project principles
│ └── templates/
│
├── docs-canonical/ # CDD canonical docs (the "blueprint")
│ ├── ARCHITECTURE.md # System design, components
│ ├── DATA-MODEL.md # Database schemas
│ ├── SECURITY.md # Auth, permissions, secrets
│ ├── TEST-SPEC.md # Required tests, coverage
│ ├── ENVIRONMENT.md # Environment variables
│ └── REQUIREMENTS.md # Spec-kit aligned FR/SC IDs
│
├── docs-implementation/ # Current state (optional)
│ ├── KNOWN-GOTCHAS.md
│ ├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md
│ ├── RUNBOOKS.md
│ └── CURRENT-STATE.md
│
├── AGENTS.md # AI agent behavior rules
├── CHANGELOG.md # Change tracking
├── DRIFT-LOG.md # Documented deviations
├── llms.txt # AI-friendly summary
└── .docguard.json # DocGuard configuration
```
---
## ⚙️ Configuration
Create `.docguard.json` in your project root (auto-generated by `docguard init`):
```json
{
"projectName": "my-project",
"version": "0.4",
"profile": "standard",
"projectType": "webapp",
"validators": {
"structure": true,
"docsSync": true,
"drift": true,
"changelog": true,
"testSpec": true,
"security": true,
"environment": true,
"docQuality": true,
"specKit": true
}
}
```
See [Configuration Guide](docs/configuration.md) for all options.
---
## 🔬 Research Credits
DocGuard's quality evaluation and documentation generation patterns are informed by peer-reviewed research from the University of Arizona and the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), U.S. Department of Defense:
- **AITPG** — AI-driven Test Plan Generator using Multi-Agent Debate and RAG ([Lopez et al., IEEE TSE 2026](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/Research/AITPG.pdf))
- **TRACE** — Telecom Root Cause Analysis through Calibrated Explainability ([Lopez et al., IEEE TMLCN 2026](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/Research/TRACE.pdf))
Lead researcher: **[Martin Manuel Lopez](https://github.com/martinmanuel9)** · [ORCID 0009-0002-7652-2385](https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7652-2385)
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/raccioly/docguard/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#research--academic-credits) for full citations.
---
## ⭐ Star History
[](https://star-history.com/#raccioly/docguard&Date)
---
## 🔒 Privacy & Supply Chain
DocGuard is local-first: no telemetry, no analytics, no phone-home — the full
(short) policy is in [PRIVACY.md](PRIVACY.md). npm releases are published with
[provenance attestation](https://docs.npmjs.com/generating-provenance-statements),
so you can verify each tarball was built by GitHub Actions from this repository.
## 📄 License
[MIT](LICENSE) — Free to use, modify, and distribute.
---
**Made with ❤️ by [Ricardo Accioly](https://github.com/raccioly)**
TDQS
A4.1/5.0
Scored across 7 tools
Disambiguation4/5
Each tool has a distinct output role—full guard run, actionable subset, explanation, report, score, evidence verification, and claim extraction. The only potential confusion is docguard_guard vs docguard_diagnose, but their descriptions clearly separate full JSON from fix-oriented results.
Naming Consistency4/5
All tools share the docguard_ prefix and use clear action verbs, but the pattern is not fully uniform: some are bare verbs (diagnose, explain, report, score, guard) while others use verb_noun (verify_evidence, verify_claims). docguard_guard is also slightly redundant, though the set remains predictable and readable.
Tool Count5/5
Seven tools is well-scoped for a documentation-compliance utility; each tool addresses a distinct stage of the guard/report/verify workflow. No tool feels redundant, and the count is neither thin nor bloated.
Completeness4/5
The set covers the full read-only lifecycle: running validators, prioritizing fixes, explaining codes, scoring, reporting, and verifying both evidence files and semantic claims. Minor gaps like a validator-listing or configuration tool are possible, but agents can work around them using the guard output and explain tool.
Maintenance
ActivityActive
ResponsivenessResponsive