Create Technical Spike
Time-box a technical research spike with a named markdown file before you commit to an architecture or integration path.
Overview
Create Technical Spike is an agent skill most often used in Validate (also Build, Ship) that produces time-boxed spike markdown files for technical decisions before implementation.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill create-technical-spikeWhat is this skill?
- YAML-frontmatter spike template with status, priority, timebox, owner, and tags
- File naming pattern `[category]-[short-description]-spike.md` under a configurable spikes folder
- Structured sections: objective, research questions, decision deadline, and why the spike matters
- Time-box and decision-deadline fields to avoid research sprawl before implementation
- Individual spike files per topic instead of one monolithic research doc
Adoption & trust: 8.6k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 2/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You face a blocking technical unknown and need a bounded research artifact instead of guessing or coding prematurely.
Who is it for?
Indie teams about to pick integrations, data models, or performance approaches and need a one-week-or-less research container.
Skip if: Tasks where the decision is already documented or you only need a quick chat answer without a tracked spike file.
When should I use this skill?
Critical technical questions must be answered before development can proceed and you want a dedicated spike markdown file.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get one or more spike files with clear questions, timeboxes, and deadlines so you can decide and then move to planning or implementation.
- Individual `*-spike.md` files with frontmatter and research sections
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Spikes resolve unknowns that block scoping and sequencing—canonical shelf is Validate because they de-risk commitments before full Build. Scope subphase is where you define what to build and which decisions must be settled first; spikes document those decision deadlines explicitly.
Where it fits
Spike whether WebSockets or SSE fits your realtime feature before estimating the sprint.
Time-box a spike on third-party billing webhooks before wiring checkout.
Research audio latency limits in a one-week spike before launch tuning.
Document open questions on a new platform API before committing to the product direction.
How it compares
Structured spike docs with deadlines—not open-ended brainstorming or a full implementation plan.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is create-technical-spike for?
Solo and indie builders who use Copilot-style agents and want formal, time-boxed research before locking architecture or starting heavy implementation.
When should I use create-technical-spike?
During Validate when scoping unknowns, at the start of Build when a design choice blocks tasks, or before Ship when a performance or security question needs a short proof—whenever a decision has a deadline and needs a named spike file.
Is create-technical-spike safe to install?
It is a documentation template skill with no mandated shell or network access; review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before adopting it in your repo.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Create Technical Spike
# Create Technical Spike Document Create time-boxed technical spike documents for researching critical questions that must be answered before development can proceed. Each spike focuses on a specific technical decision with clear deliverables and timelines. ## Document Structure Create individual files in `${input:FolderPath|docs/spikes}` directory. Name each file using the pattern: `[category]-[short-description]-spike.md` (e.g., `api-copilot-integration-spike.md`, `performance-realtime-audio-spike.md`). ```md --- title: "${input:SpikeTitle}" category: "${input:Category|Technical}" status: "🔴 Not Started" priority: "${input:Priority|High}" timebox: "${input:Timebox|1 week}" created: [YYYY-MM-DD] updated: [YYYY-MM-DD] owner: "${input:Owner}" tags: ["technical-spike", "${input:Category|technical}", "research"] --- # ${input:SpikeTitle} ## Summary **Spike Objective:** [Clear, specific question or decision that needs resolution] **Why This Matters:** [Impact on development/architecture decisions] **Timebox:** [How much time allocated to this spike] **Decision Deadline:** [When this must be resolved to avoid blocking development] ## Research Question(s) **Primary Question:** [Main technical question that needs answering] **Secondary Questions:** - [Related question 1] - [Related question 2] - [Related question 3] ## Investigation Plan ### Research Tasks - [ ] [Specific research task 1] - [ ] [Specific research task 2] - [ ] [Specific research task 3] - [ ] [Create proof of concept/prototype] - [ ] [Document findings and recommendations] ### Success Criteria **This spike is complete when:** - [ ] [Specific criteria 1] - [ ] [Specific criteria 2] - [ ] [Clear recommendation documented] - [ ] [Proof of concept completed (if applicable)] ## Technical Context **Related Components:** [List system components affected by this decision] **Dependencies:** [What other spikes or decisions depend on resolving this] **Constraints:** [Known limitations or requirements that affect the solution] ## Research Findings ### Investigation Results [Document research findings, test results, and evidence gathered] ### Prototype/Testing Notes [Results from any prototypes, spikes, or technical experiments] ### External Resources - [Link to relevant documentation] - [Link to API references] - [Link to community discussions] - [Link to examples/tutorials] ## Decision ### Recommendation [Clear recommendation based on research findings] ### Rationale [Why this approach was chosen over alternatives] ### Implementation Notes [Key considerations for implementation] ### Follow-up Actions - [ ] [Action item 1] - [ ] [Action item 2] - [ ] [Update architecture documents] - [ ] [Create implementation tasks] ## Status History | Date | Status | Notes | | ------ | -------------- | -------------------------- | | [Date] | 🔴 Not Started | Spike created and scoped | | [Date] | 🟡 In Progress | Research commenced | | [Date] | 🟢 Complete | [Resolution summary] | --- _Last updated: [Date] by [Name]_ ``` ## Categories for Technical Spikes ### API Integration - Third-party API capabilities and limitations - Integration patterns and authentication - Rate limits and performance characteristics ### Architecture & Design - System architecture decisions - Design pattern applicability - Component interaction models ### Performance & Scalability - Performance requirements and constraints - Scalability bottlenecks and solutions - Resource utilization patterns ### Platform & Infrastructure - Platform capabilities and limitations - Infrastructure requirements - Deployment and hosting considerations ### Security & Compliance - Security requirements and implementations - Compliance constraints - Authenticatio