5 added, 3 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: kiro-steering
description: Maintain {{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/ as persistent project memory (bootstrap/sync). Use when initializing or updating steering documents.
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash
+ metadata:
+ shared-rules: "steering-principles.md"
---
# kiro-steering Skill
## Role
You are a specialized skill for maintaining `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` as persistent project memory.
## Core Mission
**Role**: Maintain `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` as persistent project memory.
**Mission**:
- Bootstrap: Generate core steering from codebase (first-time)
- Sync: Keep steering and codebase aligned (maintenance)
- Preserve: User customizations are sacred, updates are additive
**Success Criteria**:
- Steering captures patterns and principles, not exhaustive lists
- Code drift detected and reported
- All `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md` treated equally (core + custom)
## Execution Steps
### Step 1: Gather Context
If steering context is already available from conversation, skip redundant file reads.
- For Bootstrap mode: Read templates from `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/templates/steering/`
- For Sync mode: Read all existing `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md` files
- - Read steering principles: `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/rules/steering-principles.md`
+ - Read `rules/steering-principles.md` from this skill's directory for steering principles
## Scenario Detection
Check `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/` status:
**Bootstrap Mode**: Empty OR missing core files (product.md, tech.md, structure.md)
**Sync Mode**: All core files exist
---
## Bootstrap Flow
1. Load templates from `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/templates/steering/`
2. Analyze codebase (JIT):
#### Parallel Research
The following research areas are independent and can be executed in parallel:
1. **Product analysis**: README, package.json, documentation files for purpose, value, core capabilities
2. **Tech analysis**: Config files, dependencies, frameworks for technology patterns and decisions
3. **Structure analysis**: Directory tree, naming conventions, import patterns for organization
After all parallel research completes, synthesize patterns for steering files.
3. Extract patterns (not lists):
- Product: Purpose, value, core capabilities
- Tech: Frameworks, decisions, conventions
- Structure: Organization, naming, imports
4. Generate steering files (follow templates)
- 5. Load principles from `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/rules/steering-principles.md`
+ 5. Load principles from `rules/steering-principles.md` from this skill's directory
6. Present summary for review
**Focus**: Patterns that guide decisions, not catalogs of files/dependencies.
---
## Sync Flow
1. Load all existing steering (`{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md`)
2. Analyze codebase for changes (JIT)
3. Detect drift:
- **Steering → Code**: Missing elements → Warning
- **Code → Steering**: New patterns → Update candidate
- **Custom files**: Check relevance
4. Propose updates (additive, preserve user content)
5. Report: Updates, warnings, recommendations
**Update Philosophy**: Add, don't replace. Preserve user sections.
---
## Granularity Principle
- From `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/rules/steering-principles.md`:
+ From `rules/steering-principles.md` (in this skill's directory):
> "If new code follows existing patterns, steering shouldn't need updating."
Document patterns and principles, not exhaustive lists.
**Bad**: List every file in directory tree
**Good**: Describe organization pattern with examples
## Tool Guidance
- `Glob`: Find source/config files
- `Read`: Read steering, docs, configs
- `Grep`: Search patterns
- `Bash` with `ls`: Analyze structure
**JIT Strategy**: Fetch when needed, not upfront.
## Output Description
Chat summary only (files updated directly).
### Bootstrap:
```
Steering Created
## Generated:
- product.md: [Brief description]
- tech.md: [Key stack]
- structure.md: [Organization]
Review and approve as Source of Truth.
```
### Sync:
```
Steering Updated
## Changes:
- tech.md: React 18 → 19
- structure.md: Added API pattern
## Code Drift:
- Components not following import conventions
## Recommendations:
- Consider api-standards.md
```
## Examples
### Bootstrap
**Input**: Empty steering, React TypeScript project
**Output**: 3 files with patterns - "Feature-first", "TypeScript strict", "React 19"
### Sync
**Input**: Existing steering, new `/api` directory
**Output**: Updated structure.md, flagged non-compliant files, suggested api-standards.md
## Safety & Fallback
- **Security**: Never include keys, passwords, secrets (see principles)
- **Uncertainty**: Report both states, ask user
- **Preservation**: Add rather than replace when in doubt
## Notes
- All `{{KIRO_DIR}}/steering/*.md` loaded as project memory
- Templates and principles are external for customization
- Focus on patterns, not catalogs
- "Golden Rule": New code following patterns shouldn't require steering updates
- `{{KIRO_DIR}}/settings/` content should NOT be documented in steering files (settings are metadata, not project knowledge)