feat: add specify update command for safe template/script sync

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ All notable changes to the Specify CLI and templates are documented here.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Added
+
+- Introduced `specify update` for selectively refreshing templates, scripts, and command prompts without touching `.specify/memory` or previously generated specs, plans, and tasks. Supports dry-run previews, non-interactive application, and removes allowlisted files that were dropped upstream.
+
 ## [0.0.20] - 2025-10-14
 
 ### Added

README.md

@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@ The `specify` command supports the following options:
 | Command     | Description                                                    |
 |-------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
 | `init`      | Initialize a new Specify project from the latest template      |
+| `update`    | Refresh templates and scripts in an existing project without touching generated artifacts |
 | `check`     | Check for installed tools (`git`, `claude`, `gemini`, `code`/`code-insiders`, `cursor-agent`, `windsurf`, `qwen`, `opencode`, `codex`) |
 
 ### `specify init` Arguments & Options
@@ -221,6 +222,29 @@ specify init my-project --ai claude --github-token ghp_your_token_here
 specify check
 ```
 
+### `specify update` Workflow
+
+Keep your project templates current without overwriting specs, plans, or constitution files.
+
+- Downloads the latest release bundle that matches your assistant (`--ai`) and script preference (`--script`).
+- Applies changes only to the allowlisted directories (`.specify/templates`, `.specify/scripts`, `.specify/commands`, top-level `templates/` and `scripts/`).
+- Removes allowlisted files that no longer exist upstream so stale commands/scripts do not linger.
+- Skips `.specify/memory`, existing specs, tasks, and other generated artifacts so historical work stays intact.
+- Supports `--dry-run` to preview changes and `--yes` for non-interactive automation.
+
+Run the command from inside an initialized project:
+
+```bash
+# Preview updates without touching the filesystem
+specify update --dry-run
+
+# Apply the curated updates with a single confirmation prompt
+specify update
+
+# Fully non-interactive apply (useful in CI)
+specify update --yes
+```
+
 ### Available Slash Commands
 
 After running `specify init`, your AI coding agent will have access to these slash commands for structured development:

docs/local-development.md

@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@ ls -l scripts | grep .sh
 
 On Windows you will instead use the `.ps1` scripts (no chmod needed).
 
+## 5a. Refresh Template Assets Safely
+
+When testing template changes, run the update flow inside a generated project rather than re-running `init` every time:
+
+```bash
+cd /path/to/generated/project
+specify update --dry-run   # inspect changes sourced from your dev build
+specify update --yes       # apply the curated template/scripts diff
+```
+
+Only the allowlisted template directories are touched; `.specify/memory` and previously generated specs remain untouched so you can validate migrations without losing test data.
+
 ## 6. Run Lint / Basic Checks (Add Your Own)
 
 Currently no enforced lint config is bundled, but you can quickly sanity check importability:

docs/quickstart.md

@@ -121,3 +121,4 @@ implement specs/002-create-taskify/plan.md
 - Read the complete methodology for in-depth guidance
 - Check out more examples in the repository
 - Explore the source code on GitHub
+- When a new Spec Kit release drops, run `specify update --dry-run` inside your project to preview template changes before applying them