Ticket system

/nova-start can either fetch tickets from Jira automatically or let you paste content manually. The switch is one config key:

# novaspec/config.yml
ticket_system: jira    # jira | none

ticket_system: jira

The default if you enabled Jira during npx nova-spec init.

• /nova-start PROJ-42 validates the key matches [A-Z][A-Z0-9]+-[0-9]+. Wrong format → refuses with a clear message.
• Invokes the jira-integration skill, which calls npx nova-spec jira get PROJ-42.
• Reads JIRA_API_TOKEN from your shell env (referenced as ${JIRA_API_TOKEN} in config.yml).
• On 401 / 404 / network errors, falls back to manual paste with explicit instructions.
• Branch name uses {type}/PROJ-42-{slug} per branch.pattern.

The full Jira config block:

ticket_system: jira

jira:
  skill: jira-integration
  url: https://your-workspace.atlassian.net
  project: PROJ
  email: you@example.com
  token: ${JIRA_API_TOKEN}
  done_transition_id: "41"
  transitions:
    done: "41"

See Integrations → Jira for setup, transition discovery, and troubleshooting.

ticket_system: none

For teams that don't use a tracker, or use one without an API integration (Linear, GitHub Issues, ClickUp, internal tooling).

ticket_system: none

What changes:

• /nova-start <ANYTHING> accepts any identifier — auth-rewrite, BUG-1234, 2026-q1-migration, anything.

• No format validation, no API call.

• The command immediately asks you to paste:

  • title
  • description
  • acceptance criteria
  • relevant comments

• Branch name uses your identifier as-is. If branch.pattern is {type}/{ticket}-{slug} and you pass auth-rewrite, you get feature/auth-rewrite-add-mfa (slug from the title).

• /nova-wrap skips the Jira "transition to Done" step.

You can leave the jira: block in config.yml even with ticket_system: none — it'll just be ignored.

Hybrid use

If your team uses Jira mostly but occasionally has tickets in a different system, switch the config temporarily for those:

# Edit config.yml: ticket_system: none
/nova-start LINEAR-456
# When done, switch back: ticket_system: jira

Or run two project installs of nova-spec in separate clones — but in practice the switch is usually rare enough that one global setting works.

What changes inside /nova-start.md

The command bifurcates on ticket_system:

Read novaspec/config.yml → ticket_system

if ticket_system: jira
    Validate $ARGUMENTS matches [A-Z][A-Z0-9]+-[0-9]+
    Invoke jira-integration skill
    Handle 401 / 404 / timeout fallbacks

if ticket_system: none (or missing)
    Skip format validation
    Ask for paste

You can edit novaspec/commands/nova-start.md to add a third path (e.g. linear) if you want — see the file for the existing structure.

Migration between values

• Going from jira to none — just change the key. Existing branches still work; new ones won't validate or close in Jira.
• Going from none to jira — set the key, fill in the jira: block, set JIRA_API_TOKEN in your env, run npx nova-spec sync to pick up any default-config migrations.

What NOT to break

• If you set ticket_system: jira, also set jira.skill: jira-integration — they're paired.
• JIRA_API_TOKEN must be in the env where you run Claude Code, not just in a .env file (unless you load it via your shell rc).