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Brownfield Development FAQ

Quick answers to common questions about brownfield (existing codebase) development in the BMad Method (BMM).

Questions

Section titled “Questions”

What is brownfield vs greenfield?

Section titled “What is brownfield vs greenfield?”
  • Greenfield — New project, starting from scratch, clean slate
  • Brownfield — Existing project, working with established codebase and patterns

Do I have to run document-project for brownfield?

Section titled “Do I have to run document-project for brownfield?”

Highly recommended, especially if:

  • No existing documentation
  • Documentation is outdated
  • AI agents need context about existing code
  • Level 2-4 complexity

You can skip it if you have comprehensive, up-to-date documentation including docs/index.md.

What if I forget to run document-project?

Section titled “What if I forget to run document-project?”

Workflows will lack context about existing code. You may get:

  • Suggestions that don’t match existing patterns
  • Integration approaches that miss existing APIs
  • Architecture that conflicts with current structure

Run document-project and restart planning with proper context.

Can I use Quick Spec Flow for brownfield projects?

Section titled “Can I use Quick Spec Flow for brownfield projects?”

Yes! Quick Spec Flow works great for brownfield. It will:

  • Auto-detect your existing stack
  • Analyze brownfield code patterns
  • Detect conventions and ask for confirmation
  • Generate context-rich tech-spec that respects existing code

Perfect for bug fixes and small features in existing codebases.

How does workflow-init handle old planning docs?

Section titled “How does workflow-init handle old planning docs?”

workflow-init asks about YOUR current work first, then uses old artifacts as context:

  1. Shows what it found (old PRD, epics, etc.)
  2. Asks: “Is this work in progress, previous effort, or proposed work?”
  3. If previous effort: Asks you to describe your NEW work
  4. Determines level based on YOUR work, not old artifacts

This prevents old Level 3 PRDs from forcing Level 3 workflow for a new Level 0 bug fix.

What if my existing code doesn’t follow best practices?

Section titled “What if my existing code doesn’t follow best practices?”

Quick Spec Flow detects your conventions and asks: “Should I follow these existing conventions?” You decide:

  • Yes → Maintain consistency with current codebase
  • No → Establish new standards (document why in tech-spec)

BMM respects your choice — it won’t force modernization, but it will offer it.

Have a question not answered here? Please open an issue or ask in Discord so we can add it!