Kiro Best Practices

March 27, 2026 · View on GitHub

Kiro Best Practices

Kiro is an AI IDE from AWS. Its defining feature is Spec-driven Development — instead of having AI write code directly, it first generates requirement specs, design docs, and test cases. You review and approve the spec, then Kiro implements accordingly. Well suited for team collaboration and projects that demand high-quality deliverables.

Core Concepts

Concept	Description	Use Case
Spec	Requirement specification document	AI writes the spec first, implements after approval
Steering	`.kiro/steering/*.md`	Project-level rules and guidelines
Hooks	Automated triggers	Auto-validate/test on file save
Agent	Background autonomous execution	Completes complex tasks automatically

Getting Started

Installation

Download from kiro.dev. Requires an AWS or GitHub account to log in. Currently in preview.

Steering Files — Project Configuration

Create rule files under .kiro/steering/:

---
mode: always
---

# Project Rules

## Tech Stack
Java 17 + Spring Boot 3 + MyBatis Plus + MySQL 8

## Code Standards
- Controller layer only handles parameter validation and routing
- Service layer handles business logic
- DAO layer only handles database operations
- Wrap all return values with Result<T>
- Use custom BusinessException for errors

## Naming Conventions
- Package names: all lowercase
- Class names: PascalCase
- Method names: camelCase
- Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE

Steering supports three modes:

always — Loaded for every conversation
globs: ["*.java"] — Loaded only when working with matching files
manual — Manually activated

Spec-Driven Development

Kiro's workflow differs from other tools:

1. You describe the requirement
2. Kiro generates a Spec (requirements + technical design + test cases)
3. You review and revise the Spec
4. Once confirmed, Kiro implements step by step according to the Spec
5. After each step, related tests run automatically

This is slower than "just write the code," but produces higher quality output. Especially good for:

Team collaboration (Specs can be reviewed)
Complex features (think it through before building)
Projects that need documentation

Prompting Tips

1. Making Specs More Precise

Add a refund feature to the order module.

Business rules:
- Refunds allowed within 7 days of payment
- Both partial and full refunds supported
- Refunds over \$500 require approval
- Refund to the original payment method

Generate the Spec first. I'll confirm before you implement.

2. Leverage Hooks for Auto-Validation

// .kiro/hooks.json
{
  "on-save": {
    "*.java": "mvn compile -q",
    "*.test.java": "mvn test -pl ${module} -q"
  }
}

Auto-compiles on every Java file save, auto-runs tests on test file save.

3. Organize Steering by Module

.kiro/steering/
├── always.md              # Global rules (always)
├── api.md                 # API rules (globs: src/controller/**)
├── database.md            # Database rules (globs: src/mapper/**)
└── testing.md             # Testing rules (globs: src/test/**)

How It Differs from Other Tools

Dimension	Kiro	Claude Code	Cursor
Core philosophy	Spec first	Agent execution	IDE completion
Best for	Team collaboration, high-quality delivery	Individual high-velocity development	Daily coding
Rules system	Steering (three modes)	CLAUDE.md + Skills	Rules (globs)
Development flow	Requirements -> Spec -> Implementation -> Verification	Requirements -> Implementation -> Verification	Requirements -> Implementation
AWS integration	3/3	1/3	1/3

Configuration Templates

Template	Purpose
steering-always.md	Steering global rules template (Java + Spring Boot), copy to `.kiro/steering/`