fix(specs): _STATUS_VALUE_RE accepts both **Status**: and **Status:**

.help/templates/sidecar/concept.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ---
 feature: sidecar
 depth: concept
-generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:26:20.582683+00:00
-source_hash: 278c82dcb0488307aba1af37c2e2b49ddd2ba1b93775befbe9147bf96965936d
+generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:38:15.234638+00:00
+source_hash: a1d71c4c13ab81ddb75e5a3c1d6096e69128d047613aaee8b3ccf4f65d356a74
 status: generated
 ---
 

.help/templates/sidecar/reference.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ---
 feature: sidecar
 depth: reference
-generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:26:20.594051+00:00
-source_hash: 278c82dcb0488307aba1af37c2e2b49ddd2ba1b93775befbe9147bf96965936d
+generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:38:15.246052+00:00
+source_hash: a1d71c4c13ab81ddb75e5a3c1d6096e69128d047613aaee8b3ccf4f65d356a74
 status: generated
 ---
 
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@ status: generated
 | `test_specs_skips_dot_dirs()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
 | `test_specs_returns_empty_when_no_root()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
 | `test_spec_with_no_phase_files_handled()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
+| `test_status_regex_accepts_both_markdown_emphasis_styles()` | Pre-fix bug: _STATUS_VALUE_RE only matched ``**Status**:`` (colon | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
+| `test_status_regex_rejects_malformed_lines()` | The looser regex must still reject lines that aren't valid | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
 | `test_specs_root_env_var_wins()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
 | `test_specs_root_falls_back_to_workspace()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
 | `test_specs_root_falls_back_to_workspace_docs_specs()` | Workspaces that keep specs at ``docs/specs/`` (attune-rag, attune-ai layout) | `sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py` |
@@ -541,6 +543,7 @@ status: generated
 | `test_get_spec_returns_phase_contents()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
 | `test_get_spec_rejects_invalid_slug()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
 | `test_get_spec_unknown_feature_errors()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
+| `test_get_spec_reads_colon_inside_status_format()` | Confidence test for the loosened ``_STATUS_VALUE_RE`` — the common | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
 | `test_get_spec_status_returns_most_advanced()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
 | `test_get_spec_status_explicit_phase()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |
 | `test_get_spec_status_rejects_invalid_phase()` | — | `sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py` |

.help/templates/sidecar/task.md

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 ---
 feature: sidecar
 depth: task
-generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:26:20.589168+00:00
-source_hash: 278c82dcb0488307aba1af37c2e2b49ddd2ba1b93775befbe9147bf96965936d
+generated_at: 2026-05-23T15:38:15.241623+00:00
+source_hash: a1d71c4c13ab81ddb75e5a3c1d6096e69128d047613aaee8b3ccf4f65d356a74
 status: generated
 ---
 

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,22 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- **`**Status:**` (colon-inside-asterisks) format now parses
+  correctly.** `_STATUS_RE` and `_STATUS_VALUE_RE` in
+  `routes/cowork_specs.py` previously only matched the
+  colon-outside form (`**Status**:`). Real specs in this repo
+  overwhelmingly use `**Status:**` instead — a quick grep showed
+  ~7 of 8 status lines in that form. The dashboard's Status
+  column and the MCP `gui_get_spec_status` tool were silently
+  returning `None` for those specs. Loosened both regexes to
+  accept either emphasis style. Added 8 parametrized tests in
+  `test_cowork_specs.py` (4 happy paths, 4 malformed-line
+  rejections) and 1 MCP-path test to lock in both behaviors.
+  Surfaced during PR #52's MCP Phase 2 work; tracked via the
+  follow-up chip spawned at the time.
+
 ### Added
 
 - **MCP server — Phase 5 docs.** New "## MCP integration" section

sidecar/attune_gui/routes/cowork_specs.py

@@ -35,8 +35,15 @@
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/api/cowork", tags=["cowork-specs"])
 
-_STATUS_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*\*\*Status\*\*:.*$", re.MULTILINE)
-_STATUS_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r"\*\*Status\*\*:\s*(\S+)")
+# Match both `**Status**:` (colon outside asterisks) and `**Status:**`
+# (colon inside asterisks). Both are valid markdown for the same intent
+# and both appear in the wild across specs in this repo — `**Status:**`
+# is actually the more common form. The old regex only matched the
+# colon-outside variant, silently returning ``None`` for ~7 of every 8
+# specs in the dashboard's Status column and in the MCP
+# ``gui_get_spec_status`` tool.
+_STATUS_RE = re.compile(r"^\s*\*\*Status(?:\*\*:|:\*\*).*$", re.MULTILINE)
+_STATUS_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r"\*\*Status(?:\*\*:|:\*\*)\s*(\S+)")
 _PHASE_FILES = ("requirements.md", "design.md", "tasks.md")
 _PHASE_LABELS = {
     "requirements.md": "Requirements",

sidecar/tests/test_cowork_specs.py

@@ -114,6 +114,64 @@ def test_spec_with_no_phase_files_handled(
     assert s["status"] is None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("source", "expected"),
+    [
+        ("# Spec\n\n**Status**: approved\n", "approved"),  # colon outside
+        ("# Spec\n\n**Status:** approved\n", "approved"),  # colon inside (the common form)
+        ("# Spec\n\n**Status:** Closed — final\n", "Closed"),  # dashed phrase, common in real specs
+        ("# Spec\n  **Status:** pending\n", "pending"),  # indented
+    ],
+)
+def test_status_regex_accepts_both_markdown_emphasis_styles(
+    client: TestClient,
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+    tmp_path: Path,
+    source: str,
+    expected: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Pre-fix bug: _STATUS_VALUE_RE only matched ``**Status**:`` (colon
+    outside). Real specs in the repo overwhelmingly use ``**Status:**``
+    (colon inside), which was silently returning ``None``. Both forms
+    must now parse to the same status value."""
+    specs_root = tmp_path / "specs"
+    feat = specs_root / "alpha"
+    feat.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (feat / "requirements.md").write_text(source)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cowork_specs, "_specs_roots", lambda: [specs_root])
+
+    body = client.get("/api/cowork/specs", headers={"Origin": "http://localhost:5173"}).json()
+    alpha = next(s for s in body["specs"] if s["feature"] == "alpha")
+    assert alpha["status"] == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "bad_source",
+    [
+        "# Spec\n\n**Status:\n",  # missing trailing **:
+        "# Spec\n\n**Status: approved\n",  # missing closing **
+        "# Spec\n\n**Statuss**: approved\n",  # double-s typo
+        "# Spec\n\n## Status: approved\n",  # heading, not bold
+    ],
+)
+def test_status_regex_rejects_malformed_lines(
+    client: TestClient, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_path: Path, bad_source: str
+) -> None:
+    """The looser regex must still reject lines that aren't valid
+    bold-Status declarations."""
+    specs_root = tmp_path / "specs"
+    feat = specs_root / "alpha"
+    feat.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (feat / "requirements.md").write_text(bad_source)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cowork_specs, "_specs_roots", lambda: [specs_root])
+
+    body = client.get("/api/cowork/specs", headers={"Origin": "http://localhost:5173"}).json()
+    alpha = next(s for s in body["specs"] if s["feature"] == "alpha")
+    assert alpha["status"] is None
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # _specs_root resolution
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

sidecar/tests/test_mcp_tools.py

@@ -112,6 +112,27 @@ async def test_get_spec_unknown_feature_errors(app, specs_root) -> None:
     assert "'nope' not found" in result["error"]
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_get_spec_reads_colon_inside_status_format(app, tmp_path, monkeypatch) -> None:
+    """Confidence test for the loosened ``_STATUS_VALUE_RE`` — the common
+    ``**Status:**`` (colon inside asterisks) format must read correctly
+    through the MCP path, not just the FastAPI route."""
+    root = tmp_path / "specs"
+    feat = root / "colon-inside"
+    feat.mkdir(parents=True)
+    # The format that real specs in this repo overwhelmingly use:
+    (feat / "requirements.md").write_text(
+        "# colon-inside\n\n**Status:** Closed — done\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setenv("ATTUNE_SPECS_ROOT", str(root))
+
+    result = await app.call_tool(
+        "gui_get_spec_status", {"feature": "colon-inside", "phase": "requirements"}
+    )
+    assert result["success"] is True
+    assert result["status"] == "Closed"
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # gui_get_spec_status
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------