How do I install the Speckit CLI Setup skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add github/speckit-cli-setup in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Speckit CLI Setup safe to use?

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Which AI agents work with Speckit CLI Setup?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Speckit CLI Setup free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Speckit CLI Setup?

GitHub (Microsoft) (@github) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Speckit CLI Setup by github — Agent Skill

Name: Speckit CLI Setup
Author: GitHub (Microsoft)

Speckit CLI Setup

Detect and install the Spec Kit `specify` CLI that every other speckit skill depends on. USE FOR: checking whether `specify` is installed/on PATH, installing it when missing, fixing "command not found: specify", confirming the CLI is new enough (>= 0.11). DO NOT USE FOR: upgrading an already-installed CLI to a newer release (use speckit-self) or verifying project tools (use speckit-check).

GitHub (Microsoft) 15da252 2.8 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026 36.2k repo stars

File contents

Spec Kit — CLI setup

The Spec Kit plugin drives the specify command-line tool. Every other speckit skill assumes specify is installed and on PATH. This skill detects it and installs it when it is missing.

Detect first

Always check availability before doing anything else:

specify --version

Prints a version (e.g. specify 0.15.0) → the CLI is installed. If a skill needs bundle or workflow step, ensure the version is >= 0.11; if it is older, hand off to the speckit-self skill to upgrade.
command not found / non-zero exit → not installed. Install it (below).

Install

Spec Kit's specify CLI is published on PyPI as specify-cli. Install the latest release — this plugin is not pinned to a specific specify version. uv is the recommended installer; pipx is an alternative:

# Recommended: uv (persistent install, latest from PyPI)
uv tool install specify-cli

# Alternative: pipx (persistent install, latest from PyPI)
pipx install specify-cli

# One-off / ephemeral (no install) — handy to bootstrap a project.
# Pass --script (py keeps this cross-platform) so the PTY-backed agent shell
# doesn't hit the interactive "Choose script type" chooser and hang.
uvx --from specify-cli specify init . --integration copilot --integration-options="--skills" --script py

If neither uv nor pipx is available, tell the user to install uv first (curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh, or see https://docs.astral.sh/uv/), then re-run the install. Do not silently install system Python packages.

Verify

specify --version
specify check

Notes

This skill is the prerequisite for the rest of the plugin. If any speckit skill finds that specify is not available, it should run this skill's detect/install steps first, then retry.
For an already-installed CLI that just needs a newer version, prefer the speckit-self skill (specify self upgrade) over reinstalling. To refresh a uv/pipx install to the latest PyPI release, use uv tool upgrade specify-cli or pipx upgrade specify-cli.
Installing from PyPI always pulls the latest published specify-cli. Only pin a specific version (e.g. uv tool install "specify-cli==0.15.0") if you have a concrete reason to hold back.

---name: speckit-cli-setupdescription: Detect and install the Spec Kit `specify` CLI that every other speckit skill depends on. USE FOR: checking whether `specify` is installed/on PATH, installing it when missing, fixing "command not found: specify", confirming the CLI is new enough (>= 0.11). DO NOT USE FOR: upgrading an already-installed CLI to a newer release (use speckit-self) or verifying project tools (use speckit-check).---# Spec Kit — CLI setupThe Spec Kit plugin drives the **`specify`** command-line tool. Every other speckitskill assumes `specify` is installed and on `PATH`. This skill detects it andinstalls it when it is missing.## Detect firstAlways check availability before doing anything else:```bashspecify --version```- **Prints a version (e.g. `specify 0.15.0`)** → the CLI is installed. If a skill needs `bundle` or `workflow step`, ensure the version is **>= 0.11**; if it is older, hand off to the **speckit-self** skill to upgrade.- **`command not found` / non-zero exit** → not installed. Install it (below).## InstallSpec Kit's `specify` CLI is published on PyPI as**[`specify-cli`](https://pypi.org/project/specify-cli/)**. Install the **latest**release — this plugin is not pinned to a specific `specify` version.**[uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)** is the recommended installer;**[pipx](https://pipx.pypa.io/)** is an alternative:```bash# Recommended: uv (persistent install, latest from PyPI)uv tool install specify-cli# Alternative: pipx (persistent install, latest from PyPI)pipx install specify-cli# One-off / ephemeral (no install) — handy to bootstrap a project.# Pass --script (py keeps this cross-platform) so the PTY-backed agent shell# doesn't hit the interactive "Choose script type" chooser and hang.uvx --from specify-cli specify init . --integration copilot --integration-options="--skills" --script py```If neither `uv` nor `pipx` is available, tell the user to install `uv` first(`curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh`, or see <https://docs.astral.sh/uv/>),then re-run the install. Do not silently install system Python packages.## Verify```bashspecify --versionspecify check```## Notes- This skill is the **prerequisite** for the rest of the plugin. If any speckit skill finds that `specify` is not available, it should run this skill's detect/install steps first, then retry.- For an **already-installed** CLI that just needs a newer version, prefer the **speckit-self** skill (`specify self upgrade`) over reinstalling. To refresh a `uv`/`pipx` install to the latest PyPI release, use `uv tool upgrade specify-cli` or `pipx upgrade specify-cli`.- Installing from PyPI always pulls the latest published `specify-cli`. Only pin a specific version (e.g. `uv tool install "specify-cli==0.15.0"`) if you have a concrete reason to hold back.

Frequently asked questions