Spec Kit 0 8 3

Spec Kit 0.8.3

Overview

Spec Kit is an open-source toolkit by GitHub that enables Spec-Driven Development (SDD) — a methodology where specifications become the primary artifact and code serves as their generated expression. It provides the specify CLI to bootstrap projects, slash commands (/speckit.*) that integrate with 30+ AI coding agents, and a new workflow engine for automating multi-step SDD processes into repeatable sequences with conditional logic, loops, fan-out/fan-in, and pause/resume support.

The core idea: instead of writing code directly from prompts ("vibe coding"), you first create rich specifications, then derive technical plans and executable tasks from them. This eliminates the gap between intent and implementation by making specifications precise enough to generate working systems.

When to Use

• Starting a new project with structured specification-first development
• Integrating AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex, Pi, etc.) with SDD workflows
• Creating governing principles (constitution) for a development project
• Breaking complex features into specifications, plans, and actionable tasks
• Automating multi-step SDD processes with the new workflow engine
• Converting task lists into GitHub issues for tracking
• Extending Spec Kit with custom commands via the extension system
• Customizing Spec Kit behavior via presets (template/command overrides)
• Migrating existing projects to specification-driven practices
• Publishing extensions, presets, or workflows to the community catalog

Core Concepts

Spec-Driven Development (SDD)

SDD inverts the traditional power structure: specifications don't serve code — code serves specifications. The Product Requirements Document (PRD) is the source that generates implementation. Technical plans are precise definitions that produce code. This eliminates the gap between intent and implementation.

Key principles:

• Intent-driven development — team intent expressed in natural language, design assets, and core principles
• Executable specifications — precise, complete, unambiguous enough to generate working systems
• Continuous refinement — consistency validation as an ongoing process, not a one-time gate
• Research-driven context — agents gather technical context throughout specification
• Bidirectional feedback — production reality informs specification evolution
• Branching for exploration — multiple implementation approaches from the same specification

The Six-Step Workflow

1. specify init — Bootstrap the project with Spec Kit structure and agent integration
2. /speckit.constitution — Define governing principles and development guidelines
3. /speckit.specify — Create feature specifications (what and why, not how)
4. /speckit.plan — Generate technical implementation plans with architecture choices
5. /speckit.tasks — Break down into actionable, parallelizable task lists
6. /speckit.implement — Execute all tasks to build the feature

Optional quality gates:

• /speckit.clarify — Resolve ambiguities in specifications before planning
• /speckit.analyze — Cross-artifact consistency and coverage analysis
• /speckit.checklist — Generate custom quality validation checklists

Feature Numbering and Branching

Spec Kit uses automatic feature numbering (001, 002, 003…) and creates semantic git branches for each feature. The active feature is detected from the current branch name. Specs live in specs/<feature-number>-<name>/ directories. Branch numbering strategy can be sequential (default) or timestamp for distributed teams.

Constitution

The constitution (memory/constitution.md) is a set of immutable architectural principles governing how specifications become code. It includes articles covering library-first design, CLI interface mandates, test-first development, simplicity gates, anti-abstraction rules, and integration-first testing.

Extensions and Presets

• Extensions add new capabilities (new commands, integrations, workflows)
• Presets customize existing behavior (template overrides, terminology, compliance formats)
• Template resolution walks top-down: project overrides → presets → extensions → core defaults
• Presets support composition strategies: prepend, append, wrap

Workflows

Workflows automate multi-step SDD processes into repeatable sequences. They chain commands, prompts, shell steps, and human checkpoints together, with support for conditional logic, loops, fan-out/fan-in, and the ability to pause and resume from the exact point of interruption.

Installation / Setup

Spec Kit is installed from GitHub (not PyPI). The official package is specify-cli.

Persistent Installation (Recommended)

# Pin a specific release tag for stability
uv tool install specify-cli --from git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git@v0.8.3

# Or with pipx
pipx install git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git@v0.8.3

One-Shot Usage

uvx --from git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git@v0.8.3 specify init <PROJECT_NAME>

Initialize a Project

# New project directory
specify init <PROJECT_NAME>

# Current directory
specify init . --integration copilot

# Force merge into non-empty directory
specify init . --force --integration claude

# Specify script type (sh or ps)
specify init my-project --script sh

# Install a preset during initialization
specify init my-project --integration copilot --preset compliance

# Use timestamp-based branch numbering
specify init my-project --integration copilot --branch-numbering timestamp

# Skills-based integration (for agents that support it)
specify init . --integration codex --integration-options="--skills"

Prerequisites

• Linux, macOS, or Windows (PowerShell scripts supported)
• Python 3.11+
• Git
• uv (recommended) or pipx for package management
• Supported AI coding agent

Usage Examples

Complete Workflow: Building a Photo Album App

# Step 1: Initialize project
specify init photo-albums --integration claude

# Step 2: Define constitution (in your coding agent)
/speckit.constitution Library-first approach, strict TDD, functional programming patterns

# Step 3: Create specification
/speckit.specify Build an application to organize photos in albums grouped by date. Albums are flat (no nesting). Photos previewed in a tile interface with drag-and-drop reorganization.

# Step 4: Clarify ambiguities
/speckit.clarify Focus on security and performance requirements

# Step 5: Create technical plan
/speckit.plan Vite with vanilla HTML/CSS/JS. SQLite for metadata. No image uploads — local storage only.

# Step 6: Generate tasks
/speckit.tasks

# Step 7: Analyze (optional quality gate)
/speckit.analyze

# Step 8: Implement
/speckit.implement

Using Workflows

# Run a workflow with inputs
specify workflow run speckit -i spec="Build a kanban board with drag-and-drop task management" -i scope=full

# Resume a paused workflow
specify workflow resume <run_id>

# Check workflow status
specify workflow status

# Search available workflows
specify workflow search kanban

Using Extensions

# Search available extensions
specify extension search jira

# Install from catalog
specify extension add spec-kit-jira

# List installed extensions
specify extension list

# Remove an extension
specify extension remove spec-kit-jira --keep-config

# Enable/disable without removing
specify extension disable spec-kit-jira
specify extension enable spec-kit-jira

# Update all extensions
specify extension update

Upgrading

# Upgrade CLI
uv tool install specify-cli --force --from git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git@v0.8.3

# Update project files
specify init --here --force --integration copilot

# Restore custom constitution (known issue: --force overwrites it)
git restore .specify/memory/constitution.md

Advanced Topics

SDD Methodology: The philosophy, workflow, and constitutional foundation of spec-driven development → SDD Methodology

Slash Commands Reference: Complete reference for all core and optional /speckit.* commands → Slash Commands Reference

Extensions System: Extension manifest schema, command files, hooks, catalog publishing, and development guide → Extensions System

Presets System: Preset structure, template overrides, stacking priority, composition strategies, and publishing guide → Presets System

CLI Reference: specify CLI commands, flags, environment variables, and troubleshooting → CLI Reference

Workflows Engine: Automating multi-step SDD processes with conditional logic, loops, and pause/resume → Workflows Engine