by Pimzino
Structured spec-driven development workflow for AI-assisted software development. Creates detailed specifications before
โ 4.0K
GitHub stars
Creates structured development workflows by generating detailed specifications before writing code, with a real-time dashboard to track progress. Ensures AI-assisted development follows a planned, spec-driven approach rather than jumping straight to implementation.
Spec Workflow MCP is a community-built MCP server published by Pimzino that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Structured spec-driven development workflow for AI-assisted software development. Creates detailed specifications before It is categorized under developer tools, productivity.
You can install Spec Workflow MCP in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
GPL-3.0
Spec Workflow MCP is released under the GPL-3.0 license.
Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation
Example
Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services
Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent
Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data
Example
Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases
Get more accurate, context-aware responses
Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools
Example
Research โ Summarize โ Create document โ Send notification
Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps
Share your MCP server with the developer community
Spec Workflow MCP is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory โ install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.
Useful MCP listing: Spec Workflow MCP is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
Spec Workflow MCP is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
We evaluated Spec Workflow MCP against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.
We evaluated Spec Workflow MCP against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.
Spec Workflow MCP has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.
Useful MCP listing: Spec Workflow MCP is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
Spec Workflow MCP is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory โ install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.
According to our notes, Spec Workflow MCP benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing โ fewer ambiguous โAI pluginโ claims.
Strong directory entry: Spec Workflow MCP surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.
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A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for structured spec-driven development with real-time dashboard and VSCode extension.
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See how the approval system works: create documents, request approval through the dashboard, provide feedback, and track revisions.
Explore the real-time dashboard: view specs, track progress, navigate documents, and monitor your development workflow.
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๐ Documentation in your language:
English | ๆฅๆฌ่ช | ไธญๆ | Espaรฑol | Portuguรชs | Deutsch | Franรงais | ะ ัััะบะธะน | Italiano | ํ๊ตญ์ด | ุงูุนุฑุจูุฉ
Add to your MCP configuration (see client-specific setup below):
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
Option A: Web Dashboard (Required for CLI users) Start the dashboard (runs on port 5000 by default):
npx -y @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest --dashboard
The dashboard will be accessible at: http://localhost:5000
Note: Only one dashboard instance is needed. All your projects will connect to the same dashboard.
Option B: VSCode Extension (Recommended for VSCode users)
Install Spec Workflow MCP Extension from the VSCode marketplace.
Simply mention spec-workflow in your conversation:
Configure in your Augment settings:
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Code CLI</strong></summary>
Add to your MCP configuration:
claude mcp add spec-workflow npx @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest -- /path/to/your/project
Important Notes:
-y flag bypasses npm prompts for smoother installation-- separator ensures the path is passed to the spec-workflow script, not to npx/path/to/your/project with your actual project directory pathAlternative for Windows (if the above doesn't work):
claude mcp add spec-workflow cmd.exe /c "npx @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest /path/to/your/project"
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Claude Desktop</strong></summary>
Add to claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details> <details> <summary><strong>Cline/Claude Dev</strong></summary>Important: Run the dashboard separately with
--dashboardbefore starting the MCP server.
Add to your MCP server configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Continue IDE Extension</strong></summary>
Add to your Continue configuration:
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Cursor IDE</strong></summary>
Add to your Cursor settings (settings.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>OpenCode</strong></summary>
Add to your opencode.json configuration file:
{
"$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
"mcp": {
"spec-workflow": {
"type": "local",
"command": ["npx", "-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"],
"enabled": true
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Windsurf</strong></summary>
Add to your ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json configuration file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"spec-workflow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
}
}
}
</details>
<details>
<summary><strong>Codex</strong></summary>
Add to your ~/.codex/config.toml configuration file:
[mcp_servers.spec-workflow]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest", "/path/to/your/project"]
</details>
Run the dashboard in a Docker container for isolated deployment:
# Using Docker Compose (recommended)
cd containers
docker-compose up --build
# Or using Docker CLI
docker build -f containers/Dockerfile -t spec-workflow-mcp .
docker run -p 5000:5000 -v "./workspace/.spec-workflow:/workspace/.spec-workflow:rw" spec-workflow-mcp
The dashboard will be available at: http://localhost:5000
Spec-Workflow MCP includes enterprise-grade security features suitable for corporate environments:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Localhost Binding | Binds to 127.0.0.1 by default, preventing network exposure |
| Rate Limiting | 120 requests/minute per client with automatic cleanup |
| Audit Logging | Structured JSON logs with timestamp, actor, action, and result |
| Security Headers | X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, X-XSS-Protection, CSP, Referrer-Policy |
| CORS Protection | Restricted to localhost origins by default |
| Docker Hardening | Non-root user, read-only filesystem, dropped capabilities, resource limits |
| Feature | Workaround |
|---|---|
| HTTPS/TLS | Use a reverse proxy (nginx, Apache) with TLS certificates |
| User Authentication | Use a reverse proxy with Basic Auth or OAuth2 Proxy for SSO |
If you need to expose the dashboard beyond localhost, we recommend:
127.0.0.1)# Example nginx reverse proxy with auth
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name dashboard.example.com;
ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
auth_basic "Dashboard Access";
auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
}
For sandboxed environments (e.g., Codex CLI with sandbox_mode=workspace-write) where $HOME is read-only, use the SPEC_WORKFLOW_HOME environment variable to redirect global state files to a writable location:
SPEC_WORKFLOW_HOME=/workspace/.spec-workflow-mcp npx -y @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest /workspace
Prerequisites
Time Estimate
15-60 minutes depending on server complexity
Steps
Troubleshooting
โ Do
โ Don't
๐ก Pro Tips
Architecture
Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.
Protocols
Compatibility
โ Use when
Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.
โ Avoid when
Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.