Tools

SpecDD tools support the framework’s spec-driven development workflow while keeping specs as plain files first. The command-line interface (CLI) handles project setup and framework updates. The JetBrains plugin and the extension for Visual Studio Code and compatible editors add editor support for .sdd files. Agent integrations offer dedicated plugins for specific agents and universal Agent Skills for clients that support the open Agent Skills standard.

SpecDD CLI

Use the CLI to initialize SpecDD in a project, update an existing SpecDD setup, and check whether the local framework files are current.

Source and help: github.com/specdd/cli

Choose a local installation or run the CLI with Docker .

Install locally

The npm and Yarn installation methods require Node.js 22 or newer. Choose one of the following methods.

Install with npm:

npm install --global specdd

Install with Yarn:

yarn global add specdd

Install with Homebrew:

brew tap specdd/cli
brew install specdd

Confirm that the CLI is available in your terminal:

specdd --help

You should see SpecDD command help.

Use a local installation

Initialize SpecDD in the current directory:

specdd init

Initialize SpecDD in another directory:

specdd init path/to/project

Update an existing SpecDD setup:

specdd update

Check whether an update is available:

specdd check-update

For command options, run specdd --help or specdd <command> --help, replacing <command> with the command name.

Run with Docker

You need a running Docker installation. The examples below use Bash or Zsh on Linux or macOS.

From your project directory, choose one of these image sources. Each command mounts the current directory at /workspace and initializes SpecDD in that project.

Docker Hub:

docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/workspace" specdd/cli:latest init

GitHub Container Registry:

docker run --rm -v "$PWD:/workspace" ghcr.io/specdd/cli:latest init

After initialization, check that AGENTS.md and .specdd/bootstrap.md exist in your project. Use the same docker run prefix for other project commands, replacing init with the command and its arguments, such as update, check-update, or agentskills deploy.

JetBrains plugin

Use the JetBrains plugin for IDE support while editing .sdd specification files. It provides syntax highlighting, structural validation, section documentation, structure view entries, section and path completion, clickable project file references, unresolved path warnings, and create-file quick fixes.

Marketplace page: plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/31808-specdd

Install from the IDE:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Plugins.
3. Open the Marketplace tab.
4. Search for SpecDD.
5. Click Install and restart the IDE if prompted.

To install from the command line, use your IDE’s launcher. Depending on the IDE and launcher setup, it may be idea, idea.sh, or a product-specific launcher generated by JetBrains Toolbox. For the idea launcher, run:

idea installPlugins ai.specdd.idea

To verify installation, open a .sdd file containing Spec: Example and confirm that the IDE recognizes the file and highlights the section label.

Visual Studio Code and compatible editors

Use the extension for editor support while working with .sdd specification files in Visual Studio Code and compatible editors. It provides semantic syntax highlighting, strict diagnostics, document symbols, folding ranges, completions, hovers, document links for path and glob references, related-spec commands, workspace validation, and SpecDD file icons.

Source repository: github.com/specdd/vscode-plugin

Visual Studio Marketplace page: marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=specdd.specdd

Open VSX page: open-vsx.org/extension/specdd/specdd

Install from Visual Studio Code or a compatible editor:

1. Open Extensions.
2. Search for SpecDD.
3. Select the extension published by SpecDD.
4. Click Install.

Install from the command line in Visual Studio Code:

code --install-extension specdd.specdd

For compatible editors, use the editor’s extension marketplace or replace code with that editor’s launcher when it supports VS Code-style extension installation.

To verify installation, open a .sdd file containing Spec: Example and confirm that the editor recognizes the file and highlights the section label.

Agents & skills

SpecDD can give your AI coding assistant the same spec-driven development rules a human reads in .sdd files. If you use Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Antigravity, Junie, or Cline, start with the dedicated plugin below. If you use another tool that supports Agent Skills , install the universal Agent Skills package instead.

Dedicated agent plugins

These plugins package the SpecDD skills for each supported agent’s own install system. The Codex, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Antigravity, Junie, and Cline integrations are generated from the same shared source repository and expose the same SpecDD skills.

Source repository: github.com/specdd/agent-plugins

The shared skills help agents:

• Read a target project’s active .specdd/bootstrap.md chain.
• Use the SpecDD CLI for project setup, updates, checks, and Agent Skills deployment.
• Author or revise .sdd specs while preserving ownership, authority, and SpecDD language rules.
• Resolve local .sdd spec authority before editing.
• Orient themselves in a SpecDD project before work starts.
• Explain specs in concise human language.
• Plan changes under existing specs.
• Implement code, docs, tests, tasks, or spec changes under authority.
• Review diffs against active SpecDD contracts.
• Find, add, organize, and verify SpecDD tasks.
• Trace specs to code, tests, docs, changed files, and coverage gaps.
• Derive focused tests from governing specs.
• Refactor while preserving specified behavior.
• Debug by comparing failures to the governing contract.
• Turn specs into user or developer documentation.
• Classify change risk before work starts.

Codex

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-codex

Install from the SpecDD marketplace:

codex plugin marketplace add specdd/specdd --ref main
codex plugin add specdd@specdd

Claude Code

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-claude

Install from the SpecDD marketplace:

claude plugin marketplace add specdd/specdd
claude plugin install specdd@specdd

GitHub Copilot

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-copilot

Install each desired SpecDD skill separately with GitHub CLI.

GitHub CLI skill installs

GitHub CLI installs one skill at a time. Replace specdd-orient with any skill ID from the list below. See the gh skill install manual for command options.

Available skill IDs:

• specdd-adopt
• specdd-author
• specdd-cli
• specdd-debug
• specdd-do
• specdd-docs
• specdd-explain
• specdd-orient
• specdd-plan
• specdd-refactor
• specdd-review
• specdd-risk
• specdd-task
• specdd-test
• specdd-trace

gh skill install specdd/plugin-copilot specdd-orient

Alternative - universal Agent Skills: You can use universal Agent Skills as an alternative installation method.

Antigravity

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-antigravity

Install from the plugin repository:

agy plugin install https://github.com/specdd/plugin-antigravity.git

Junie

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-junie

The commands below use Bash or Zsh on Linux or macOS and require Git. Install for your user account by copying the skills into Junie’s user skills directory:

git clone https://github.com/specdd/plugin-junie.git /tmp/specdd-plugin-junie
mkdir -p ~/.junie/skills
cp -R /tmp/specdd-plugin-junie/skills/* ~/.junie/skills/

For a project-local install, run from the project root and copy the skills into .junie/skills/ instead.

Alternative - GitHub CLI: Use gh skill install with --agent junie --scope user; see the gh skill install manual .

Alternative - universal Agent Skills: You can use universal Agent Skills as an alternative installation method.

Cline

Source and install details: github.com/specdd/plugin-cline

The commands below use Bash or Zsh on Linux or macOS and require Git. Install for your user account by copying the skills into Cline’s user skills directory:

git clone https://github.com/specdd/plugin-cline.git /tmp/specdd-plugin-cline
mkdir -p ~/.cline/skills
cp -R /tmp/specdd-plugin-cline/skills/* ~/.cline/skills/

For a project-local install, run from the project root and copy the skills into .cline/skills/ instead.

Alternative - GitHub CLI: Use gh skill install with --agent cline --scope user; see the gh skill install manual .

Alternative - universal Agent Skills: You can use universal Agent Skills as an alternative installation method.

Universal Agent Skills

SpecDD also publishes an Agent Skills -standard package for clients that support the portable skills format. Agent Skills package procedural knowledge as version-controlled folders that compatible agents can discover and load when a task calls for them. This is the universal path for Agent Skills-compatible agents, including clients that do not have a SpecDD-specific plugin yet.

SpecDD Agent Skills source and install details: github.com/specdd/agentskills

For clients that support the format, see the Agent Skills client showcase . Check your client’s documentation for the skill directories it reads and whether it needs a reload after installation.

If your client reads .agents/skills/ in the project root, open a terminal in that root and run:

specdd agentskills deploy

That installs the skills into:

<project-root>/.agents/skills

To install into another project, replace path/to/project with its root directory:

specdd agentskills deploy path/to/project

For your user account, if your client reads ~/.agents/skills/, run:

specdd agentskills deploy --user

That installs into:

~/.agents/skills

If your client reads a different directory, or you prefer manual installation, clone the package and copy the specdd-* skill directories into the project or user directory specified by your client’s documentation. Each copied skill directory must contain its SKILL.md file.

Verify agent setup

After installing a dedicated integration or universal skills, follow your client’s instructions for reloading skills. Confirm that a skill you installed, such as specdd-orient, appears in the client’s skills list. If the client has no skills list, check that the skill’s SKILL.md file is in a directory the client reads.

In a project with SpecDD bootstrap files and a root .sdd spec, ask the agent:

Orient in this SpecDD project.

The response should identify the bootstrap files and relevant specs. If the agent cannot discover the skills, check the installation directory against your client’s documentation. Use the quickstart to set up a project, or follow the agent verification guide for more checks.