Spec Workflow MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Name: Spec Workflow MCP Server
Author: Pimzino

Why use it

Key features

Sequential Requirements → Design → Tasks with approval between each
Web dashboard on localhost:5000 with live updates
VSCode extension with in-IDE sidebar
11-language UI
Searchable implementation logs with code stats

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

spec-workflow-mcp.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spec-workflow-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
        "/path/to/project"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spec-workflow-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
        "/path/to/project"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spec-workflow-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
        "/path/to/project"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "spec-workflow-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
        "/path/to/project"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "spec-workflow-mcp",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
        "/path/to/project"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "spec-workflow-mcp": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest",
          "/path/to/project"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add spec-workflow-mcp -- npx -y @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest /path/to/project

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use Spec Workflow

Build a feature with a spec, not a vibe prompt

👤 Devs shipping medium-complexity features ⏱ ~90 min intermediate

When to use: You're about to ask Claude to "add OAuth" and dread the 500-line diff that will land in one go.

Prerequisites

Project path known — MCP is launched with /path/to/project as arg

Flow

Requirements

Use spec-workflow. Create a spec named oauth-login. Start with requirements — what are we adding, who is it for, what are the non-goals?✓ Copied

→ Requirements doc drafted, link to dashboard for approval
Approve + Design

I approved in the dashboard. Now write the design: components, data model, sequence diagram, error cases.✓ Copied

→ Design doc with concrete architecture
Tasks + Execute

I approved. Break into tasks. Then execute task 1.1 — just that one, stop after.✓ Copied

→ Task list created; only task 1.1 implemented with log entry

Outcome: A feature shipped with reviewable intermediate artifacts — not a mystery diff.

Pitfalls

Claude tries to skip straight to code — The MCP blocks it — but be explicit in prompts anyway: "do not implement yet"

Combine with: github · filesystem

Get a non-engineer stakeholder to approve a spec before code happens

👤 Teams with PM/design sign-off loops ⏱ ~60 min intermediate

When to use: You need PM approval before implementation and the PM doesn't read GitHub PRs.

Prerequisites

Dashboard URL shareable — Port-forward or expose localhost:5000 via ngrok for remote PMs

Flow

Spec

Draft the requirements doc for checkout-v2 and share the dashboard URL.✓ Copied

→ Doc + shareable link
Iterate via feedback

PM left 3 revision comments in the dashboard. Fetch them and revise the doc.✓ Copied

→ Doc updated with revision history visible
Execute post-approval

Approval just went through — proceed to design.✓ Copied

→ Next stage starts; approval timestamp logged

Outcome: Traceable approval chain from non-engineer stakeholders.

Pitfalls

Dashboard not reachable for remote users — Use Tailscale or ngrok with auth

Combine with: github

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

spec-workflow-mcp + github

Open a PR per approved task

After executing task 2.1, open a GitHub PR titled "feat(oauth): task 2.1" with the diff.✓ Copied

spec-workflow-mcp + filesystem

Store specs in-repo alongside code

Save the approved spec to /docs/specs/oauth-login.md and commit.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call	Cost
create_spec	name: str	Start a new feature	free
write_requirements	spec_id, content: markdown	First phase of any spec	free
write_design	spec_id, content: markdown	After requirements approved	free
create_tasks	spec_id, tasks: []	After design approved	free
execute_task	spec_id, task_id	Implement one task at a time	free
get_approval_status	spec_id, stage	Gate next stage	free

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: Local
Tokens per call: Proportional to doc/task size
Monetary: Free
Tip: Keep requirements concise — the approval cost is human time, not tokens

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Minimum scopes: filesystem-write (for spec docs)

Credential storage: None

Data egress: None — localhost dashboard

Don't expose localhost:5000 to the public internet without auth

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Dashboard won't load

Start it explicitly: npx -y @pimzino/spec-workflow-mcp@latest --dashboard

Verify: Visit localhost:5000

Port 5000 already in use (macOS AirPlay)

Pass --port 5050 or disable AirPlay Receiver in System Settings

Verify: Check with `lsof -i :5000`

Tasks stay in pending after approval

MCP client may be caching old tool results — restart the client

Alternatives

Spec Workflow vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
Plain Markdown in /docs	Solo dev with no approval loop needed	No structure enforcement, no dashboard
Linear MCP	You already use Linear for tasks and want Claude to touch issues directly	No spec-doc layer

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills