---
title: Spec-Kit Commands
description: Structured specification workflow for AI-assisted development using GitHub's spec-kit methodology.
icon: file-text
---

Spec-Kit is a structured specification workflow from [GitHub's spec-kit project](https://github.com/github/spec-kit) that helps teams create clear, actionable specifications before implementation. Maestro bundles these commands and you can check for updates manually via Settings.

![Spec-Kit Commands in Settings](./screenshots/speckit-commands.png)

## Spec-Kit vs. Wizard

Maestro offers two paths to structured development:

| Feature | Spec-Kit | Onboarding Wizard |
|---------|----------|-------------------|
| **Approach** | Manual, command-driven workflow | Guided, conversational flow |
| **Best For** | Experienced users, complex projects | New users, quick setup |
| **Output** | Constitution, specs, tasks → Auto Run docs | Phase 1 Auto Run document |
| **Control** | Full control at each step | Streamlined, opinionated |
| **Learning Curve** | Moderate | Low |
| **Storage Location** | `.specify/` directory in project root | `Auto Run Docs/Initiation/` |

**Use Spec-Kit when:**
- You want fine-grained control over specification phases
- You're working on complex features requiring detailed planning
- You prefer explicit command-driven workflows
- You want to create reusable constitutions and specifications

**Use the Wizard when:**
- You're starting a new project from scratch
- You want to get up and running quickly
- You prefer conversational, guided experiences

Both approaches ultimately produce markdown documents for Auto Run execution.

## Viewing & Managing Commands

Access Spec-Kit commands via **Settings → AI Commands** tab. Here you can:

- **View all commands** — See descriptions and expand to view full prompts
- **Check for Updates** — Manually pull the latest prompts from GitHub releases
- **Edit prompts** — Customize any command (modifications are preserved across updates)
- **Reset to Default** — Restore a modified prompt to the bundled version

Commands marked with a Maestro badge (`/speckit.help`, `/speckit.implement`) are Maestro-specific and not updated from upstream.

## Core Workflow (Recommended Order)

### 1. `/speckit.constitution` — Define Project Principles

Start here to establish your project's foundational values, constraints, and guidelines. The constitution guides all subsequent specifications and ensures consistency across features.

**Creates:** `.specify/memory/constitution.md` — A versioned constitution document with core principles, technical constraints, team conventions, and governance rules.

### 2. `/speckit.specify` — Create Feature Specification

Define the feature you want to build with clear requirements, acceptance criteria, and boundaries. Creates a new numbered Git branch and initializes the spec directory structure.

**Creates:** `specs/<N>-<feature-name>/spec.md` — A detailed feature specification with scope, functional requirements, user scenarios, and success criteria. Also creates a `checklists/requirements.md` validation checklist.

### 3. `/speckit.clarify` — Identify Gaps

Review your specification for ambiguities, missing details, and edge cases. The AI asks up to 5 targeted clarification questions sequentially, encoding answers directly into the spec.

**Updates:** `specs/<N>-<feature-name>/spec.md` — Adds a `## Clarifications` section with session-dated answers, and propagates clarifications to relevant spec sections.

**Tip:** Run `/speckit.clarify` multiple times — each pass catches different gaps. Use early termination signals ("done", "good", "no more") to stop questioning.

### 4. `/speckit.plan` — Implementation Planning

Convert your specification into a high-level implementation plan. Includes technical context, constitution compliance checks, and multi-phase design workflow.

**Creates:** Multiple artifacts in the feature directory:
- `plan.md` — Implementation plan with phases and milestones
- `research.md` — Resolved unknowns and technology decisions (Phase 0)
- `data-model.md` — Entities, fields, and relationships (Phase 1)
- `contracts/` — API contracts in OpenAPI/GraphQL format (Phase 1)
- `quickstart.md` — Getting started guide (Phase 1)

### 5. `/speckit.tasks` — Generate Tasks

Break your plan into specific, actionable tasks with dependencies clearly mapped. Tasks are organized by user story and structured in phases.

**Creates:** `specs/<N>-<feature-name>/tasks.md` — A dependency-ordered task list with:
- **Phase 1:** Setup (project initialization)
- **Phase 2:** Foundational (blocking prerequisites)
- **Phase 3+:** User stories in priority order (P1, P2, P3...)
- **Final Phase:** Polish & cross-cutting concerns

Each task has an ID (T001, T002...), optional `[P]` marker for parallelizable tasks, and `[US#]` labels linking to user stories.

### 6. `/speckit.implement` — Execute with Auto Run

**Maestro-specific command.** Converts your tasks into Auto Run documents that Maestro can execute autonomously. This bridges spec-kit's structured approach with Maestro's multi-agent capabilities.

**Creates:** Markdown documents in `Auto Run Docs/` with naming pattern:
```
Auto Run Docs/SpecKit-<feature-name>-Phase-01-[Description].md
Auto Run Docs/SpecKit-<feature-name>-Phase-02-[Description].md
```

Each phase document is self-contained, includes Spec Kit context references, preserves task IDs (T001, T002...) and user story markers ([US1], [US2]) for traceability.

## Analysis & Quality Commands

### `/speckit.analyze` — Cross-Artifact Analysis

Verify consistency across your constitution, specifications, and tasks. Performs a read-only analysis that catches:
- **Duplications** — Near-duplicate requirements
- **Ambiguities** — Vague adjectives lacking measurable criteria
- **Underspecification** — Missing acceptance criteria or undefined components
- **Constitution violations** — Conflicts with project principles (always CRITICAL severity)
- **Coverage gaps** — Requirements without tasks, or orphaned tasks

**Outputs:** A structured Markdown report with severity ratings (Critical/High/Medium/Low), coverage metrics, and suggested next actions. Does not modify any files.

### `/speckit.checklist` — Requirements Quality Validation

Generate "unit tests for requirements" — checklists that validate the *quality* of your requirements, not the implementation. Each checklist item tests whether requirements are complete, clear, consistent, and measurable.

**Creates:** `specs/<N>-<feature-name>/checklists/<domain>.md` (e.g., `ux.md`, `api.md`, `security.md`)

Example items:
- "Are visual hierarchy requirements defined with measurable criteria?" [Completeness]
- "Is 'fast loading' quantified with specific timing thresholds?" [Clarity]
- "Are error handling requirements defined for all API failure modes?" [Gap]

**Note:** This is NOT for QA testing implementation — it validates that requirements are well-written before implementation begins.

### `/speckit.taskstoissues` — Export to GitHub Issues

Convert your tasks directly into GitHub Issues.

**Requirements:**
- `gh` CLI installed and authenticated
- GitHub MCP server tool (`github/github-mcp-server/issue_write`)
- Remote must be a GitHub URL

**Caution:** Only creates issues in the repository matching your Git remote — will refuse to create issues elsewhere.

## Getting Help

Run `/speckit.help` to get an overview of the workflow and tips for best results. This Maestro-specific command provides:
- Command overview with recommended workflow order
- Integration tips for Auto Run
- Links to upstream documentation

## Updating Commands

Spec-Kit prompts can be updated from the [GitHub spec-kit repository](https://github.com/github/spec-kit) releases:

1. Open **Settings → AI Commands**
2. Click **Check for Updates** button
3. Latest prompts are downloaded from the most recent GitHub release
4. Your custom modifications are preserved — edited prompts are not overwritten

The version number (e.g., `v0.0.90`) and last refresh date are shown at the top of the Spec Kit Commands section.

**Note:** Custom Maestro commands (`/speckit.help`, `/speckit.implement`) are bundled with Maestro and not updated from upstream.

## Tips for Best Results

- **Start with constitution** — Even for small projects, defining principles helps maintain consistency and catch violations early
- **Iterate on specifications** — Use `/speckit.clarify` multiple times to refine your spec; accept recommended answers for faster iteration
- **Keep specs focused** — One feature per specification cycle works best; use numbered branches (`1-feature-name`, `2-other-feature`)
- **Review before implementing** — Use `/speckit.analyze` after `/speckit.tasks` to catch issues before coding
- **Validate requirements first** — Use `/speckit.checklist` to verify requirements are clear and complete before implementation
- **Leverage parallelism** — With Maestro, run multiple spec-kit workflows simultaneously across different agents using worktrees