LeanSpec CLI
A CLI, MCP server and skill for spec-driven development: short markdown specs, a task board and search that an agent can read.
- 300 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- The CLI and the agent create and change specification files in the project, and the web interface starts a local server.
Install
- Works in
Manual install
npm install -g @leanspec/cli && leanspec initThe first command of the Quick Start section. Requires Node.js 20 or newer.
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- The CLI and the agent create and change specification files in the project, and the web interface starts a local server.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
LeanSpec drives spec-driven development: a spec describes a feature before the code and the agent implements it from the text. `leanspec init` creates a project and specs live in a `specs` directory as markdown with metadata: status, priority, tags, assignee and `depends_on` and `related` links. Those files power `leanspec board` (kanban), `leanspec stats` (metrics and bottlenecks), `leanspec search` and `leanspec validate`, while `leanspec ui` opens a web interface at `localhost:3000`. Agents get the same set through the `@leanspec/mcp` server and the `leanspec` skill. The skill explains when to write a spec and when to code straight away, and how to find existing specs before creating one. Specs are kept under 2K tokens to avoid overloading the context.
Who it is for. Teams that keep agent tasks in markdown or plan to use GitHub Issues as the source of specifications.
Good fit when
- A large feature is described in a spec first and then handed to an agent to implement.
- Specs have grown and the agent loses context on long documents.
- Task status and priority should show on a kanban board right from the terminal.
- An MCP server is connected so that the agent searches and creates specs itself.
- Specs are linked by dependencies and it is unclear which ones block the others.
Not a fit when
- The task is small and is solved by one edit with no write-up.
- Ready Jira or Linear integrations are needed: providers for them are still only planned.
- The project already has another spec process and a second format would only confuse the team.
Example request
Create a spec for the CSV export feature, link it to the existing reports spec and show the board with `leanspec board`.Limitations
Of the spec providers only `markdown` with a local `specs` directory works. The GitHub Issues and Azure DevOps providers are marked as planned in the README table, Jira and Linear as future. Node.js 20 or newer and pnpm 10 or newer are required, and building the CLI from source also needs Rust 1.70. The last commit in the repository is from May 2026. The desktop app lives in a separate repository, `codervisor/lean-spec-desktop`, and part of the documentation is available in Chinese.
How to disable. Remove the package with `npm uninstall -g @leanspec/cli`, drop the `leanspec` entry from the MCP configuration and the skill from the agent's skills directory. The `specs` directory and the `leanspec.provider.yaml` file stay in the project.
FAQ
How do I install LeanSpec and get started?
Run `npm install -g @leanspec/cli && leanspec init`. It creates a `specs` directory and the configuration, and `npx -p @leanspec/cli leanspec init --example dark-theme` sets up a tutorial project.
How do I connect LeanSpec to Claude Code or Cursor?
Add a `leanspec` server to the MCP configuration with the command `npx` and the argument `@leanspec/mcp`. The skill is installed separately with `npx skills add codervisor/leanspec@leanspec`.
Where are the specifications stored?
In the `specs` directory as markdown files; the directory name is set by `directory` in `leanspec.provider.yaml`. Status, priority and tags sit in the file metadata.
What does the leanspec skill give the agent?
Process rules: when to write a spec and when to implement right away, how to find existing specs before creating one and how to keep them compact. The whole loop is described as Discover, Design, Implement, Validate.
Can specs be kept in GitHub Issues?
Not yet. The `github` provider is marked as planned in the README, and `markdown` is the only working option.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeanSpec (this card) | no | 300 | |
| Spec Kit | no | 148,171 | a neighbouring card about spec-driven development from GitHub; LeanSpec keeps specs in markdown and adds a board, statistics and a web interface |
| OpenSpec | no | 74,038 | another specification tool; LeanSpec stands out with a spec size limit and one interface across CLI, MCP and a web panel |
README in short
The author presents LeanSpec as a framework for any spec backend and compares it with Spec Kit, OpenSpec and Kiro on the project site. Supported agents include VS Code Copilot, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro CLI, Amp and others.