GenSpec MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that converts user stories into structured documentation including README, ROADMAP, and SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE documents through a guided approval workflow.

Overview

GenSpec MCP Server streamlines the documentation creation process by taking user stories as input and generating three key documentation artifacts:

• README.md - Project overview and setup instructions
• ROADMAP.md - Development roadmap and milestones
• SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE.md - Technical architecture documentation

The server uses a continuation workflow where each phase can be approved or edited before proceeding to the next phase, ensuring high-quality documentation output.

Features

• MCP Integration - Works seamlessly with Claude Desktop, VS Code with MCP extension, and Cursor
• Template-Based Generation - Uses predefined templates for consistent documentation structure
• Approval Workflow - Generate → Present → Approve/Edit cycle for each document
• Phase Dependencies - ROADMAP requires README, SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE requires both
• Multiple Entry Points - Start from any phase or run the complete workflow
• Resource Access - Exposes templates via MCP resource protocol

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18.0.0 or higher
• npm or yarn package manager

Install from npm

npm install -g genspec-mcp

Install from source

git clone 
cd genspec-mcp
npm install
npm run build

MCP Client Integration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "genspec": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["genspec-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code with MCP Extension

1. Install the MCP extension for VS Code

2. Add to your VS Code settings or MCP configuration:

{
  "mcp.servers": {
    "genspec": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["genspec-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "genspec": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["genspec-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Usage

The GenSpec MCP server provides several ways to start the documentation generation workflow:

Available Tools

• start_genspec - Run full workflow: README → ROADMAP → SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE
• generate_readme - Generate README, then continue through ROADMAP → SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE
• generate_roadmap - Generate ROADMAP, then continue through SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE
• generate_architecture - Generate only SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE

Available Prompts

• /start-genspec - Invokes start_genspec tool
• /start-readme - Invokes generate_readme tool
• /start-roadmap - Invokes generate_roadmap tool
• /start-arch - Invokes generate_architecture tool

Input Methods

The server accepts user stories in three priority order:

1. Inline text - Pass user stories directly as userStory parameter

2. URI reference - Provide userStoryUri for the client to fetch via MCP ReadResource

3. Local file - Falls back to USER-STORIES.md in the current directory

Workflow Example

1. Start the workflow:

Use the /start-genspec prompt or start_genspec tool

2. Review and approve/edit:

• Generated document is presented for review
• Respond with approval terms: "approve", "approved", "ok", "okay", "yes", "y", "lgtm"
• Or provide edit feedback to regenerate

3. Continue through phases:

• After approval, the workflow continues to the next phase
• Each phase follows the same generate → present → approve/edit cycle

File Structure

genspec-mcp/
├── dist/                   # Compiled JavaScript files
├── src/                    # TypeScript source files
│   ├── index.ts           # MCP server entry point
│   ├── server.ts          # GenSpecServer implementation
│   ├── types.ts           # Type definitions and constants
│   └── utils/             # Utility modules (Track B, C, D)
├── templates/              # Generation templates
│   ├── 1-generate-readme.md
│   ├── 2-generate-roadmap.md
│   └── 3-generate-system-architecture.md
├── _ai/docs/              # Generated documentation output
├── package.json           # Package configuration
├── tsconfig.json          # TypeScript configuration
└── README.md              # This file

Generated Output

All generated documents are saved to the _ai/docs/ directory:

• _ai/docs/README.md - Generated project README
• _ai/docs/ROADMAP.md - Generated development roadmap
• _ai/docs/SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE.md - Generated system architecture

Development

Building

npm run build

Development Mode

npm run dev

Running Tests

npm test

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: MCP server not detected by client

• Solution: Ensure the server is properly installed and the configuration file syntax is correct
• Check: Restart your MCP client after configuration changes

Issue: "ERR_MISSING_USER_STORIES" error

• Solution: Provide user stories via one of the three supported methods (inline, URI, or local file)
• Check: Ensure USER-STORIES.md exists if using the local file fallback

Issue: "ERR_MISSING_PREREQUISITES" error

• Solution: Generate prerequisite phases first (README before ROADMAP, README and ROADMAP before SYSTEM-ARCHITECTURE)
• Check: Use continuation workflow tools that include prerequisites

Issue: Templates not loading

• Solution: Verify that templates/ directory exists and contains the required template files
• Check: Ensure the package was installed correctly with all files

Issue: Permission errors writing to _ai/docs/

• Solution: Ensure the current directory is writable and _ai/docs/ directory can be created
• Check: Run from a directory where you have write permissions

Debugging

Enable debug logging by setting the DEBUG environment variable:

DEBUG=genspec:* npx genspec-mcp

Getting Help

• Check the MCP specification for protocol details
• Review template files in the templates/ directory for generation logic
• File issues or feature requests in the project repository

System Requirements

• Node.js: 18.0.0 or higher
• Memory: Minimum 512MB available RAM
• Disk Space: 50MB for installation and generated files
• Network: Internet connection for npm installation

Dependencies

Production Dependencies

• @modelcontextprotocol/sdk - MCP protocol implementation
• typescript - TypeScript compiler and runtime
• tsx - TypeScript execution engine

Development Dependencies

• @types/node - Node.js type definitions

Architecture

The GenSpec MCP server follows a modular architecture with five main tracks:

Core Components

• GenSpecServer (src/server.ts) - Main MCP server implementation
• Type System (src/types.ts) - Type definitions and constants
• Template System (src/utils/templates.ts) - Template loading and management
• Document Generation (src/utils/llm.ts) - Generation interface and context building
• Validation System (src/utils/validation.ts) - Input validation and prerequisite checking
• Approval System (src/utils/approval.ts) - Approval detection and edit feedback
• Phase Management (src/utils/phases.ts) - Workflow execution and coordination

MCP Protocol Support

• Prompts - Command-style prompts that invoke tools
• Resources - Template access via template:// URI scheme
• Tools - Document generation workflow tools

Workflow Management

• Phase Dependencies - Ensures proper generation order
• Continuation Logic - Seamless transitions between phases
• Single-Workflow Concurrency - Prevents conflicting workflows per workspace
• Approval Cycles - Up to 5 edit cycles per phase before abort

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.