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AI Assistant Integration

SpecifyX integrates with popular AI assistants to enhance your spec-driven development workflow. This guide shows you how to configure AI assistants to understand and follow SpecifyX conventions.

Universal System Prompt Generation​

The get-prompt command generates a universal system prompt that works with any AI assistant to teach SpecifyX workflow across all projects:

Basic Usage​

# Generate universal SpecifyX prompt
specifyx get-prompt

Save to Global Configuration​

# Save to any AI assistant configuration
specifyx get-prompt --output ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md
specifyx get-prompt --output ~/cursor-settings/specifyx-prompt.md
specifyx get-prompt --output ~/.config/ai/specifyx-workflow.md

Universal Benefits​

The prompt is designed for universal compatibility:

  • Works with ANY AI assistant (Claude, Cursor, Copilot, etc.)
  • Works across ALL projects on your computer
  • Automatically detects SpecifyX projects
  • Adapts behavior only when SpecifyX is detected
  • No per-project setup required
  • No assistant-specific customization needed

What the Universal System Prompt Includes​

The generated system prompt teaches any AI assistant:

1. SpecifyX Project Detection​

  • Automatic detection of SpecifyX projects
  • Recognition of .specify/ directories and specs/ folders
  • Adaptive behavior based on project type
  • Graceful handling of non-SpecifyX projects

2. Spec-Driven Development Rules (SpecifyX Projects Only)​

  • Always encourage specification creation before implementation
  • Guide users through Specify → Clarify → Plan → Tasks → Analyze → Implement lifecycle
  • Push back on vague requests requiring clear specifications
  • Reference existing spec files for implementation decisions

3. Quality Practices​

  • NEVER hardcode values - use constants, configuration, or environment variables
  • Extract magic numbers and strings into named constants
  • Encourage testing when appropriate for the project
  • Maintain consistent project structure
  • Follow existing patterns

4. SpecifyX Commands & Workflow​

  • Available specifyx commands and their usage
  • File organization conventions
  • Template-based consistency requirements
  • Project structure standards

5. Universal Compatibility​

  • Works with any AI assistant without customization
  • No hardcoded assistant behaviors
  • Respectful of existing workflows
  • Professional but not pushy approach

Advanced Configuration​

Project-Specific Context​

The system prompt automatically includes:

## Project Context
- **Project**: your-project-name
- **Location**: /path/to/project
- **Spec-Driven Workflow**: Enabled/Disabled
- **Test-First Approach**: Enabled/Disabled
- **Current Feature**: feature-name (if detected)

Custom Injection Points​

Extend assistant behavior through injection points:

# .specify/custom_injections.py
from specify_cli.assistants.injection_points import InjectionPoint

# Custom workflow integration
custom_workflow = """
- Use project-specific linting rules
- Follow team code review process
- Integrate with custom CI/CD pipeline
"""

# Add to assistant configuration

Universal Integration Workflow​

1. Generate Universal System Prompt​

# One-time setup for any AI assistant
specifyx get-prompt --output ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md
# or
specifyx get-prompt --output ~/.cursor/specifyx-workflow.md
# or any other AI assistant configuration

2. Work Across All Projects​

Your AI assistant now:

  • Automatically detects SpecifyX projects
  • Adapts behavior when SpecifyX is found
  • Works normally with non-SpecifyX projects
  • Strongly emphasizes no hardcoding in all projects
  • Encourages SpecifyX workflow when appropriate

3. Per-Project Setup (when needed)​

# Only when starting new SpecifyX projects
specifyx init my-project
cd my-project
# No AI-specific setup needed - universal prompt handles everything

4. Verify Project Integration​

specifyx check  # Only in SpecifyX projects

5. Universal Benefits​

  • Works with ANY AI assistant
  • No per-project prompt setup needed
  • Automatic SpecifyX detection and behavior adaptation
  • Strong anti-hardcoding guidance across all projects
  • One prompt serves all your projects and assistants

Best Practices​

1. Update Prompts Regularly​

  • Regenerate universal prompt when SpecifyX version changes
  • Update global configuration as workflow evolves
  • Keep one universal prompt up-to-date for all assistants

2. Universal Configuration​

  • Use the same universal prompt across all AI assistants
  • Maintain consistency across your development environment
  • No need for assistant-specific customizations

3. Global Deployment​

  • Set up universal prompt once in each AI assistant's global config
  • Works automatically across all projects
  • No per-project configuration needed

4. Quality Focus​

  • Emphasize the anti-hardcoding principle in all development
  • Let the prompt guide quality practices across all projects
  • Trust the universal detection and adaptation logic

Troubleshooting​

Prompt Not Working​

  1. Regenerate universal prompt: specifyx get-prompt
  2. Verify global configuration file exists and is loaded
  3. Check AI assistant's configuration documentation

Assistant Not Following Workflow​

  1. Ensure universal prompt is properly configured in AI assistant
  2. Verify SpecifyX project indicators are present (.specify/ directory)
  3. Check that AI assistant is loading global configuration

Missing SpecifyX Detection​

  1. Initialize SpecifyX project: specifyx init
  2. Verify .specify/ directory exists in project root
  3. Universal prompt will automatically detect and adapt

Support​

For universal AI assistant integration issues:

  • Check specifyx get-prompt --help for command reference
  • Review your AI assistant's global configuration documentation
  • Report issues to SpecifyX GitHub repository