Developer Tom Dörr released "OpenSpec" on October 15, 2025, a workflow tool that generates and manages specifications (specs) for AI coding assistants. It runs without API keys and is designed to work alongside tools such as Claude Code and GitHub Copilot.
Public Beta · Spec-Driven Development
One Spec to Rule Every AI Coding Assistant
A new Claude extension interviews you, writes three Markdown spec files as a single Source of Truth, then auto-configures five AI coding tools to obey the same plan — fighting the architectural drift of "vibe coding."
5
AI tools aligned to one shared spec
3
Markdown spec files as Source of Truth
135
Automated test assertions in the suite
0
API keys required to install & run
The Workflow: Interview → Specs → Configs
Humans author detailed specs first; every agent then references the same plan.
1 · Interview
Short Q&A with the user
→
2 · Three Specs
requirements.md
→
3 · Auto-Configs
Per-tool files with a Universal Instruction Block
Claude Code CLAUDE.md
Cursor .cursorrules
Windsurf .windsurfrules
GitHub Copilot .github/copilot-instructions.md
Aider .aider.conf.yml
Inside the 135-Assertion Test Suite
Passed all automated tests & three end-to-end generation flows — but no natural-language testing by unknown users yet.
53
Generation-quality checks
WHY SUPPORTERS BACK SDD
Specs as a "living contract" enable parallel work by many agents
Compensates for context-window limits
Leaves auditable Markdown artifacts, traced by REQ- / TASK- IDs
Blocks code with no spec; a "Divergence Protocol" stops to ask
THE OPEN QUESTIONS
Procedural overhead could make things worse, like shunned heavy MDD
Real-world examples at team sizes above ten are scarce
Large-scale user evaluation still limited — recruiting 5 testers
Whether SDD becomes an established AI-era practice is unproven
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