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SpecKit Companion

Install in Claude Code

If you run the Spec Kit commands in Claude Code, the mod keeps the run in view while you work. It shows the same steps, times and task counts as the VS Code viewer and the Copilot app board. You do not need the VS Code extension for this path. The mod draws in the Claude Code terminal and in the Code tab of the Claude Desktop app.

The path has the same shape everywhere: Spec Kit itself, then the Companion extension for Spec Kit, which is optional but recommended, then the one thing your tool needs. Install where you work has the other two places.

  1. Get Spec Kit

    Spec Kit is GitHub’s toolkit for spec-driven development. Its specify command sets a project up with the /speckit commands Claude Code runs.

    uv tool install specify-cli --from git+https://github.com/github/spec-kit.git --force

    This installs the GitHub build. The stock PyPI specify-cli has no extension command, so step 2 would fail with it. The command changes your global uv tools.

    Then set the project up for Claude Code, from its root:

    specify init --here --integration claude

    You should see

    A .specify folder in the project, and /speckit-specify among the commands Claude Code offers.

  2. Add the Companion extension for Spec Kit (optional, recommended)

    This is the engine half. It records each run, adds the Companion pipeline and Auto, and brings living specs. It needs Spec Kit 0.9.5 or newer.

    specify extension add companion --from https://github.com/alfredoperez/speckit-companion/releases/download/companion-latest/companion.zip --force

    Run it from your project root and copy it whole.

    Without it the mod still follows your run, from the files alone. Each step says when its document was last written, where a recorded run shows how long the step took. The Overview tab shows what the spec says, not what the run decided and checked.

    You should see

    A one-time untrusted source prompt. Accept it. Then Claude Code offers /speckit-companion-specify next to /speckit-specify.

  3. Add the mod

    You need Claude Code 2.1.287 or later. Check with claude --version.

    claude plugin marketplace add https://speckit-companion.dev/plugins/marketplace.json
    claude plugin install speckit-companion@speckit-companion

    In a session that is already open, load it with:

    /reload-plugins

    Then open the pane and pick the spec to follow:

    /speckit-tracker

    You should see

    Run /plugin. The line under the tabs lists speckit-companion among the active mods. /speckit-tracker opens the pane on its Specs tab.

  4. Check that it took

    Type /speckit-companion-specify and a small change you want. On stock Spec Kit, type /speckit-specify.

    You should see

    A line above the prompt naming the spec. In the pane, Specify is ticked when the turn ends, and the last line names the next command.

    The mod's pane during an implement run: Specify, Plan and Tasks ticked with their times, Implement running, the documents, and three of six tasks ticked.
    The pane a few steps later: each step with its time, the documents and the tasks.

    A run, step by step follows one spec from specify to implement.

If nothing shows, run /reload-plugins, then widen the terminal or run /speckit-tracker. The pane opens by itself only in a wide terminal.

Update it, or fix it

Section titled “Update it, or fix it”

Update later has the command for each piece. If something did not work lists what you might see and what to do.

Section titled “Related”