github-spec-kit/docs/reference/core.md

Core Commands

The core specify commands handle project initialization, system checks, and version information.

Initialize a Project

specify init [<project_name>]

Option	Description
--integration <key>	AI coding agent integration to use (e.g. copilot, claude, gemini). See the Integrations reference for all available keys
--integration-options	Options for the integration (e.g. --integration-options="--commands-dir .myagent/cmds")
--script sh|ps	Script type: sh (bash/zsh) or ps (PowerShell)
--here	Initialize in the current directory instead of creating a new one
--force	Force merge/overwrite when initializing in an existing directory
--ignore-agent-tools	Skip checks for AI coding agent CLI tools
--preset <id>	Install a preset during initialization

Creates a new Spec Kit project with the necessary directory structure, templates, scripts, and AI coding agent integration files.

Note

Git repository initialization and branching are managed by the git extension, which is not installed by default. Run specify extension add git after init to enable git workflows.

Use <project_name> to create a new directory, or --here (or .) to initialize in the current directory. If the directory already has files, use --force to merge without confirmation.

When --integration is omitted, interactive terminals prompt you to choose an integration. Non-interactive sessions, such as CI or piped runs, default to GitHub Copilot; pass --integration <key> to choose a different integration explicitly.

Examples

# Create a new project with an integration
specify init my-project --integration copilot

# Initialize in the current directory
specify init --here --integration copilot

# Force merge into a non-empty directory
specify init --here --force --integration copilot

# Use PowerShell scripts (Windows/cross-platform)
specify init my-project --integration copilot --script ps

# Install a preset during initialization
specify init my-project --integration copilot --preset compliance

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
SPECIFY_FEATURE	Override feature detection for non-Git repositories. Set to the feature directory name (e.g., 001-photo-albums) to work on a specific feature when not using Git branches. Must be set in the context of the agent prior to using /speckit.plan or follow-up commands.

Check Installed Tools

specify check

Checks that CLI-based AI coding agents are available on your system. IDE-based agents are skipped since they don't require a CLI tool.

This command stays offline. If a command behaves like an older Spec Kit version or an expected CLI feature is missing, run specify self check to check whether your local CLI is behind the latest release.

Version Information

specify version

Displays the Spec Kit CLI version, Python version, platform, and architecture.

To inspect local CLI capabilities without checking the network:

specify version --features
specify version --features --json

The JSON form is intended for scripts and coding agents that need to choose a workflow based on the installed CLI's supported features.

A quick version check is also available via:

specify --version
specify -V