nspec exposes 82 MCP tools organized across functional categories.
Query & Discovery
| Tool |
Description |
epics |
List all epics with progress percentages |
epic_specs |
Query specs belonging to an epic, optionally filtered by status |
show |
Full spec details (FR + IMPL combined) |
next_spec |
Highest-priority unblocked spec |
get_epic |
Currently active epic from session |
validate |
Run 6-layer validation engine on all specs |
estimate_loe |
Estimate level of effort for a spec |
blocked_specs |
Specs with blocked tasks, paused, or in exception state |
dep_graph |
Analyze dependency graph across active specs |
coverage_audit |
Full-suite coverage audit and candidate status |
discover_providers |
Discover available provider models and configuration |
loop_pipeline |
Return the resolved loop pipeline and agent map |
preflight |
Pre-flight state snapshot before /ngo execution |
context_audit |
Analyze CLAUDE.md for context budget and extraction candidates |
branch_status |
List all nspec/* branches with spec ID, PR status, ahead/behind main |
Spec Lifecycle
| Tool |
Description |
create_spec |
Create new FR+IMPL pair with auto-assigned ID |
activate |
Set spec to Active, persist as current work item |
advance |
Move spec to next status (Planning → Active → Testing → Ready) |
complete |
Archive spec to completed/done (requires APPROVED review) |
supersede |
Archive spec to completed/superseded |
park |
Pause a spec (sets IMPL to Paused) |
park_epic |
Park all non-completed specs in an epic |
exception |
Set spec to Exception state for human triage |
hold |
Put a spec on Hold (longer-term pause) |
recover |
Recover a spec from Paused/Exception back to Active |
reset |
Reset a spec to Planning status (clear all progress) |
start_design |
Move spec from Proposed to In Design |
force_archive |
Force-archive a spec stuck in inconsistent state |
init |
Initialize a new nspec project with full directory structure |
loop_init |
Initialize a loop session targeting a specific spec |
batch_import |
Batch import GitHub issues as specs |
branch_cleanup |
Clean up merged nspec/* branches |
Task Management
| Tool |
Description |
task_complete |
Mark IMPL task as complete |
task_block |
Mark task as blocked with a reason |
task_unblock |
Remove BLOCKED marker from a task |
criteria_complete |
Mark FR acceptance criterion as complete |
Atomic Review
| Tool |
Description |
review |
End-to-end atomic review: dispatch to agent, get verdict, write findings |
Priority & Dependencies
| Tool |
Description |
set_priority |
Change a spec's priority level |
swap_priority |
Atomically swap two epics' priorities |
add_dep |
Add a dependency to a spec |
remove_dep |
Remove a dependency from a spec |
unify_collisions |
Detect and resolve spec ID collisions after branch merges |
Review Workflow
| Tool |
Description |
review_spec |
Generate review prompt with diff, AC, and tasks |
write_review_verdict |
Write review verdict (APPROVED/NEEDS_WORK) to IMPL |
execute_agent |
Dispatch prompt to configured agent (Codex, Claude, Gemini) |
Refinement & Authoring
| Tool |
Description |
refine_fr |
Check if FR is skeleton, generate authoring prompt |
write_fr_refinement |
Write agent-authored content to FR file |
refine_impl |
Check if IMPL is skeleton, generate refinement prompt |
write_refinement |
Write agent refinement (tasks, LOE) to IMPL file |
Session Management
| Tool |
Description |
session_start |
Initialize work session (pending tasks, blockers, suggested action) |
session_save |
Persist session state for cross-session handoff |
session_resume |
Load persisted session state for a spec |
session_clear |
Archive active session and remove active link |
session_list |
List all sessions, optionally filtered by spec |
session_get |
Get a session by its session ID |
session_delete |
Delete a session file |
Checkout & Reservation
| Tool |
Description |
checkout |
Reserve a spec with a TTL lease (without activating) |
checkin |
Release a spec checkout reservation |
checkout_status |
List all active checkouts with TTL remaining |
checkout_heartbeat |
Extend the lease for a checked-out spec |
Multi-Agent Queue
| Tool |
Description |
queue_init |
Initialize queue from eligible specs in an epic |
queue_claim |
Atomically claim next unclaimed spec |
queue_release |
Release spec (back to queue or mark completed) |
queue_heartbeat |
Extend lease to prevent timeout |
queue_status |
Show agents, queued specs, completed count |
Swarm Orchestration
| Tool |
Description |
swarm_launch |
Launch parallel Claude Code agent swarm |
swarm_status |
Get swarm status: agents, progress, health |
swarm_teardown |
Kill agents, clean worktrees, clear state |
GitHub Integration
| Tool |
Description |
issue_import |
Import a GitHub issue as an nspec spec |
issue_list |
List GitHub issues from a repository |
issue_sync |
Sync spec status back to GitHub issues |
create_issue |
Create a GitHub issue from a spec |
Skills Management
| Tool |
Description |
skills_install |
Install skills to .novabuilt.dev/nspec/commands/ and sync to agents |
skills_list |
List available skills with source info |
skills_sync |
Re-sync skills from sources (update after nspec upgrade) |
skills_update |
Apply skills update with user's consent choice |
Testing
| Tool |
Description |
spec_tests |
Run only the tests relevant to a spec |
spec_test_files |
Manage test file entries in the IMPL Test Files section |
Audit & Observability
| Tool |
Description |
audit_record |
Record an audit event (blocked operation, guard trigger, agent action) |
Artifacts & Documentation
| Tool |
Description |
artifacts_list |
List all nspec-managed artifacts with modification status |
artifacts_sync |
Sync managed artifacts to current nspec version |
cheap_docs |
Generate documentation for a spec using a low-reasoning agent |