Presets

Presets customize how Spec Kit works — overriding templates, commands, and terminology without changing any tooling. They let you enforce organizational standards, adapt the workflow to your methodology, or localize the entire experience. Multiple presets can be stacked with priority ordering.

Search Available Presets

specify preset search [query]
Option Description
--tag Filter by tag
--author Filter by author

Searches all active catalogs for presets matching the query. Without a query, lists all available presets.

Install a Preset

specify preset add [<preset_id>]
Option Description
--dev <path> Install from a local directory (for development)
--from <url> Install from a custom URL instead of the catalog
--priority <N> Resolution priority (default: 10; lower = higher precedence)

Installs a preset from the catalog, a URL, or a local directory. Preset commands are automatically registered with the currently installed AI coding agent integration.

Note: All preset commands require a project already initialized with specify init.

Remove a Preset

specify preset remove <preset_id>

Removes an installed preset and cleans up its registered commands.

List Installed Presets

specify preset list

Lists installed presets with their versions, descriptions, template counts, and current status.

Preset Info

specify preset info <preset_id>

Shows detailed information about an installed or available preset, including its templates, metadata, and tags.

Resolve a File

specify preset resolve <name>

Shows which file will be used for a given name by tracing the full resolution stack. Useful for debugging when multiple presets provide the same file.

Enable / Disable a Preset

specify preset enable <preset_id>
specify preset disable <preset_id>

Disable a preset without removing it. Disabled presets are skipped during file resolution but their commands remain registered. Re-enable with enable.

Set Preset Priority

specify preset set-priority <preset_id> <priority>

Changes the resolution priority of an installed preset. Lower numbers take precedence. When multiple presets provide the same file, the one with the lowest priority number wins.

Catalog Management

Preset catalogs control where search and add look for presets. Catalogs are checked in priority order (lower number = higher precedence).

List Catalogs

specify preset catalog list

Shows all active catalogs with their priorities and install permissions.

Add a Catalog

specify preset catalog add <url>
Option Description
--name <name> Required. Unique name for the catalog
--priority <N> Priority (default: 10; lower = higher precedence)
--install-allowed / --no-install-allowed Whether presets can be installed from this catalog (default: discovery only)
--description <text> Optional description

Adds a catalog to the project's .specify/preset-catalogs.yml.

Remove a Catalog

specify preset catalog remove <name>

Removes a catalog from the project configuration.

Catalog Resolution Order

Catalogs are resolved in this order (first match wins):

  1. Environment variable — SPECKIT_PRESET_CATALOG_URL overrides all catalogs
  2. Project config — .specify/preset-catalogs.yml
  3. User config — ~/.specify/preset-catalogs.yml
  4. Built-in defaults — official catalog + community catalog

Example .specify/preset-catalogs.yml:

catalogs:
  - name: "my-org-presets"
    url: "https://example.com/preset-catalog.json"
    priority: 5
    install_allowed: true
    description: "Our approved presets"

File Resolution

Presets can provide command files, template files (like plan-template.md), and script files. These are resolved at runtime using a replace strategy — the first match in the priority stack wins and is used entirely. Each file is looked up independently, so different files can come from different layers.

Note: Additional composition strategies (append, prepend, wrap) are planned for a future release.

The resolution stack, from highest to lowest precedence:

  1. Project-local overrides — .specify/templates/overrides/
  2. Installed presets — sorted by priority (lower = checked first)
  3. Installed extensions — sorted by priority
  4. Spec Kit core — .specify/templates/

Commands are registered at install time (not resolved through the stack at runtime).

Resolution Stack

flowchart TB
    subgraph stack [" "]
        direction TB
        A["⬆ Highest precedence<br/><br/>1. Project-local overrides<br/>.specify/templates/overrides/"]
        B["2. Presets — by priority<br/>.specify/presets/‹id›/"]
        C["3. Extensions — by priority<br/>.specify/extensions/‹id›/"]
        D["4. Spec Kit core<br/>.specify/templates/<br/><br/>⬇ Lowest precedence"]
    end

    A --> B --> C --> D

    style A fill:#4a9,color:#fff
    style B fill:#49a,color:#fff
    style C fill:#a94,color:#fff
    style D fill:#999,color:#fff

Within each layer, files are organized by type:

Type Subdirectory Override path
Templates templates/ .specify/templates/overrides/
Commands commands/ .specify/templates/overrides/
Scripts scripts/ .specify/templates/overrides/scripts/

Resolution in Action

flowchart TB
    A["File requested:<br/>plan-template.md"] --> B{"Project-local override?"}
    B -- Found --> Z["✓ Use this file"]
    B -- Not found --> C{"Preset: compliance<br/>(priority 5)"}
    C -- Found --> Z
    C -- Not found --> D{"Preset: team-workflow<br/>(priority 10)"}
    D -- Found --> Z
    D -- Not found --> E{"Extension files?"}
    E -- Found --> Z
    E -- Not found --> F["Spec Kit core"]
    F --> Z

Example

specify preset add compliance --priority 5
specify preset add team-workflow --priority 10

For any file that both provide, compliance wins (priority 5 < 10). For files only one provides, that one is used. For files neither provides, the core default is used.

FAQ

Can I use multiple presets at the same time?

Yes. Presets stack by priority — each file is resolved independently from the highest-priority source that provides it. Use specify preset set-priority to control the order.

How do I see which file is actually being used?

Run specify preset resolve <name> to trace the resolution stack and see which file wins.

What's the difference between disabling and removing a preset?

Disabling (specify preset disable) keeps the preset installed but excludes its files from the resolution stack. Commands the preset registered remain available in your AI coding agent. This is useful for temporarily testing behavior without a preset, or comparing output with and without it. Re-enable anytime with specify preset enable.

Removing (specify preset remove) fully uninstalls the preset — deletes its files, unregisters its commands from your AI coding agent, and removes it from the registry.

Who maintains presets?

Most presets are independently created and maintained by their respective authors. The Spec Kit maintainers do not review, audit, endorse, or support preset code. Review a preset's source code before installing and use at your own discretion. For issues with a specific preset, contact its author or file an issue on the preset's repository.

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