io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server

Official registry Developer tools

The API-change deploy gate for AI coding agents. Read-only breaking-change detection.

Install

Add this to your client's MCP configuration (Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json; Cursor: .cursor/mcp.json; VS Code and others use the same "mcpServers" shape).

NPM package specshield-mcp-server
Claude Code
claude mcp add specshield-mcp-server -e 'SPECSHIELD_API_KEY=<your specshield_api_key>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_API_URL=<SPECSHIELD_API_URL>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS=<SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL=<SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL>' -- npx -y specshield-mcp-server@1.1.1
JSON configuration (Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code)
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "specshield-mcp-server": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "specshield-mcp-server@1.1.1"
            ],
            "env": {
                "SPECSHIELD_API_KEY": "<your specshield_api_key>",
                "SPECSHIELD_API_URL": "<SPECSHIELD_API_URL>",
                "SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS": "<SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS>",
                "SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL": "<SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL>"
            }
        }
    }
}

Environment variables

  • SPECSHIELD_API_KEY required secret SpecShield API key
  • SPECSHIELD_API_URL Backend base URL
  • SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS Per-request timeout (ms)
  • SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL debug|info|warn|error

Documentation

From the project's README on GitHub, refreshed weekly. Links open on GitHub.

Contents
  1. SpecShield MCP Server
  2. Tools
  3. Install
  4. Configuration
  5. Example prompts (lead with the deploy gate)
  6. Security & privacy
  7. Local development
  8. License

SpecShield MCP Server

The API-change deploy gate for AI coding agents. Ask "is it safe to ship this API change to my consumers?" right inside Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients — and catch breaking changes before they reach your consumers.

It's a thin adapter over the SpecShield backend. Every tool is read-only / analyze-only — it never modifies your code.

Why not just diff specs? Plenty of tools (including free ones) list breaking changes. SpecShield's job is the decision: can I deploy this? — the deploy gate is the hero tool here.

⚙️ In CI/CD instead of an agent? The specshield CLI runs the same breaking-change and can-i-deploy checks in your pipeline (GitHub Action, exit codes). Same job, two entry points: this server for AI agents, the CLI for CI/CD.

Tools

#ToolWhat it answers
1is_change_safe ⭐Is this change safe to merge/deploy? Will it break consumers? (safeToMerge + risk + blocking reasons)
2explain_breaking_changesWhat breaks, developer & consumer impact, suggested migration
3generate_migration_guideMigration guide (markdown) + safe rollout steps
4generate_release_notesRelease notes for developer / customer / internal
5compare_specsThe raw diff (breaking / additions / modifications / warnings) + risk score
6run_governance_review 🔒API governance ruleset beyond breaking changes (missing operationId, error responses, security scheme, pagination, versioning…) → located findings + suggested fixes. Paid (Team+)

Tools 1–5 accept specs inline (baseSpecContent / targetSpecContent) or by path (baseSpecPath / targetSpecPath). run_governance_review reviews a single spec (specContent / specPath).

🔒 run_governance_review is a paid feature — a FREE API key returns a payment_required error. Upgrade at specshield.io/pricing.

Full setup, verification & troubleshooting: docs/mcp-server-setup.md.

Install

Requires Node.js ≥ 20 and a SpecShield API key (from specshield.io/account).

npx -y specshield-mcp-server
Claude Desktop

claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "specshield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "specshield-mcp-server"],
      "env": { "SPECSHIELD_API_KEY": "ss_your_key_here" }
    }
  }
}
Claude Code
claude mcp add specshield --env SPECSHIELD_API_KEY=ss_your_key_here -- npx -y specshield-mcp-server
Cursor

~/.cursor/mcp.json (or the project .cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "specshield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "specshield-mcp-server"],
      "env": { "SPECSHIELD_API_KEY": "ss_your_key_here" }
    }
  }
}

Configuration

Env varRequiredDefaultPurpose
SPECSHIELD_API_KEYyes—Your SpecShield API key. Store it as a secret; never commit it.
SPECSHIELD_API_URLnohttps://api.specshield.ioBackend base URL (override for self-hosted/staging).
SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MSno30000Per-request timeout.
SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVELnoinfodebug \info \warn \error (logs go to stderr).

Example prompts (lead with the deploy gate)

  • "Here are my old and new openapi.yaml — is it safe to ship this API change to my consumers?"
  • "Compare v1.yaml and v2.yaml and tell me if I can deploy, and why not."
  • "Explain the breaking changes between these two specs and how consumers should migrate."
  • "Generate customer-facing release notes for this API change."

Security & privacy

  • API key required. Sent only as the X-Api-Key header to your configured backend.
  • Read-only / analyze-only. No mutation tools, no shell execution, no arbitrary file access (a spec file is read only when you explicitly pass a path).
  • No secret or spec logging. The server never logs spec content, API keys, or request bodies; error messages are redacted and machine-readable.
  • Specs are sent to your configured SpecShield backend for analysis.

Local development

npm install
npm run build      # tsc → dist/
npm test           # vitest (no network)
npm run lint
npm run smoke      # boots the server against a stubbed backend and lists tools
npm start          # run the built server over stdio

License

MIT © SpecShield Software Private Limited

Frequently asked questions

What is io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server?

The API-change deploy gate for AI coding agents. Read-only breaking-change detection.

How do I install io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server?

It runs on your machine. In Claude Code: claude mcp add specshield-mcp-server -e 'SPECSHIELD_API_KEY=<your specshield_api_key>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_API_URL=<SPECSHIELD_API_URL>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS=<SPECSHIELD_TIMEOUT_MS>' -e 'SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL=<SPECSHIELD_LOG_LEVEL>' -- npx -y specshield-mcp-server@1.1.1. For other clients, paste the JSON configuration from this page into their MCP settings.

Does io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server need an API key?

Yes. It expects SPECSHIELD_API_KEY, which you set in its configuration.

Is io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server open source?

Yes. Its code is on GitHub under the MIT license.

Who maintains io.github.specshield-io/specshield-mcp-server?

It is published by specshield-io. AI.tn lists it but does not maintain or endorse it.

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