IDE Extension

Track your AI-DLC progress with the specsmd sidebar extension for VS Code and compatible IDEs

Overview

The specsmd IDE extension provides a visual dashboard for tracking your development progress across both FIRE Flow and AI-DLC Flow. Monitor runs/bolts, browse specs, and see project metrics—all from your IDE sidebar.

Works with VS Code-based IDEs including Cursor, Google Antigravity, Windsurf, GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, and Amazon Kiro.

Installation

VS Code Marketplace

Install directly from the Microsoft VS Code Marketplace:

1. Open VS Code (or Cursor, Windsurf, etc.)
2. Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for “specsmd”
4. Click Install

Or install via command line:

code --install-extension fabriqaai.specsmd

View on VS Code Marketplace

Install from the official VS Code Marketplace

Compatible IDEs: VS Code, GitHub Codespaces

Open VSX Registry

Install from Open VSX for VS Code forks and open-source IDEs:

1. Open your IDE (Cursor, Windsurf, Kiro, etc.)
2. Go to Extensions
3. Search for “specsmd”
4. Click Install

View on Open VSX

Install from the Open VSX Registry

Compatible IDEs: Cursor, Windsurf, Amazon Kiro, Google Antigravity, VSCodium, Gitpod, Google IDX, Eclipse Theia, Code-Server

Manual Install (VSIX)

Download and install the VSIX file manually:

1. Go to GitHub Releases
2. Download the latest .vsix file
3. In VS Code, open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
4. Run “Extensions: Install from VSIX…”
5. Select the downloaded file

GitHub Releases

Download VSIX for manual installation

Features

The extension supports both FIRE Flow and AI-DLC Flow. It automatically detects which flow you’re using and adapts the interface accordingly.

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FIRE Flow Views

If you’re using FIRE Flow (.specs-fire/ folder), the extension provides:

• Runs Tab - Track active runs and completed runs with file listings
• Intents Tab - Browse intents and work items with progress indicators
• Overview Tab - Project-wide metrics and quick actions

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AI-DLC Flow Views

If you’re using AI-DLC Flow (memory-bank/ folder), the extension provides three main views:

Bolts Tab

Track your bolt execution progress in real-time.

Current Focus

Shows active bolts being worked on with:

• Bolt name and type (DDD, Simple)
• Current stage progress
• Stage pipeline with status indicators
• Stories list with completion status

Up Next Queue

Shows pending bolts ready to be started:

• Unblocked bolts first (higher priority)
• Blocked bolts with dependency info
• Quick start button for each bolt

Recent Activity

Timeline of bolt and stage completions:

• Filterable by All, Stages, or Bolts
• Relative timestamps
• Click to navigate to files

Specs Tab

Browse your project specifications hierarchically.

• Intents - High-level goals with progress indicators
• Units - Cohesive work elements within intents
• Stories - Individual user stories with status

Click any item to open its markdown file.

Overview Tab

High-level project metrics and quick actions.

• Progress - Overall completion percentage
• Stats - Active, queued, done, and blocked bolts
• Suggested Actions - AI-recommended next steps
• Standards - Quick access to project standards

Activation

The extension automatically activates when it detects:

• A memory-bank/ folder in your workspace (AI-DLC Flow)
• A .specs-fire/ folder in your workspace (FIRE Flow)
• A .specsmd/ folder in your workspace

Make sure you’ve run npx specsmd@latest install first to set up your project structure.

Refreshing Data

The extension watches your memory-bank files for changes. To manually refresh:

• Click the refresh icon in the sidebar header
• Or use Command Palette: “specsmd: Refresh”

Troubleshooting

Extension not showing in sidebar

Ensure your workspace has one of these folders:

• memory-bank/ (AI-DLC Flow)
• .specs-fire/ (FIRE Flow)
• .specsmd/ (Either flow)

The extension only activates when these are present.

# Initialize specs.md first
npx specsmd@latest install

Data not updating

Click the refresh icon in the sidebar header, or check that your memory-bank files are saved.

Extension not working in Cursor/Windsurf/other IDEs

The extension is compatible with VS Code-based IDEs. Install from the correct registry:

• VS Code Marketplace — VS Code, GitHub Codespaces (Microsoft products only)
• Open VSX Registry — Cursor, Windsurf, Amazon Kiro, Google Antigravity, VSCodium, Gitpod, Google IDX, Eclipse Theia, Code-Server
• VSIX file — Manual installation for any compatible IDE

Next Steps

Choose Your Flow

Compare Simple, FIRE, and AI-DLC flows

FIRE Quick Start

Ship your first feature with FIRE Flow