Corbell Spec Generator
AI-powered spec generation and review using multi-repo code graph intelligence for backend teams that ship to production.
What is Corbell Spec Generator?
Corbell Spec Generator is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to ai-powered spec generation and review using multi-repo code graph intelligence for backend teams that ship to production.
AI-powered spec generation and review using multi-repo code graph intelligence for backend teams that ship to production.
This server falls under the Coding Agents category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- AI-powered spec generation and review using multi-repo code
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx corbellConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Corbell Spec Generator
Corbell is an AI-powered spec generation and review tool that builds a multi-repository code graph of your backend codebase and uses it to produce accurate, context-aware technical specifications. It uses tree-sitter for static analysis and sentence-transformers for semantic code search to understand service dependencies, call paths, and typed method signatures across your entire codebase — not just a single file. Backend teams use Corbell to automate the grunt work of writing design docs, review existing specs against what the code actually does, and export finalized specs directly to Jira, Linear, or Notion. It exposes its graph queries and code search capabilities as MCP tools for use inside Cursor, Claude Desktop, and other IDE integrations.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.11 or higher
- At least one AI provider API key: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for Claude or OPENAI_API_KEY for GPT-4o
- Git repositories containing the backend code you want to analyze
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Cursor
- Optional: Jira API token (CORBELL_JIRA_API_TOKEN), Linear API key (CORBELL_LINEAR_API_KEY), or Notion credentials for spec export
Install Corbell with your preferred AI provider
Install Corbell via pip. Include extras for your chosen LLM provider and any export integrations you need.
pip install "corbell[anthropic]" # for Claude
# or
pip install "corbell[openai]" # for GPT-4o
# or all integrations:
pip install "corbell[anthropic,openai,notion,linear,jira]"Set environment variables
Export your AI provider key and any integration keys you need. CORBELL_WORKSPACE can point to a parent directory containing multiple repos.
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_key
# or
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key
# Optional integrations:
export CORBELL_JIRA_API_TOKEN=your_jira_token
export CORBELL_LINEAR_API_KEY=your_linear_key
export CORBELL_LINEAR_TEAM_ID=your_team_id
export CORBELL_WORKSPACE=/path/to/your/reposInitialize Corbell in your workspace
Run corbell init inside your repository or workspace directory. This sets up the configuration and prepares for graph building.
cd /path/to/your/workspace
corbell initBuild the code graph
Build the multi-repo code graph with method-level analysis. This step uses tree-sitter to parse your code and build the knowledge graph that powers spec generation.
corbell graph build --methodsStart the MCP server for IDE integration
Launch Corbell's MCP server to expose graph queries and code search to Claude Desktop or Cursor.
corbell mcp serveConfigure your MCP client
Add Corbell to your claude_desktop_config.json or Cursor MCP settings to enable AI-assisted spec generation directly in your editor.
{
"mcpServers": {
"corbell": {
"command": "corbell",
"args": ["mcp", "serve"],
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_anthropic_key",
"CORBELL_WORKSPACE": "/path/to/your/repos"
}
}
}
}Generate your first spec
Use the CLI to generate a spec for a new feature, pointing Corbell to a PRD file or describing the feature directly.
corbell spec new --feature "Payment Retry Logic" --prd-file prd.md
corbell spec review specs/payment-retry.mdCorbell Spec Generator Examples
Client configuration
Add Corbell to your claude_desktop_config.json. The mcp serve subcommand exposes graph queries, code search, and spec tools over the MCP protocol.
{
"mcpServers": {
"corbell": {
"command": "corbell",
"args": ["mcp", "serve"],
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_anthropic_key",
"CORBELL_WORKSPACE": "/path/to/your/backend/repos"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
These prompts use Corbell's code graph intelligence to generate specs, analyze dependencies, and review existing design documents.
- "Generate a technical spec for adding a payment retry mechanism to our checkout service"
- "Show me the call graph for the UserAuthService and all services it depends on"
- "Review the spec in specs/payment-retry.md and check if it matches what the code actually does"
- "Find all methods in the codebase that call the sendEmail function"
- "Export the payment retry spec to a Linear issue in our backend team"Troubleshooting Corbell Spec Generator
corbell graph build fails with parse errors
Corbell uses tree-sitter for static analysis, which requires supported language grammars. Ensure your code is in a supported language (Python, TypeScript, Go, etc.). Check that CORBELL_WORKSPACE is set to the correct directory containing your source repositories.
Spec generation produces generic output not grounded in the codebase
Run corbell graph build --methods before generating specs. Without the method-level graph, Corbell cannot discover service dependencies or typed signatures. Also confirm CORBELL_WORKSPACE points to the repos containing the relevant backend code.
Export to Linear or Jira fails
Verify CORBELL_LINEAR_API_KEY and CORBELL_LINEAR_TEAM_ID (for Linear) or CORBELL_JIRA_API_TOKEN (for Jira) are set correctly. Install the appropriate extras: pip install 'corbell[linear]' or pip install 'corbell[jira]'.
Frequently Asked Questions about Corbell Spec Generator
What is Corbell Spec Generator?
Corbell Spec Generator is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that ai-powered spec generation and review using multi-repo code graph intelligence for backend teams that ship to production. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Corbell Spec Generator?
Follow the installation instructions on the Corbell Spec Generator GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Corbell Spec Generator?
Corbell Spec Generator works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Corbell Spec Generator free to use?
Yes, Corbell Spec Generator is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Corbell Spec Generator in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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