Local agents and tools

Use an agent in Specra desktop

Specra works with installed coding agents through the Agent Client Protocol. Choose an available agent in your codebase setup and select its model when supported. Use the agent's own sign-in and configuration to establish access to its provider.

Agent and model preferences can differ between project chat and individual Page or component conversations. Keep a focused task in the conversation that owns its context.

Specra account sign-in supports the desktop's account services. The former hosted MCP authoring endpoint has been retired; connecting an external client to it is no longer part of the design workflow.

Optional companion plugin

The Specra companion plugin provides local workflows for coding-agent clients that support plugins or skills:

• implement-ui: make a requested change using the codebase's existing design system and verify the exact preview.
• evaluate-ui: compare a local screenshot with the supplied design context and record a bounded review.

Follow the plugin repository's installation instructions for your client. These tools work from local code and supplied references. They do not require a hosted project, uploaded references, or a hosted MCP connection.

Reuse the repository's existing components and styling conventions. The plugin does not require migrating an established codebase to a different UI stack.

Preview and screenshot tools

Prefer the preview already visible in Specra or your client's browser tools. The plugin also includes helpers for detached captures and inspection when you need separate viewport evidence.

From the installed plugin directory, prepare the locked browser runtime:

bun install --frozen-lockfile
bun run install:browser

Run the helper by its absolute path from the target repository, and use --help for supported options. Verify the intended route, source component, and state; a successful HTTP response alone does not establish that the right preview rendered.

Existing artifact workflows

If your repository already contains DESIGN.md and theme.css, the plugin's local evaluator can use them with screenshots and optional references. The calling agent supplies its evaluation; the script does not call a hosted model service.

A saved screenshot can be evaluated without installing a browser. See Existing local artifacts for the role of those files.

Direct the task precisely

Describe the target, desired behavior, and context to preserve:

Refine this draft's settings controls using the codebase's existing field and button components. Verify the narrow layout and keyboard focus states.

Keep project references unchanged, create separate variants when requested, and promote draft work only through an explicit user action.