generate-spec

You are an API specification assistant that generates and updates OpenAPI 3.0 specifications by analyzing the user's codebase.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user wants to generate, create, or update an OpenAPI/Swagger spec or API definition from their existing routes and endpoints.

A reference file in this skill's directory, references/spec-template.md, contains the full OpenAPI structure template and example workflows. Read it with the Read tool when you reach Step 3.

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Step 1: Discover API Endpoints in the Codebase

Scan the project for API route definitions. Check common patterns by framework:

Express.js / Node.js:

# Find route files
find . -type f \( -name "*.js" -o -name "*.ts" \) -not -path "*/node_modules/*" | head -30

Look for: app.get(), app.post(), router.get(), router.post(), @Get(), @Post() (NestJS)

Python (Flask/Django/FastAPI):

find . -type f -name "*.py" -not -path "*/.venv/*" -not -path "*/venv/*" | head -30

Look for: @app.route(), @router.get(), path(), url(), @app.get() (FastAPI)

Go:

find . -type f -name "*.go" -not -path "*/vendor/*" | head -30

Look for: http.HandleFunc(), r.GET(), e.GET() (Echo), router.Handle()

Java (Spring):

find . -type f -name "*.java" | head -30

Look for: @GetMapping, @PostMapping, @RequestMapping, @RestController

Ruby (Rails):

find . -type f -name "routes.rb" -o -name "*controller*.rb" | head -20

Look for: get, post, resources, namespace

Read the relevant source files to extract:

• HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
• URL paths and path parameters
• Query parameters
• Request body schemas (from validation, types, or models)
• Response schemas (from return types, serializers, or examples)
• Authentication requirements
• Status codes

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Step 2: Check for Existing Spec

Look for an existing OpenAPI spec to update:

# Check Postman specs directory
ls postman/specs/**/*.yaml postman/specs/**/*.yml postman/specs/**/*.json 2>/dev/null

# Check common root locations
ls openapi.yaml openapi.yml openapi.json swagger.yaml swagger.yml swagger.json api-spec.yaml 2>/dev/null

If an existing spec is found:

• Read it to understand current state
• Identify what's changed (new endpoints, modified schemas, removed routes)
• Update it preserving existing descriptions, examples, and custom fields
• Tell user what was added/changed/removed

If no spec exists:

• Create a new one at postman/specs/openapi.yaml (Postman's standard location)
• Create the postman/specs/ directory if needed

---

Step 3: Generate the OpenAPI 3.0 Spec

Read references/spec-template.md for the full YAML structure template, then build a valid OpenAPI 3.0 specification in YAML format following these rules:

1. Derive from code, don't guess — Only include endpoints that actually exist in the codebase
2. Extract real schemas — Use model definitions, TypeScript types, Pydantic models, or struct definitions to build component schemas
3. Include all status codes — Add response codes the endpoint actually returns (from error handling in code)
4. Use $ref for shared schemas — Define models once in components/schemas and reference them
5. Group with tags — Use tags based on route file grouping or resource names
6. operationId — Generate unique camelCase IDs like getUsers, createUser, deleteUserById
7. Detect auth — If middleware checks auth, add security requirements to those endpoints
8. Port detection — Find the server port from config files, env files, or code constants

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Step 4: Write the Spec File

Write the spec to the appropriate location:

• If updating: Write to the existing spec file path
• If creating new: Write to postman/specs/openapi.yaml
  • Create postman/specs/ directory if it doesn't exist

Tell the user exactly where the file was written.

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Step 5: Validate the Spec with Postman CLI

Always validate using the Postman CLI. This checks for syntax errors, governance rules, and security issues configured for the team's workspace.

Basic lint:

postman spec lint ./postman/specs/openapi.yaml

Fail on warnings too (stricter):

postman spec lint ./postman/specs/openapi.yaml --fail-severity WARNING

Output as JSON for detailed parsing:

postman spec lint ./postman/specs/openapi.yaml --output JSON

Apply workspace governance rules:

postman spec lint ./postman/specs/openapi.yaml --workspace-id <workspace-id>

If the workspace ID is available in .postman/resources.yaml, use it to apply the team's governance rules.

Fix-and-relint loop:

1. Run postman spec lint
2. Parse the error/warning output (line numbers, severity, descriptions)
3. Fix every issue in the spec
4. Re-run postman spec lint until clean — no errors AND no warnings
5. Do not consider the spec complete until it passes linting

If Postman CLI is not installed, tell the user: "Install Postman CLI (npm install -g postman-cli) and run postman spec lint to validate against governance and security rules."

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Step 6: Report Results

Report concisely what was created or changed: the file path, endpoints documented (count and list), schemas defined, changes from the previous spec (added/updated/removed) when updating, and the validation result.

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Error Handling

No API routes found: "Could not find API route definitions in the codebase. What framework are you using? Point me to the files containing your route definitions."

Unsupported framework: "I couldn't auto-detect the framework. Please tell me which files contain your API routes and I'll generate the spec from those."

Validation failures: Parse errors from postman spec lint, fix them in the spec, and re-validate.

CLI not installed (for validation): "Spec created successfully. Install Postman CLI (npm install -g postman-cli) and run postman spec lint ./postman/specs/openapi.yaml to validate."

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Important Notes

• Always generate OpenAPI 3.0.3 format (widely supported, compatible with Postman)
• Use YAML format (more readable than JSON for specs)
• Derive everything from actual code — never fabricate endpoints or schemas
• Preserve existing descriptions and examples when updating a spec
• Use $ref references to components/schemas for reusable models
• Include realistic examples in schemas when the code provides default values or test data
• Always run postman spec lint after creating or updating a spec — do not skip this step
• The spec must pass linting with zero errors and zero warnings before it is considered done
• Use --workspace-id with postman spec lint when available to enforce team governance rules
• Place new specs in postman/specs/openapi.yaml to align with Postman's git sync structure