MCP Setup (Architect API)

The pre.dev MCP server gives any AI coding agent production-ready planning: full specs, architecture, and sequenced roadmaps, generated before a line of code is written.

Quick Start

pre.dev account

Make sure you’re signed in. The MCP install will open a browser tab to ask which account (solo or enterprise organization) to authorize.

Install the MCP Server

Claude Code
VS Code
Cursor - One-Click

Run this in your terminal:

claude mcp add --transport http predev https://api.pre.dev/mcp

A browser window opens — sign into pre.dev (if not already), pick which account or organization to authorize, and click Approve. Claude Code completes the handshake automatically.

For troubleshooting, see the Claude Code MCP documentation.

Run this in your terminal:

code --add-mcp "{\"name\":\"predev\",\"url\":\"https://api.pre.dev/mcp\"}"

Restart VS Code. On first tool use, VS Code opens a browser tab to authorize — pick which account or organization to connect.

For troubleshooting, see the VS Code MCP documentation.

Test the Integration

Open your AI coding agent and try this command:

Use pre.dev to generate a spec for a task management app

If successful, you’ll receive a comprehensive project specification!

Why your agent needs it

Coding agents drift on complex, multi-file projects when they plan as they go. The pre.dev MCP server front-loads the plan, so your agent builds against real architecture instead of improvising:

Complete system designs — database schemas, API contracts, component hierarchies
Sequenced roadmaps — milestones and stories your agent can execute in order
Technology decisions — auth, state management, and API choices made up front
Shared context — the same spec works across every tool that speaks MCP

Available Tools

fast_spec

Cost: ~5-10 credits (variable) | Speed: ~1 minuteQuick project specifications perfect for rapid prototyping and MVP planning.

Use pre.dev fast_spec to generate a spec for:
A social media app with real-time messaging,
photo sharing, and user profiles

deep_spec

Cost: ~10-50 credits (variable) | Speed: ~3-5 minutesComprehensive, detailed specifications ideal for enterprise projects and complex systems.

Use pre.dev deep_spec to generate a detailed spec for:
An enterprise CRM with AI-powered lead scoring,
automated workflows, and advanced analytics

Advanced Features

Context Integration

Build on existing work by referencing previous specs or projects:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to add payment processing 
to this existing project: [existing_context_id]

The MCP will automatically:

Fetch your existing context
Validate permissions
Generate new specs that build on your previous work

Documentation Scraping & Archives

Automatically scrape and archive external documentation alongside spec generation.Simply reference documentation URLs in your request:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to generate a spec for a payment system 
with Stripe integration. Reference https://stripe.com/docs/api

What you get:

✅ Accurate Specs: AI uses the documentation to generate precise integration specifications
✅ Documentation Archives: Downloadable ZIP files containing all scraped documentation
✅ Organized by Platform: Each documentation source gets its own well-structured archive
✅ Parallel Processing: Documentation scraping runs simultaneously with spec generation (no slowdown)
✅ Graceful Fallback: Spec generation completes even if documentation scraping fails

Enterprise users can view and download documentation archives from the API Usage Logs in their dashboard.Example with multiple docs:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to generate a healthcare platform spec 
with HL7 FHIR integration and HIPAA compliance. 
Reference https://docs.hl7.org and https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa

You’ll receive separate archives for HL7 and HIPAA documentation alongside your spec.

Cost Management

Check Your Usage: Visit pre.dev/projects/key to view remaining credits, usage history, and upgrade options.

Out of Credits?If you run out of credits, you’ll see this message:

❌ Insufficient Credits Available
You have insufficient credits to generate a spec.

Visit pre.dev/projects/key to upgrade your plan or purchase additional credits.

Common Use Cases

Rapid Prototyping
Enterprise Planning
Feature Addition
Technical Documentation

Perfect for MVPs and quick validation:

Use pre.dev fast_spec to generate a spec for: 
MVP of a food delivery app with restaurant listings, 
order tracking, and payment integration

Detailed specs for complex systems:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to generate a detailed spec for: 
Enterprise data analytics platform with real-time 
dashboards, multi-tenant architecture, and role-based access

Extend existing projects:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to add user authentication 
and authorization to this existing e-commerce project

Generate comprehensive documentation:

Use pre.dev deep_spec to generate technical documentation for: 
Microservices architecture with Docker, Kubernetes, 
and service mesh

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed

Re-run claude mcp add (or the Cursor one-click) to redo the browser authorization
Make sure you’re signed into the right pre.dev account in your browser before the consent page loads
If you’re an enterprise admin, pick the correct organization on the consent page — each org has its own credit pool
Check that your subscription is active at pre.dev/projects/key

Tool Not Found

Restart your editor after adding the MCP config
Verify the URL: https://api.pre.dev/mcp
Check JSON syntax in configuration

Get Started

API Reference

SDKs

MCP Setup (Architect API)

Quick Start

pre.dev account

Why your agent needs it

Available Tools

fast_spec

deep_spec

Advanced Features

Cost Management

Common Use Cases

Troubleshooting

​Quick Start

pre.dev account

​Why your agent needs it

​Available Tools

fast_spec

deep_spec

​Advanced Features

​Cost Management

​Common Use Cases

​Troubleshooting

Quick Start

Why your agent needs it

Available Tools

Advanced Features

Cost Management

Common Use Cases

Troubleshooting