spectra

Spectra

Content capture for marketing — screenshots, videos, and app usage sequences for blog posts, social media, and documentation.

Works across web (Chrome DevTools Protocol), macOS (accessibility bridge), iOS and watchOS (simulators).

Install

Via Claude Code plugin marketplace (recommended)

/plugin marketplace add tyroneross/spectra
/plugin install spectra@spectra

Manual install (development / library use)

Requirements: Node.js 22+, macOS (for native features), Xcode CLI tools (for Swift compilation)

git clone https://github.com/tyroneross/spectra.git
cd spectra
npm install
npm run build

Native bridge (macOS/iOS/watchOS automation)

# Compile the Swift binary to ~/.spectra/bin/spectra-native
npm run build:native

# Optional: compile the SwiftUI test fixture
npm run build:test-app

macOS permissions required:

• System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility — add your terminal app
• System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording — add your terminal app (for video capture)

Dashboard (web UI)

cd web-ui
npm install
cd ..
npm run serve    # → http://localhost:4300

---

Claude Code Plugin

Spectra is a Claude Code plugin. Install via the marketplace (see above) or locally for development:

# From another project, point Claude Code at the Spectra directory
claude --plugin-dir /path/to/spectra

Or add to .claude/settings.json:

{
  "plugins": ["/path/to/spectra"]
}

Slash Commands

Command	Purpose
/spectra:connect <target>	Start a capture session
/spectra:walk <description>	Walk through a flow with natural language
/spectra:capture	Screenshot current state
/spectra:sessions	List active sessions

Routing: Host-Routed vs Standalone

The primary Spectra path is host-routed. A host agent such as Claude Code, Codex, or another LLM coding host reads spectra_snapshot, plans the next action, and calls Spectra MCP tools to execute and capture. Spectra does not need a model API key for this path.

The standalone Spectra.app fallback is for sessions launched outside a host agent. In that case the app uses WalkthroughPlanner.swift and AnthropicClient.swift to plan locally, with the user's key stored in Keychain.

Use host-routed walkthroughs when working inside a coding agent. Use the standalone path when the menu-bar app is the only planner available.

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MCP Tools

spectra_connect

Start a new UI automation session.

Param	Type	Required	Description
target	string	yes	URL, app name, or sim:device identifier
name	string		Human-readable session name
record	boolean		Start video recording immediately

Examples:

target: "https://myapp.vercel.app"       → web (CDP)
target: "Finder"                          → macOS native (AX)
target: "sim:iPhone 16 Pro"              → iOS simulator
target: "sim:Apple Watch Series 10"      → watchOS simulator

Returns: { sessionId, platform, target, name }

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spectra_snapshot

Get the current accessibility tree snapshot.

Param	Type	Required	Description
sessionId	string	yes	Active session ID
screenshot	boolean		Include base64 screenshot

Returns: Serialized AX tree — compact element list with roles, labels, bounds, actions.

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spectra_act

Perform an action on a specific element.

Param	Type	Required	Description
sessionId	string	yes	Active session ID
elementId	string	yes	Element ID from snapshot (e.g., "e4")
action	enum	yes	click, type, clear, select, scroll, hover, focus
value	string		Text to type or scroll amount in px

Returns: { success, snapshot } — updated snapshot after the action.

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spectra_step

Natural language navigation — describe what to do, Spectra finds the element and executes.

Param	Type	Required	Description
sessionId	string	yes	Active session ID
intent	string	yes	What to do, e.g., "click the Log In button"

Returns: { resolved, elementId, action, confidence, snapshot } — plus optional screenshot.

Uses the Jaro-Winkler resolution engine to fuzzy-match intents to AX tree elements.

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spectra_capture

Take a screenshot or manage video recording. Supports intelligent framing modes.