[Feature]: Make branch creation configurable

[ramonduraes]

Problem Statement

Hi all,

Thanks for the work on this toolkit, it’s been really useful to structure spec-driven workflows.

I’d like to suggest making the automatic branch creation optional or configurable.

Right now, creating a new branch for each spec is the default behavior. This works well for teams using a branch-per-initiative model, but it can add friction for teams already using trunk-based development or custom branching strategies.

Proposal

It would be helpful to support something like:

• On first run, the specify command could ask whether the user wants to use automatic branch creation or not
• Persist this choice in a config file, for example .spec-kit.json
• A setting such as "branchStrategy": "auto" | "none" | "manual"
• Optional CLI flags like --no-branch to override behavior per execution

Why this matters

This would allow teams to adopt the spec structure without being tied to a specific Git workflow, making the toolkit more flexible and easier to integrate into existing engineering practices.

Happy to help or contribute if this direction makes sense.

Proposed Solution

It would be great to make the automatic branch creation optional and configurable.

On the first run, the specify command could prompt the user to choose whether to use automatic branch creation or not. This would allow teams to align the tool with their existing Git workflow from the start.

This preference could then be persisted in a config file, for example .spec-kit.json, with a setting like:

• "branchStrategy": "auto" | "none" | "manual"

Additionally, CLI flags such as --no-branch could be used to override the behavior per execution when needed.

This approach keeps the current behavior for teams that rely on it, while allowing more flexibility for teams using trunk-based development or custom branching strategies.

Alternatives Considered

No response

Component

Specify CLI (initialization, commands)

AI Agent (if applicable)

None

Use Cases

No response

Acceptance Criteria

No response

Additional Context

No response

[mnriem]

Does the --no-git do the trick for you?

See https://github.com/github/spec-kit?tab=readme-ov-file#specify-init-arguments--options