Pathmode

Build structured intent specs through Socratic AI conversation — right in your terminal.

No signup. No API key. Just add the MCP server and start talking.

The Intent Compiler turns Claude Code into a Socratic product thinking partner. Describe a problem, paste a support ticket, or explain what's broken — Claude challenges vague thinking, asks pointed questions, runs live quality checks on weak fields, and builds a structured spec.

> Help me write an intent spec for our checkout flow What's broken about it? When you say "checkout flow" — is the whole thing failing, or is there one specific moment where users bail? > Payment step times out and users get confused When you say "times out" — is that 5 seconds or 30? And what does the user actually see? A spinner? A blank screen? An error? > About 8 seconds, they see a spinner with no feedback Proposed Objective: "Reduce cart abandonment caused by payment step timeouts exceeding 3 seconds, where users see a spinner with no status feedback or recovery path." Does that capture it, or is there more to the pain?

When the spec is ready, Claude saves it asintent.mdand optionally exports as.cursorrulesorCLAUDE.md— so every AI agent in your project sees the intent as its implementation context.

{ "mcpServers": { "pathmode": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@pathmode/mcp-server"] } } }

> Help me write an intent spec for [your problem here]

intent.md— Structured spec with YAML frontmatter:

--- id: "intent_17291..." version: 1 status: "draft" --- # Fix Checkout Payment Timeout ## Objective Reduce cart abandonment caused by payment step timeouts exceeding 3 seconds. ## Outcomes - [ ] Payment completes in under 3 seconds (p95) - [ ] Users see real-time status during processing - [ ] Failed payments show actionable error with retry ## Edge Cases - Network timeout during payment: Show retry button, no double-charge - Unknown provider status: Hold order, notify user within 30s

.cursorrules— Agent-directive format for Cursor:

# CURRENT OBJECTIVE You are implementing: "Fix Checkout Payment Timeout" # SUCCESS OUTCOMES Your implementation MUST satisfy ALL of these: - Payment completes in under 3 seconds (p95) - Users see real-time status during processing - Failed payments show actionable error with retry

CLAUDE.md— Appends a<!-- PATHMODE:START -->section so Claude Code sees the intent in every conversation.

The package also ships 7 Claude Code skills that auto-trigger based on what you ask — no slash commands required.

npx @pathmode/mcp-server install-skills # project-local (.claude/skills/) npx @pathmode/mcp-server install-skills --global # global (~/.claude/skills/)

Restart Claude Code. The skills register at session start and auto-invoke when your request matches their description. Seeskills/README.mdfor details.

For teams shipping with AI agents, connect to yourPathmodeworkspace for dependency tracking, strategic context, and governance.

npx @pathmode/mcp-server@latest setup pm_live_...

{ "mcpServers": { "pathmode": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@pathmode/mcp-server"], "env": { "PATHMODE_API_KEY": "pm_live_..." } } } }

Works with Claude Code (.claude/settings.json), Claude Desktop (claude_desktop_config.json), and Cursor (.cursor/mcp.json).

Get your API key fromSettings > API Keysin thePathmode app.

{ "mcpServers": { "pathmode": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@pathmode/mcp-server", "--local"] } } }

"No Pathmode configuration found"This no longer causes an error. The Intent Compiler works without any configuration. Team features require an API key.

Tools return "not available in local mode"Most team tools require cloud mode. Set up an API key, or use--localfor basic intent reading.

Connection timeoutEnsure your API key is valid and has the correct scopes. Check your network connection topathmode.io.

setupstarts the server instead of the installerUse the latest package version:

npx @pathmode/mcp-server@latest setup pm_live_...

As a fallback, you can bypass setup entirely by setting the key directly in the MCP config:

{ "mcpServers": { "pathmode": { "command": "npx", "args": ["@pathmode/mcp-server"], "env": { "PATHMODE_API_KEY": "pm_live_..." } } } }

This MCP server connects to the Pathmode API (pathmode.io) to read and write intent specifications, workspace data, and constitution rules on behalf of the authenticated user.

TheIntent Compilerworks entirely offline — no data is sent to Pathmode servers. Specs are saved locally to your project directory.

Data collected (team features only):The server transmits your API key for authentication and sends/receives workspace data via the Pathmode API.

Data storage:The MCP server does not store data locally (exceptintent.mdfiles it creates and in--localmode). Persistent data is stored in Pathmode's cloud infrastructure.

Third-party sharing:No data is shared with third parties. The server communicates exclusively with the Pathmode API.

Full privacy policy:pathmode.io/privacy

- Intent Compiler page— Overview and setup guide
- Intent Compiler— Interactive setup and product overview
- Pathmode— Full platform for teams
- Issues

Score CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md, validate clarx-manifest.json, generate CI workflows, and pull repo scan findings into Cursor, Claude, or Grok.