/ Spikes

The feedback loop for AI-assisted building

AI can build a prototype in an hour.
Turning feedback into action is still the slow part.

Quick Start · CLI Reference · Widget Docs · Hosted Dashboard · Self-Hosting

What Is This?

Spikes is a feedback tool for AI-assisted development. It lets reviewers leave targeted feedback directly on web pages — no screenshots, no "that button over there", no lost context.

Click any element. Rate it. Comment. Spikes captures the exact CSS selector, bounding box, and page context. Your AI agent gets structured JSON it can act on immediately.

No accounts required. No build step. Works on file://, localhost, anywhere.

Quick Start

1. Install the CLI

curl -fsSL https://spikes.sh/install.sh | sh
# Or: cargo install spikes

2. Initialize your project

spikes init                     # Defaults to hosted spikes.sh
# spikes init --self-host       # Opt out — scaffold a self-hosted config instead

spikes init creates .spikes/config.toml with a [remote] section pointing at https://spikes.sh by default. Pass --self-host (or answer s at the prompt) to skip the hosted defaults.

3. Add the widget to your HTML

spikes inject ./mockups/        # Injects widget script tag (uses configured endpoint)
spikes serve                    # http://localhost:3847

4. Collect and use feedback

spikes list                     # See all feedback
spikes list --json              # Feed to your agent
spikes list --rating no         # Find problems
spikes hotspots                 # Elements with most feedback
spikes resolve <id>             # Mark items done

CLI Commands

Command	Description
`spikes init`	Create `.spikes/` directory with config (hosted by default; `--self-host` to opt out)
`spikes list`	List feedback (`--json`, `--page`, `--reviewer`, `--rating`, `--unresolved`)
`spikes show <id>`	Show single spike details
`spikes export`	Export to JSON/CSV/JSONL/Cursor/Claude context
`spikes hotspots`	Elements with most feedback
`spikes reviewers`	List all reviewers
`spikes inject <dir>`	Add/remove widget from HTML files (`--endpoint <url>` overrides the configured endpoint)
`spikes serve`	Local dev server (`--port`, `--marked`, `--cors-allow-origin`)
`spikes mcp serve`	Start MCP server for AI agent integration
`spikes pull/push/sync`	Sync with remote endpoint
`spikes share <dir>`	Upload to spikes.sh for instant sharing
`spikes login/logout/whoami`	Authentication management
`spikes upgrade/billing`	Pro tier subscription via Stripe
`spikes deploy cloudflare`	Scaffold self-hosted Worker + D1

All commands support --json for scripting. See full CLI reference.

Viewing spikes for a hosted project:

The hosted dashboard at https://spikes.sh/dashboard lists every project you own and lets you drill into individual spikes (filter by page, rating, resolved, toggle resolved inline). Sign in directly in your browser: click Sign in, open the verification page, and confirm via the magic link sent to your email — no CLI required.

You can also hit the JSON API directly with your bearer token ($SPIKES_TOKEN from spikes login):

# GET /me/projects
# List all projects you own (with spike_count + last_activity)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPIKES_TOKEN" \
  https://spikes.sh/me/projects

# GET /me/projects/:key/spikes
# List spikes for one of your projects (paginated, filterable: page, per_page,
# filter_page, filter_rating, filter_resolved)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPIKES_TOKEN" \
  "https://spikes.sh/me/projects/my-project/spikes?page=1&per_page=50"

# PATCH /me/projects/:key/spikes/:id
# Toggle the `resolved` flag on one spike
curl -X PATCH -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPIKES_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"resolved": true}' \
  https://spikes.sh/me/projects/my-project/spikes/<spike_id>

# POST /projects
# Create a new project (user bearer only)
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPIKES_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"key": "my-project", "allowed_origins": ["https://example.com"]}' \
  https://spikes.sh/projects

# Single-line variant (copy-paste friendly)
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $SPIKES_TOKEN" https://spikes.sh/me/projects

All /me/* endpoints are user-scoped: you only ever see projects and spikes you own. Cross-tenant requests return 404 PROJECT_NOT_FOUND (enumeration-proof).

Security note: API keys (sk_spikes_*) and the admin SPIKES_TOKEN are not accepted on /me/* endpoints or POST /projects — those require a user bearer token from spikes login. The POST /spikes collect endpoint enforces a per-project origin allowlist and per-project rate limits; rejected widget requests surface as a small red #spikes-error-dot indicator on the widget button (404 / 403 / 429).

AI Agent Integration

Spikes speaks agent natively. Your AI coding assistant can read, write, and manage feedback without ever leaving its workflow.

npx spikes-mcp            # Zero-install MCP server — just works
# or: spikes mcp serve    # If you have the CLI installed

MCP Server — 9 Tools

spikes mcp serve starts a Model Context Protocol server that exposes 9 tools:

Tool	Purpose
`get_spikes`	List feedback with filters (page, rating, unresolved)
`get_element_feedback`	Get feedback for a specific CSS selector
`get_hotspots`	Find elements with the most feedback
`submit_spike`	Create feedback programmatically
`resolve_spike`	Mark feedback as addressed
`delete_spike`	Remove a spike
`create_share`	Upload files, get a shareable URL
`list_shares`	See your active shares
`get_usage`	Check usage stats, limits, and spend

Supports stdio and HTTP transports, local and remote data modes:

spikes mcp serve                              # stdio, local JSONL
spikes mcp serve --remote                     # stdio, hosted API
spikes mcp serve --transport http --port 3848 # HTTP for sandboxed agents

API Keys

Agents get their own identity. No email, no magic link, no human step:

spikes auth create-key --name "my-agent"   # → sk_spikes_...
spikes auth list-keys                       # See all keys
spikes auth revoke-key <key_id>            # Revoke

Keys support read/write/full scopes and optional budget caps.

Agent-Tier Billing

Consumption-based pricing for agent-scale usage. Pay per spike, not per seat:

spikes usage    # See current spend and limits

Budget enforcement returns 429 BUDGET_EXCEEDED when caps are hit — agents can check before they burn.

Context Exports

Export structured markdown optimized for agent consumption:

spikes export --format cursor-context > cursor-feedback.md
spikes export --format claude-context > claude-feedback.md

Discovery

llms.txt — All 9 MCP tools, parameters, agent quickstart
agents.md — Machine-readable landing page for agents
Smithery — Listed in the MCP server registry
spikes mcp install — Generates config for Claude Desktop / Cursor

Full details: llms.txt · agents.md

GitHub Action

Gate CI on feedback quality. The spikes-action fails builds when unresolved negative feedback exceeds your threshold.

name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  feedback-gate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: bierlingm/spikes/action@v0.3.1
        with:
          threshold: 0           # Fail if any blocking spikes
          ignore-paths: ""     # Optional: pages to ignore
          require-resolution: false

See action/README.md for full documentation.

Widget Attributes

Simple setup — just add your project key and you're ready to collect feedback:

<script src="https://spikes.sh/spikes.js" data-project="my-app"></script>

When you set data-project, feedback syncs automatically to https://spikes.sh/spikes. No need to configure an endpoint unless you're self-hosting.

Full configuration — all available attributes:

<script src="https://spikes.sh/spikes.js"
  data-project="my-app"
  data-position="bottom-right"
  data-color="#e74c3c"
  data-theme="dark"
  data-reviewer="Pat"
  data-collect-email="true"
  data-admin="true">
</script>

Self-hosting — point to your own backend:

<script src="/spikes.js"
  data-project="my-app"
  data-endpoint="https://my-worker.workers.dev/spikes">
</script>

Attribute	Description	Default
`data-project`	Group feedback by project key	`location.hostname`
`data-position`	Button corner: `bottom-right`, `bottom-left`, `top-right`, `top-left`	`bottom-right`
`data-color`	Accent color (any CSS color)	`#e74c3c`
`data-theme`	Modal theme: `dark` or `light`	`dark`
`data-reviewer`	Pre-set reviewer name	(prompts user)
`data-endpoint`	Backend URL for multi-reviewer sync. Optional — defaults to `https://spikes.sh/spikes` when `data-project` is set.	`https://spikes.sh/spikes` (with `data-project`), `/spikes` (local dev)
`data-collect-email`	Show email field in prompt	`false`
`data-admin`	Enable review mode features	`false`
`data-offset-x/y`	Button offset from edge	—

See Widget Attributes Reference for complete documentation.

Architecture

Spikes has three components that work together or standalone:

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│   CLI       │────▶│   Widget    │◄────│   Worker    │
│  (Rust)     │     │  (Vanilla   │     │ (Cloudflare │
│             │     │    JS)      │     │  + D1)      │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
     │                                            │
     │          spikes.sh (hosted)                │
     └────────────────────────────────────────────┘

CLI — Rust binary for local development, spike management, and deployment. Stores spikes in ~/.local/share/spikes/.

Widget — 14KB gzipped vanilla JS. Captures element selectors, bounding boxes, ratings, and comments. Works offline via localStorage.

Worker — Optional Cloudflare Worker + D1 backend for multi-reviewer sync, sharing, and hosted deployments. Lives in spikes-hosted/.

Development

CLI

cd cli
cargo build --release
cargo test              # 160+ tests
cargo run -- --help

Widget

cd widget
# Edit src/spikes.js
# Test by running: spikes serve from the project root

Widget Regression Tests

CI suite that catches the silent-data-loss bug class (e.g., widget loaded on a non-allowed origin failing to sync without surfacing the error):

cd tests/widget
npm install
npx playwright install chromium    # one-time
npm test                           # 23 tests: marker checks + happy/reverse/boundary specs (<60s)

Also wired into local agent-ci:

npx agent-ci run --workflow workflows-local/widget.yml

Worker

The Worker backend lives in the private spikes-hosted repo. To test it:

cd ../spikes-hosted/worker
npm test              # Worker test suite (vitest)
npx wrangler dev

Self-Hosting

Want your own backend? One command:

spikes deploy cloudflare    # Creates spikes-worker/ directory
cd spikes-worker && npx wrangler deploy

See Self-Hosting Guide for full setup with D1 database, authentication, and Stripe billing integration.

Share vs. Deploy Cloudflare: Which to Choose?

Use spikes share when you want instant sharing without any setup — files are uploaded to spikes.sh and served from our infrastructure. Great for quick reviews, client feedback, or when you don't want to manage a backend.

Use spikes deploy cloudflare when you need data isolation (feedback stays in your Cloudflare account), a custom domain, or want full control over the infrastructure. Self-hosting requires a Cloudflare account and a one-time deployment setup.

What's Changed (Recent Overhaul)

Security: PBKDF2 password hashing, path traversal fixes, XSS protection
Auth: Magic link authentication (no passwords to forget)
Billing: Stripe integration with Pro tier support
Testing: CLI test suite (Rust) + Worker test suite (in ../spikes-hosted/worker)
Architecture: Modular worker with clean separation of concerns
CI/CD: Automated testing and deployment pipelines

Detailed Documentation

CLI Reference — Complete command documentation
Widget Attributes — All configuration options
Self-Hosting Guide — Deploy your own backend
API Reference — REST API documentation
Rollback Guide — Emergency procedures

Why Spikes


Zero friction	One script tag, no signup required, no build step
Works anywhere	`file://`, `localhost`, any domain
Precise	Element-level feedback with exact CSS selectors
Agent-native	JSON everywhere, pipes, queryable CLI
Your infrastructure	Self-host or use hosted — your choice
Tiny	Widget is 14KB gzipped
Private	No tracking, your data stays yours

Pricing

Free forever. Pro if you want more.

No accounts required to start. Login when you need Pro features.

	Free	Pro
Price	$0 forever	Pay what you can
Shares	5	Unlimited
Spikes per share	1,000	Unlimited
Widget + CLI	Full	Full
Self-hosting	Yes	Yes
Password protection	—	Yes
Webhooks	—	Yes
Badge removal	—	Yes

MIT licensed. Payment is appreciation, not access.

spikes upgrade when you're ready. No pressure.

Website · Docs · GitHub · Issues

MIT License · Built for builders who work with AI.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 209 Commits
.agent-ci		.agent-ci
.beads		.beads
.factory		.factory
.githooks		.githooks
.github/workflows		.github/workflows
action		action
cli		cli
docs		docs
packages/spikes-mcp		packages/spikes-mcp
posts		posts
site		site
templates/cloudflare		templates/cloudflare
tests/widget		tests/widget
video		video
widget		widget
workflows-local		workflows-local
.gitignore		.gitignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
BRAND.md		BRAND.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CLAUDE.md		CLAUDE.md
CONTRIBUTING.md		CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE.md		LICENSE.md
README.md		README.md
install.sh		install.sh
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
smithery.yaml		smithery.yaml
tensions.json		tensions.json

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/ Spikes

What Is This?

Quick Start

1. Install the CLI

2. Initialize your project

3. Add the widget to your HTML

4. Collect and use feedback

CLI Commands

AI Agent Integration

MCP Server — 9 Tools

API Keys

Agent-Tier Billing

Context Exports

Discovery

GitHub Action

Widget Attributes

Architecture

Development

CLI

Widget

Widget Regression Tests

Worker

Self-Hosting

Share vs. Deploy Cloudflare: Which to Choose?

What's Changed (Recent Overhaul)

Detailed Documentation

Why Spikes

Pricing

Free forever. Pro if you want more.

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