Glossary

Specify is built on core concepts such as sources, destinations, pipelines, parsers. This page will help you understand all of them.

Design API

A Design API is an API designed to synchronize information in your design system. This includes design tokens, assets, components and documentation.

Source

A source is a place that contains data you want to sync within your design system. Like a Figma file from which you sync your colors from. Or a GitHub repository containing your design tokens in JSON.

Destination

A destination is a place in which you distribute data in. Like a GitHub repository consuming colors coming from your design system or a Notion database in which you document your icons.

Pipeline

A pipeline is the route that connects a Source or a Destination to Specify. It helps you transform and synchronize data (e.g., design tokens) within your design system.

Repository

A repository is like a folder containing your design tokens and assets in Specify. Use repositories to store and organize your design data.

Token type

A Token type is a type of design token or asset supported by Specify like a colors, a text style or an icon. See all token types.

Configuration

By default Specify returns design tokens and assets in JSON. Configure it to generate design data compatible with your company standards (e.g., CSS Variables).

Rule

A rule is a part of your configuration that helps you transform one or several Token types the way you want. Like a rule to pull colors from Specify as CSS Variables in a CSS file.

Parser

Parsers are functions allowing you to transform design tokens and assets coming from Specify to fit your needs and company standards. See all parsers.