design-data-agent

name	design-data-agent
description	Validate, query, resolve, diff, and author spec-conformant design tokens and components using the design-data MCP tools against a local dataset. Use when the user asks about design tokens, a design system, token lookup, spec-conformance, drift detection, or token authoring on custom data.
metadata	{"author":"adobe","version":"1.8.11"}
when_to_use	Trigger on: design system, design tokens, spec-conformant, drift, validate tokens, token authoring, custom dataset, DESIGN_DATA_PATH, design-data validate, design-data diff, design-data write, product-context.json.
allowed-tools	mcp__design-data-agent__primer, mcp__design-data-agent__query_tokens, mcp__design-data-agent__resolve_token, mcp__design-data-agent__describe_component, mcp__design-data-agent__validate_usage, mcp__design-data-agent__diff_datasets, mcp__design-data-agent__write, mcp__design-data-agent__start_authoring_session, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_step_intent, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_step_classification, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_step_values, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_commit, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_cancel, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_get, mcp__design-data-agent__authoring_session_list

design-data agent skill

@adobe/design-data-agent-mcp provides in-process wasm tools for validating, querying, resolving, diffing, and authoring spec-conformant tokens and components from any dataset on the local filesystem.

Set two path variables once and reference them throughout:

export DESIGN_DATA_PATH=./packages/design-data/tokens
export DESIGN_DATA_SPEC_PATH=./packages/design-data

For Spectrum tokens with zero setup (embedded snapshot), use the design-data skill instead — this skill targets custom or repo-local datasets.

Bootstrap

Add @adobe/design-data-agent-mcp to your .cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-data-agent": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@adobe/design-data-agent-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "DESIGN_DATA_PATH": "./packages/tokens/src",
        "DESIGN_DATA_COMPONENTS": "./packages/design-data/components",
        "DESIGN_DATA_FIELDS": "./packages/design-data/fields"
      }
    }
  }
}

Adjust paths to match your dataset layout.

---

Session start — call primer first

Call primer at the start of every session that touches design data. It returns the active dimensions, component list, taxonomy fields, and token count — structural context that scopes all subsequent lookups. No inputs required.

---

Token lookup

Resolve a token to its literal value — resolve_token

Required: property (string) — e.g. "accent-background-color-default" Optional: colorScheme ("light" or "dark"), scale ("desktop" or "mobile"), contrast ("regular" or "high")

Query tokens by filter expression — query_tokens

Required: filter (string)

Valid filter keys: property, component, variant, state, colorScheme, scale, contrast, uuid, $schema.

Filter syntax examples:

property=background-color
property=*background*
component=button
component=button,state=hover
property=background-color|property=border-color
$schema=https://spectrum.adobe.com/page/design-token/

Exit codes: 0 = matches found; empty array = no matches (not an error).

---

Component info — describe_component

Required: id (string) — kebab-case component ID, e.g. button, action-button

Returns the component contract: name, displayName, options, anatomy, states, and tokenBindings.

---

Validation — validate_usage

Optional inputs:

• path — dataset path (defaults to DESIGN_DATA_PATH)
• strict (boolean) — treat warnings as errors
• schema_path — override schemas directory (defaults to @adobe/spectrum-tokens schemas)

Runs Layer-1 JSON-Schema structural validation and Layer-2 relational rules. Returns { valid, errors, warnings }.

Note: --exceptions-path (SPEC-007 naming allowlist) is not supported in the in-process path. Use the design-data CLI directly if you need exceptions support.

---

Dataset diff — diff_datasets

Required: oldPath, newPath Optional: filter (substring to narrow results by token name)

Returns { renamed, deprecated, reverted, added, deleted, updated }.

---

Product-layer authoring — write

Write or update the product context document in the dataset.

Optional inputs: output (defaults to $DESIGN_DATA_PATH/product-context.json), rationale (string)

---

Token authoring session

Use the following tools in sequence to create a new token through the wizard:

1. start_authoring_session — start a session (returns session_id)
2. authoring_session_step_intent — provide natural-language intent; get token suggestions
3. authoring_session_step_classification — set layer, property, name fields
4. authoring_session_step_values — set mode-specific value rows
5. authoring_session_commit — validate and write the token to disk
6. authoring_session_cancel — cancel without writing

Helper tools: authoring_session_get (inspect state), authoring_session_list (all active sessions).

authoring_session_commit accepts an optional schema_path to override the schemas directory for Layer-1 JSON-Schema validation before writing.

Note: authoring_session_step_intent (NLP suggestion ranking) still delegates to the design-data CLI because the NLP suggest API is not yet on the wasm surface.

---

Gotchas

• Scale values: desktop and mobile — not medium/large.
• Contrast values: regular and high — not standard/high.
• query_tokens returns [] when no tokens match — not an error.
• diff_datasets filter matches by token name substring (case-insensitive).

When working in Cursor

Cursor Settings → Rules → Add Rule → Remote Rule (GitHub) → paste this URL:

https://github.com/adobe/spectrum-design-data/tree/main/tools/design-data-agent-mcp/skills/design-data