# contentful-custom-app-from-scratch

Walks an agent through building a Contentful App Framework custom app: brief, location choice, scaffold, local test, handoff.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2800 installs · ★ 39
- Author: contentful
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/contentful/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/contentful-apps/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch

## What it does

The skill starts with a short implementation brief: what the app does, who uses it, which content model and locations are involved. Then it picks App Framework locations by workflow — `app-config` for install-time setup, `entry-sidebar` for entry context, `entry-field` to replace a field editor, `dialog` for focused flows, `page` or `home` for dashboards. App Actions and Functions come in only when the app needs server-side execution or secret values outside the browser.

If you already have a repo, the agent inspects `package.json`, build scripts and existing locations, then reuses your framework and package manager. No repo? It scaffolds with `npx create-contentful-app@latest <app-name>` and keeps TypeScript unless you ask for JavaScript. UI work follows Forma 36, and installation parameters are read from `sdk.parameters.installation` rather than fetched through CMA in mount effects or render paths.

The skill declares access to Contentful MCP tools (`mcp__contentful-mcp__*`, `mcp__plugin_contentful_contentful-mcp__*`), so a connected MCP server is a prerequisite — without it the skill has nothing to call. Before handoff it runs typecheck, lint, tests, a production build and a manual pass in a non-production space, and greps the source for `appInstallation.getForOrganization` or `appInstallation.get` calls. Content model migrations and website integration are out of scope here.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add contentful/skills --skill contentful-custom-app-from-scratch -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add contentful/skills --skill contentful-custom-app-from-scratch -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add contentful/skills --skill contentful-custom-app-from-scratch -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install contentful/skills contentful-custom-app-from-scratch
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add contentful/skills --skill contentful-custom-app-from-scratch -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/contentful/skills --path skills/contentful-apps/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add contentful/skills --skill contentful-custom-app-from-scratch -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/contentful/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/contentful-apps/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn an app idea into a brief and a working prototype
- pick App Framework locations that match an editor workflow
- scaffold a project with create-contentful-app
- build a sidebar app or field editor on Forma 36
- validate the app before handoff: build, tests, manual run

## Example prompts
- build a custom Contentful app that checks spelling in a field
- I need a sidebar app with a button that fires an App Action
- scaffold a new Contentful App Framework project and wire it to a sandbox

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 93d8c17f1957a208.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 93d8c17f1957a208
```text
---
name: contentful-custom-app-from-scratch
description: >-
  Design, scaffold, build, and validate a new Contentful App Framework custom
  app for a customer's own repository or workspace. Use when users want to
  create a custom app from an idea, choose App Framework locations, build a
  sidebar app, field editor app, page app, dialog, configuration screen, App
  Action, or Function-backed app, scaffold with create-contentful-app, or make a
  locally testable app for an organization-specific Contentful workflow. Also
  triggers on "build a Contentful app", "custom app from scratch", "App
  Framework app", "sidebar app", "field editor app", "page app", "app action",
  and "app function". Not for generic Contentful API examples (contentful-api),
  content model migrations (contentful-migration), or website integration
  (contentful-nextjs).
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: contentful
  version: "2.0.0"
allowed-tools: mcp__contentful-mcp__* mcp__plugin_contentful_contentful-mcp__*
---

# Contentful Custom App From Scratch

Use this skill to turn a customer app idea into a small, locally testable
Contentful App Framework implementation.

Default to the user's own repository, Contentful organization, and app delivery
workflow unless they explicitly choose another destination.

Public Contentful Marketplace apps and Contentful's public apps repository
(`https://github.com/contentful/apps`) can be useful references for mature App
Framework patterns, UX conventions, and configuration flows. Use them as
examples to adapt, not as required repo structure or publication process.

## Working Style

- Start with the app's job, primary users, affected content model, and target
  Contentful surface before writing code.
- Ask only for information that changes the architecture or prevents a wrong
  build.
- Prefer the smallest version that proves the value in a non-production space.
- Ground capability decisions in official App Framework docs and the current
  project structure.
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 93d8c17f1957a208

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 93d8c17f1957a208 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 1998 of 7244 bytes. © contentful · MIT · https://github.com/contentful/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/contentful-apps/contentful-custom-app-from-scratch/SKILL.md

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---
NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md