# netlify-development

A skill that gives your agent Netlify build and deploy rules: serverless and edge functions, Blobs, Image CDN, build config. Useful when it writes functions or edits netlify.toml.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 665 installs · ★ 286
- Author: Mindrally
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Mindrally/skills/tree/HEAD/netlify-development/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-08
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/netlify-development

## What it does

The skill hands your agent a rulebook for Netlify projects. It walks through function types with their timeouts and paths: serverless for standard API endpoints, edge for touching requests and responses, background for long async work, scheduled for cron jobs. It also documents the `context` argument and the global `Netlify` object, where you read environment variables through `Netlify.env.*` rather than `process.env`.

Configuration belongs in code, in an exported `config` object, not in `netlify.toml`. Imports of Netlify packages stay unversioned. The `.netlify` folder is generated output and belongs in `.gitignore`, and function sources never go inside the publish directory.

Edge functions run on Deno, not Node.js. That narrows what you get: fewer Web APIs than Node, and npm packages with native binaries or dynamic requires may not work. Worth checking before you move logic with those dependencies to the edge.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill netlify-development -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill netlify-development -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/netlify-development/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill netlify-development -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/netlify-development/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Mindrally/skills netlify-development
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/netlify-development/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill netlify-development -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Mindrally/skills --path netlify-development
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/netlify-development/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Mindrally/skills --skill netlify-development -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/Mindrally/skills/tree/HEAD/netlify-development/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- pick a function type that fits the job and its timeout
- set custom paths and methods through the `config` object
- read environment variables at runtime without `process.env`
- redirect visitors by country using `context.geo`
- keep the generated `.netlify` folder out of git

## Example prompts
- Write a serverless function at `netlify/functions/hello.mts` that takes POST and returns JSON
- Add an edge function that redirects German visitors to `/de` and skips `/api/*`
- Review my `netlify.toml` and move the function settings into an exported `config`

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

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: 8b9f2822e6e75c8f.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 8b9f2822e6e75c8f
````text
---
name: netlify-development
description: "Best practices for building and deploying Netlify sites, covering serverless and edge functions, Netlify Blobs storage, the Image CDN, and build configuration. Use when writing Netlify Functions or Edge Functions, configuring netlify.toml or redirects/headers, managing environment variables across deploy contexts, working with Netlify Blobs, or setting up local development and deploy previews."
metadata:
  maintainer: Mindrally
  source: https://github.com/Mindrally/skills
---

# Netlify Development Best Practices

## Overview

This skill provides comprehensive guidelines for building and deploying projects on Netlify, covering serverless functions, edge functions, background functions, scheduled functions, Netlify Blobs, Image CDN, and deployment configuration.

## Core Principles

- Use in-code configuration via exported `config` objects (preferred over netlify.toml)
- Never add version numbers to imported Netlify packages (use `@netlify/functions`, never `@netlify/functions@1.2.3`)
- Only add CORS headers when explicitly required
- Leverage appropriate function types for different use cases
- Use Netlify Blobs for state and data storage
- The `.netlify` folder is generated tooling output, not user code — keep it in `.gitignore`
- Never put serverless or edge functions inside the publish/public directory
- Don't change the default functions or edge-functions directory unless explicitly asked to

## Function Types Overview

| Type | Use Case | Timeout | Path Convention |
|------|----------|---------|-----------------|
| Serverless | Standard API endpoints | 10s (26s Pro) | `/.netlify/functions/name` |
| Edge | Request/response modification | 50ms CPU | Custom paths |
| Background | Long-running async tasks | 15 minutes | `-background` suffix |
| Scheduled | Cron-based tasks | 30s | Configured schedule |

Function and edge-function source directories default to `netlify/functions` and `netlify/edge-functions`, but can be overridden in `netlify.toml`:
```toml
[functions]
  directory = "my_functions"

[build]
  edge_functions = "my-edge-functions"
```
`netlify.toml` settings override UI build-settings configuration.

## Serverless Functions

### Basic Structure
```typescript
// netlify/functions/hello.mts
import type { Context } from '@netlify/functions';

export default async (request: Request, context: Context) => {
  try {
    // Validate request
    if (request.method !== 'POST') {
      return new Response('Method Not Allowed', { status: 405 });
    }

    const body = await request.json();

    // Business logic
    const result = await processData(body);

    return Response.json(result);
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 8b9f2822e6e75c8f

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 8b9f2822e6e75c8f 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.

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