# project-builder

Walks a project through design, scaffolding, incremental building, preview checks and systematic debugging. Fits requests like a dashboard, a web app or a recurring job.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 5200 installs · ★ 29
- Author: Starchild-ai-agent
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills/tree/HEAD/project-builder/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/project-builder

## What it does

Vague requests get turned into a spec first. The skill picks an architecture from a decision tree: periodic reports become scheduled tasks, a live interface goes to a preview server, one-off analysis stays inline, and a reusable tool turns into a script. For anything beyond small work it lays out the data flow, the chosen architecture, a cost estimate per run and known limits before code appears.

Then comes a fixed scaffold at `output/projects/{slug}/` holding `project.yaml`, `PROJECT.md`, `.env.example` and a `src/` folder. The project type decides the entry point: `src/run.py` for a task, `src/server.py` for a service, `src/main.py` for a script, `src/index.html` or `src/app.py` for a preview. Any environment variable the code reads must land in `.env.example` in the same edit.

Platform references are read before building: `config/context/references/sc-proxy.md` for outside API calls, `preview-guide.md` for previews, `scheduled-tasks-guide.md` for recurring work. Every external request runs through sc-proxy, which bills per call and enforces rate limits, so skipping that file leads straight to 401s. Pages users will see also have to go through the `ui-design` skill — build HTML without it and you get the usual generic output.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill project-builder -a claude-code
```

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

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill project-builder -a codex
```

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

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill project-builder -a cursor
```

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

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills project-builder
```

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

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill project-builder -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --path project-builder
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

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

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills --skill project-builder -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/Starchild-ai-agent/official-skills/tree/HEAD/project-builder/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- turn a fuzzy request into staged work with a fixed architecture
- scaffold a project with config, docs and a sample env file
- serve a dashboard in preview and check that it loads
- schedule a recurring job and watch its logs
- trace a bug that only shows up after local runs

## Example prompts
- Build a sales dashboard from this API — show me the plan and cost per run first
- Write a script that pulls a daily summary and sends me the report
- The preview broke — debug it step by step instead of guessing

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From the same set: [starchild-ai-agent/official-skills](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/starchild-ai-agent/official-skills.md) — 30 cards

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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