create-steering-documents

name	create-steering-documents
description	Create comprehensive steering documents for development projects. Generates project-specific standards, git workflows, and technology guidelines in .kiro/steering/ directory.
version	1.0.0
license	MIT
compatibility	["Claude Code","Cursor","VS Code Copilot","Windsurf"]
metadata	{"category":"project-setup","complexity":"intermediate","triggers":["create steering documents","setup project standards","initialize kiro steering","project guidelines"]}

Create Steering Documents

Create comprehensive steering documents for a development project based on the project type and requirements.

Usage

Create steering documents for [project description]

Examples

• Create steering documents for a React TypeScript e-commerce application
• Create steering documents for a Python Django REST API with PostgreSQL
• Create steering documents for a Node.js microservices architecture
• Create steering documents for a Vue.js component library

What Are Steering Documents?

Steering documents are contextual guidelines that influence how AI assistants approach development tasks. They contain project-specific standards, conventions, and best practices that help provide more relevant and consistent assistance.

How They Work

1. Always Included (Default): Documents without front-matter are included in every interaction
2. File Match Conditional: Documents with inclusion: fileMatch are included when specific files are in context
3. Manual Inclusion: Documents with inclusion: manual are only included when explicitly referenced

Process

1. Project Analysis

First, analyze the project requirements and determine which steering documents are needed:

For Frontend Projects (React, Vue, Angular):

• Include: project-standards.md, git-workflow.md, frontend-standards.md, development-environment.md
• Consider: component-library.md, testing-strategy.md

For Backend/API Projects (Node.js, Python, Java):

• Include: project-standards.md, git-workflow.md, api-design.md, development-environment.md
• Consider: database-standards.md, security-guidelines.md

For Full-Stack Projects:

• Include: All core documents plus technology-specific ones
• Consider: deployment-standards.md, monitoring-guidelines.md

For Library/Package Projects:

• Include: project-standards.md, git-workflow.md, documentation-standards.md
• Consider: versioning-strategy.md, publishing-guidelines.md

2. Core Document Templates

project-standards.md

# Project Standards and Guidelines

## Code Quality Standards
- Follow language-specific style guides (ESLint for JS/TS, Black for Python, etc.)
- Maintain consistent naming conventions across the codebase
- Write self-documenting code with clear variable and function names
- Include meaningful comments for complex business logic
- Keep functions small and focused on single responsibilities

## Testing Requirements
- Write unit tests for all business logic functions
- Maintain minimum 80% code coverage
- Include integration tests for API endpoints
- Write end-to-end tests for critical user flows
- Use descriptive test names that explain the scenario being tested

## Documentation Standards
- Update README.md for any significant changes
- Document API endpoints with clear examples
- Include setup and deployment instructions
- Maintain changelog for version releases
- Document architectural decisions in ADR format

## Security Practices
- Never commit secrets, API keys, or passwords
- Use environment variables for configuration
- Validate all user inputs
- Implement proper authentication and authorization
- Follow OWASP security guidelines

## Performance Guidelines
- Optimize database queries and avoid N+1 problems
- Implement caching where appropriate
- Use lazy loading for large datasets
- Monitor and profile performance regularly
- Consider scalability in architectural decisions

git-workflow.md

# Git Workflow and Branching Strategy

## Branch Naming Convention
- Feature branches: `feature/description-of-feature`
- Bug fixes: `fix/description-of-bug`
- Hotfixes: `hotfix/critical-issue-description`
- Releases: `release/version-number`

## Commit Message Format
Follow conventional commits format:

type(scope): description

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore

## Pull Request Guidelines
- Create PR from feature branch to main/develop
- Include clear description of changes
- Link related issues using keywords (fixes #123)
- Ensure all tests pass before requesting review
- Squash commits when merging to keep history clean

## Code Review Process
- At least one approval required before merge
- Review for code quality, security, and performance
- Check that tests cover new functionality
- Verify documentation is updated if needed
- Ensure no breaking changes without proper versioning

frontend-standards.md

---
inclusion: fileMatch
fileMatchPattern: '*.tsx|*.jsx|*.vue|*.svelte'
---

# Frontend Development Standards

## Component Architecture
- Use functional components with hooks (React)
- Keep components small and focused
- Implement proper prop validation
- Use TypeScript for type safety
- Follow component composition patterns

## State Management
- Use local state for component-specific data
- Implement global state for shared application data
- Use proper state management libraries (Redux, Zustand, Pinia)
- Avoid prop drilling with context or state management

## Styling Guidelines
- Use CSS modules or styled-components for component styling
- Follow BEM methodology for CSS class naming
- Implement responsive design with mobile-first approach
- Use CSS custom properties for theming
- Maintain consistent spacing and typography scales

## Performance Optimization
- Implement code splitting and lazy loading
- Use React.memo or similar for expensive components
- Optimize images and assets
- Implement proper caching strategies
- Monitor bundle size and performance metrics

## Accessibility Standards
- Use semantic HTML elements
- Implement proper ARIA attributes
- Ensure keyboard navigation support
- Maintain proper color contrast ratios
- Test with screen readers

api-design.md

---
inclusion: manual
---

# API Design Guidelines

## RESTful API Standards
- Use HTTP methods appropriately (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH)
- Follow resource-based URL patterns: `/api/v1/users/{id}`
- Use plural nouns for resource collections
- Implement proper HTTP status codes
- Include API versioning in URL path

## Request/Response Format
- Use JSON for request and response bodies
- Follow consistent naming conventions (camelCase or snake_case)
- Include pagination for list endpoints
- Implement proper error response format:

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Invalid input provided",
    "details": ["Email is required", "Password too short"]
  }
}

Authentication and Authorization

• Use JWT tokens for stateless authentication
• Implement proper token refresh mechanisms
• Use role-based access control (RBAC)
• Rate limit API endpoints to prevent abuse

Documentation

• Use OpenAPI/Swagger for API documentation
• Include request/response examples
• Document all possible error responses
• Provide SDK or client library examples

#### development-environment.md

```markdown
---
inclusion: fileMatch
fileMatchPattern: 'package.json|requirements.txt|Dockerfile|docker-compose.yml'
---

# Development Environment Setup

## Local Development
- Use Node.js version specified in .nvmrc file
- Install dependencies with `npm ci` for consistent builds
- Use Docker for local database and service dependencies
- Run linting and formatting before committing changes

## Environment Variables
- Copy `.env.example` to `.env` for local development
- Never commit actual environment files
- Document all required environment variables in README
- Use different prefixes for different environments (DEV_, PROD_, etc.)

## Database Management
- Use migrations for all schema changes
- Include rollback scripts for migrations
- Seed data should be idempotent
- Backup database before major changes

## Build and Deployment
- Ensure builds are reproducible across environments
- Use multi-stage Docker builds for optimization
- Include health checks in containerized applications
- Document deployment procedures and rollback steps

## Debugging and Logging
- Use structured logging with appropriate log levels
- Include correlation IDs for request tracing
- Set up proper error monitoring and alerting
- Use debugger instead of console.log for development

3. Content Customization

Language/Framework Specific Adaptations:

• JavaScript/TypeScript: ESLint, Prettier, Jest, package.json scripts
• Python: Black, flake8, pytest, requirements.txt, virtual environments
• Java: Checkstyle, Maven/Gradle, JUnit, Spring Boot conventions
• Go: gofmt, go mod, testing patterns, project structure
• Rust: rustfmt, Cargo.toml, cargo test, clippy

Project Scale Adaptations:

• Small Projects: Lightweight processes, minimal tooling
• Team Projects: Code review requirements, shared standards
• Enterprise: Comprehensive security, compliance, documentation

Domain Specific Considerations:

• E-commerce: PCI compliance, performance, security
• Healthcare: HIPAA compliance, data privacy, audit trails
• Finance: Security standards, regulatory compliance
• Open Source: Contribution guidelines, licensing, community standards

4. File Reference Integration

Include relevant external files using the #[[file:path]] syntax:

• OpenAPI specifications for API projects
• Database schemas for backend projects
• Design system tokens for frontend projects
• Configuration files for environment setup

5. Quality Checklist

Before finalizing steering documents, ensure:

• All documents have appropriate front-matter for inclusion logic
• Guidelines are specific and actionable, not generic
• Examples are provided for complex concepts
• No conflicting standards between documents
• Security and performance considerations are included
• Documentation covers the full development lifecycle
• File references are correctly formatted and valid

Output Structure

Create steering documents in the .kiro/steering/ directory:

.kiro/steering/
├── project-standards.md      (always included)
├── git-workflow.md           (always included)
├── frontend-standards.md     (fileMatch: *.tsx,*.jsx)
├── api-design.md             (manual inclusion)
└── development-environment.md (fileMatch: package.json)

Front-matter Options

---
inclusion: always|fileMatch|manual
fileMatchPattern: 'glob-pattern'  # for fileMatch only
---

Best Practices

Do:

• Keep documents focused and specific
• Use clear, actionable language
• Include concrete examples
• Reference external specifications
• Update regularly as project evolves
• Use appropriate inclusion mechanisms

Don't:

• Create overly broad or generic guidelines
• Duplicate information across multiple documents
• Include sensitive information or secrets
• Create conflicting standards
• Make documents too long or complex