guild-product-template

name	guild-product-template
description	Product-loop TEMPLATE producer — seeds a product idea from a named `guild.template.v1` (cli-tool, web-app, …) into a VALID `guild.explore.v1` + `guild.define.v1` skeleton pair, so the product loop starts from a proven contract. Resolves the template by id, instantiates via the `scripts/instantiate-template.ts` producer (reuses the LW3-1 instantiator + W1 validators, fails closed), and writes the skeletons under `.guild/`. TRIGGER when a product-loop idea matches a known archetype and the operator wants to scaffold from a template ("start from the CLI template", "scaffold a web-app product", "use the <id> template", "seed explore/define from a template"). Seeds artifacts only (refine via guild:product-explore / guild:product-define); never plans, builds, or edits runtime permission/skill/agent files (AC37 no-self-edit). DO NOT TRIGGER for engineering/maintenance prompts, idea exploration with no template (guild:product-explore), PRD authoring (guild:product-define), team composition, or code edits.
when_to_use	Inside the product loop, when a vague idea maps to a known product archetype and the operator wants a template-seeded explore/define skeleton rather than authoring from scratch. Runs before — or as the seed for — guild:product-explore / guild:product-define. Skip it when there is no matching template (fall straight through to guild:product-explore).
type	meta

guild:product-template

A product-loop seeding step. When a product idea matches a known archetype (a CLI tool, a web app, …), this skill instantiates the matching guild.template.v1 into a valid guild.explore.v1 + guild.define.v1 skeleton pair, so guild:product-explore and guild:product-define refine a real, typed contract instead of a blank page.

It seeds artifacts only. It does NOT author the final PRD, plan lanes, compose a team, or build. It NEVER edits a runtime permission, skill, or agent file (AC37 no-self-edit) — it writes only under the run's .guild/explore/ and .guild/define/ artifact dirs.

When to use it

• A product-loop idea maps to a known product archetype and the operator wants to scaffold from a template ("start from the CLI template", "scaffold a web-app product", "use the <id> template").

When NOT to use it

• No matching template exists → fall through to guild:product-explore (author from scratch).
• Engineering / maintenance prompts (bug fix, plan-this-feature, PR review, refactor, deploy).
• Writing the PRD / acceptance criteria → guild:product-define.
• Planning lanes, composing a team, or editing code / runtime files.

Available templates

The product templates live at ${GUILD_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.local/share/guild/dist/claude-code}}/templates/products/<id>.template.json (each a guild.template.v1). Discover the set with:

ls "${GUILD_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.local/share/guild/dist/claude-code}}/templates/products/"

Each template carries the AC37 field set — specialists, context_questions, artifact_skeletons{explore,define}, default_checks, docs_expectations, release_gates. The artifact_skeletons are the seeds this skill instantiates.

How to produce (deterministic — run the producer, do not hand-author)

Instantiation is deterministic code, not prose — always run the producer CLI; never reconstruct the explore/define JSON by hand. The CLI reuses the LW3-1 instantiator and re-validates the result with the W1 validators, failing closed (non-zero exit) on an invalid template or a skeleton that would not pass validateExploreV1 / validateDefineV1:

# write .guild/explore/<slug>.json + .guild/define/<slug>.json (slug defaults to the template id)
npx tsx "${GUILD_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.local/share/guild/dist/claude-code}}/scripts/instantiate-template.ts" <template-id> --slug=<slug> --cwd="$PWD"

# or preview the pair without writing:
npx tsx "${GUILD_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.local/share/guild/dist/claude-code}}/scripts/instantiate-template.ts" <template-id> --stdout

• <template-id> — a stable id (e.g. cli-tool, web-app), OR an explicit path to a *.template.json file.
• --slug=<slug> — output basename (default: the template id). Must be a single safe filename segment — the CLI rejects path separators / .. (no traversal).
• --out-dir=<dir> — the .guild artifact root (default: <cwd>/.guild). The CLI writes ONLY <out-dir>/explore/ + <out-dir>/define/. By positive containment it FAILS CLOSED if the resolved target (after following any symlink) lands ANYWHERE inside the plugin tree except its own .guild dir — so instantiation can never edit a runtime permission/skill/ agent file (AC37). Point it only at a .guild artifact root (default), or any path outside the plugin.
• --stdout — print the {explore, define} pair to stdout and write nothing.

If the command exits non-zero, the template is invalid or the produced skeleton failed W1 validation — do not patch the JSON by hand; fix the template (templates/products/…) or choose a different one, then re-run. A clean run guarantees both artifacts pass their W1 validators.

Output contract

• .guild/explore/<slug>.json — a valid guild.explore.v1 (passes validateExploreV1).
• .guild/define/<slug>.json — a valid guild.define.v1 (passes validateDefineV1).

Both are seeds: they are deliberately generic (the template's archetype defaults). Hand them to guild:product-explore to pressure-test the idea's specifics, then to guild:product-define to harden the PRD. The schema sources are ${GUILD_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.local/share/guild/dist/claude-code}}/scripts/lib/{explore,define,template}-schema.ts.

Hard rules

• Never edit a runtime permission, skill, or agent file — instantiation is side-effect-free except for the .guild/explore/ + .guild/define/ artifacts (AC37 no-self-edit).
• Never hand-author the artifacts to "fix" a failing producer run — fail closed and fix the template instead.
• This skill seeds; it does not plan, build, or release.