| 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.
