claude-engineer

Use when building or structuring a Python backend on FastAPI + SQLAlchemy 2.0 (async) + Alembic + Pydantic v2. Provides the opinionated project layout, the standard kit (auth, async jobs, caching, storage, observability), and best practices.

Use near the end of a project to generate CI and make the app deploy-ready. Produces a polyglot GitHub Actions workflow (lint, typecheck, test, build) and multi-stage Dockerfiles. The finish line is CI-green and container-ready, not an actual deploy.

Use when starting a frontend or working on its look and feel, to establish and enforce a DESIGN.md-driven custom design system as the single source of truth for tokens, components, and icons. Make any generated UI (including 21st.dev Magic output) conform to DESIGN.md.

Use when setting up local development services or running the project locally. Establishes the "stateful services in Docker, app runs native" pattern with Postgres, Redis, MinIO, and Mailpit.

Use after the plan is signed off, to drive the autonomous, plan-gated build to completion. Orchestrates per-task implementation, review, and verification in customer-experience-first order, stopping only on genuine blockers.

Use when building or structuring a React/Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind frontend, choosing libraries, or wiring design tokens. Provides the opinionated blessed-library stack and the React-vs-Next decision, all on-token to DESIGN.md and accessible to WCAG AA.

Use at the very start of a new project to turn a rough idea or a draft brief into a refined, agreed project brief. Looks for a user-written draft; refines it by questioning if present, or runs an interactive intake interview to create it if absent.

Use when scaffolding a project's repository or adding a new app/package/service, to set up the polyglot monorepo (JS + Python) with shared packages, workspaces, and task orchestration. Run early in Phase 0.

Use after the project brief is agreed, to produce a phased, multi-file implementation plan with a hard human sign-off gate, before any build work begins. Establishes the decision log and durable state files.

Use when setting up a new project's repository conventions and house style, the _private vs docs vs code layout, .gitignore, CLAUDE.md, the conventions/pattern registry, and the recommended MCP setup. Run early (Phase 0) and consult when introducing new patterns.

Use to create and maintain durable cross-session project memory and the progress ledger, so long autonomous builds resume cleanly after compaction, restarts, or new sessions. Read it when starting work and update it as decisions and tasks land.

Use throughout the build and before claiming any phase or the project "done", to run the four mandatory quality gates and verify them with evidence. Covers the test pyramid, Playwright + Chrome DevTools browser verification, WCAG AA, and the commit/finish gate wiring.

Use at the start of, and throughout, any work that builds or finishes a full software project with claude-engineer. Establishes the project lifecycle, the iron laws, and which skill to invoke at each stage. Auto-injected at session start.