Setup Repo

Overview

This skill produces a fully configured repo with zero remaining [FILL:] markers. It covers all 32 files that contain markers — not just the primary instruction files — and writes them directly when run in Claude Code.

Announce at start: "I'm using the setup-repo skill. I'll ask you 3 quick questions, then read the codebase and write all instruction files."

When to Use

• Immediately after cloning this template into a new project
• When basic fills were done manually but deeper fills remain
• When onboarding an existing codebase onto this template

When NOT to Use

• Repo already fully set up (verify: grep -rn "\[FILL:" . --include="*.md" returns nothing outside docs)
• You only need to update one specific file — edit it directly instead

Execution Modes

Mode A — Claude Code (preferred)

Claude Code has direct file access. The skill reads files, gathers facts, writes every file in place, activates git hooks, and validates. No copy-pasting required.

Mode B — Other agents

Generate a repo bundle first:

npx repomix   # produces repomix-output.xml (already configured)

Attach repomix-output.xml to your chat. The skill outputs filled content tiered by priority — paste and apply Tier 1 before proceeding to Tier 2.

Phase 0 — Ask 3 Questions

Before reading a single file, ask the user these questions. Their answers fill things no codebase analysis can determine:

Question 1 — Users & deployment context:

"Who are the primary users of this project and what is the deployment environment?" (e.g. "Internal logistics staff via a React dashboard", "Public API consumers", "iOS/Android WebView")

Question 2 — Immutable contract:

"Are there any externally-bound IDs, stored data schemas, or API versions that MUST NEVER change — even across refactors?" (If yes, list them. If no, answer "none" — the Immutable Contract section will be deleted.)

Question 3 — Extra prohibitions:

"Is there anything agents should never do that won't be obvious from reading the code?" (e.g. "Never modify the payments module without a second review", "Never add browser APIs — this runs in a Node.js CLI")

Wait for all three answers before proceeding.

Phase 1 — Gather Project Facts

Read the codebase to establish these values:

Also run:

grep -rn "\[FILL:" . --include="*.md" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.yml" --include="*.cursorrules" | grep -v ".git/"

This gives you the exact list of files and line numbers to process.

Phase 2 — Generate and Write (Tiered)

Process files in tier order. In Mode A, write each file in place using Edit/Write tools. In Mode B, output each tier's content before starting the next.

Fill quality rules — apply to every marker

Good: "No ORM — all DB queries in src/db/query.ts via raw SQL" Bad: "Use the database correctly"

Section deletion rule: If a section has no applicable content, delete it entirely. Key conditional sections:

• ## Immutable Contract → delete if Question 2 answer was "none"
• ## Layout Constraints → delete if not a UI/mobile project
• ## [FILL: Language/Framework-Specific Rules] → replace heading + add stack-specific rules, or delete section if none apply

Tier 1 — Essential (agents read these every session)

These 5 files are loaded on every agent conversation. Fill them first.

1. CLAUDE.md Fill: project name + description + tech stack (one line), 2 constraints, 2 prohibitions, test/lint/build commands, after-every-change steps.

2. AGENTS.md Fill: project overview, 3 architectural constraints, file structure block (generate from actual top-level dirs and entry points — use text code block), 2 coding rules, immutable contract (or delete section), test command, verification steps, any project-specific doc links.

3. GEMINI.md Same structure as CLAUDE.md — fill identically.

4. .github/copilot-instructions.md Fill: project name + description + tech stack + deployment context (from Question 1), 2 always-do rules, 3 never-do prohibitions (include user answer from Question 3), key files table (3–5 rows: entry point, main config, test entry, key utility), any doc links.

5. .cursorrules Fill: test command (one line).

Tier 2 — Important (quality gates, PR reviews, prompts)

6. .claude/agents/qa-reviewer.md Fill: 2 project-specific review rules (derive from linting config, architectural constraints, or user answers).

7. .claude/rules/coding-standards.md Fill: 3 architectural constraints, language/framework-specific rules section heading + 2–4 rules derived from stack, 2 project rules, immutable contract reference (or delete). Then copy this file's content verbatim to:

• .agent/rules/coding-standards.md (change frontmatter trigger: always — keep it)
• .kilocode/rules/coding-standards.md

8–9. .agent/rules/coding-standards.md and .kilocode/rules/coding-standards.md Apply the copy from step 7.

10. .github/pull_request_template.md Fill: doc paths section (list the 2–3 key docs agents should verify are up to date after every change).

11. .github/prompts/new-feature.prompt.md Fill: 2 planning constraints (derive from tech stack constraints — e.g. "This is achievable with [stack] — no [forbidden pattern]").

12. .github/prompts/review-changes.prompt.md Fill: 2 project-specific review checks (derive from linting rules, architectural constraints).

13. .github/instructions/docs.instructions.md Fill: additional doc paths relevant to the project (entry point docs, API docs, engineering playbook if present).

14. .github/instructions/qa-audit.instructions.md Fill: main source file path (entry point), 3 project-specific audit checks (security, rule compliance, robustness — derive from codebase patterns).

Tier 3 — Skill files (fill once, sync to 3 directories)

Generate filled content for .claude/skills/qa-audit/SKILL.md and .claude/skills/doc-audit/SKILL.md, then copy each to the parallel directories.

15. .claude/skills/qa-audit/SKILL.md Fill: main source file name, 1 project-specific security check, 2 rule compliance checks (from linting/architecture), 1 race condition check, 1 error propagation check, 1 key value that must match across rule files, any additional rule files beyond the defaults. Then copy to:

• .agents/skills/qa-audit/SKILL.md
• .agent/skills/qa-audit/SKILL.md

16. .claude/skills/doc-audit/SKILL.md Fill: project-specific doc references, key values to verify for drift, any custom audit scripts. Then copy to:

• .agents/skills/doc-audit/SKILL.md
• .agent/skills/doc-audit/SKILL.md

Tier 4 — Workflows (complex — fill best-effort, flag unclear markers)

These workflows have deep project-specific content. Fill what can be determined from the codebase; flag any marker you cannot fill confidently with [REVIEW: <reason>] instead of leaving [FILL:].

17. .agent/workflows/qa-audit.md (35 markers) Fill: test command, main source file, zone definitions (derive from file structure), rule checks (from architecture), config file list, security checks, robustness checks, drift checks.

18. .agent/workflows/pr-analysis.md (17 markers) Fill: project-specific PR checks, rule file references, security patterns to scan for.

19. .agent/workflows/feature-delivery.md (7 markers) Fill: implementation rules, platform constraints, docs to update after every feature.

20. .agent/workflows/doc-audit.md (6 markers) Fill: doc structure, content descriptions, key drift points, any custom audit scripts.

21. .agent/workflows/architecture-change.md (6 markers) Fill: runtime baseline, environment checks, docs affected by architecture changes.

22. .agent/workflows/release-readiness.md (5 markers) Fill: baseline validation steps, compatibility checks, docs to verify before release.

23. .agent/workflows/post-merge-analysis.md (3 markers) Fill: syntax checks, config reference doc path.

Phase 3 — Activate Git Hooks (Mode A only)

git config core.hooksPath .githooks
chmod +x .githooks/pre-commit .githooks/commit-msg

Phase 4 — Validate

Run:

grep -rn "\[FILL:" . --include="*.md" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.yml" --include="*.cursorrules" \
  | grep -v ".git/" \
  | grep -v "README.md" \
  | grep -v "CHANGELOG.md" \
  | grep -v "docs/CUSTOMIZATION-GUIDE.md" \
  | grep -v "docs/SKILLS-CATALOG.md"

If output is empty — setup is complete. Commit with:

git add -A && git commit -m "chore: configure repo from template via /setup-repo"

If markers remain — list each with file + line. For each:

• If it can be filled from codebase facts: fill it now
• If it requires user input: ask the user directly
• If it is in a section that doesn't apply: delete the section

Repeat validation until clean.

Summary Output

After completing all phases, output:

## Setup Complete

- Files written: <count>
- [FILL:] markers resolved: <count>
- [REVIEW:] markers flagged for manual review: <count> (list them)
- Sections deleted (not applicable): <list>
- Git hooks: activated ✓ / skipped (Mode B — activate manually)