At skill entry, run node docs/.joycraft/check.mjs check --json --session <session-id> once, reusing JOYCRAFT_SESSION_ID if supplied or one ID chosen for this conversation. If the checker is missing or fails, continue the requested skill quietly without retrying setup. Offer updates only for display: true; current, postponed, off, and unknown stay quiet. If automaticUpdate is present, finish this skill, then run its exact command once from the project root: the candidate must verify every safety gate before applying. Other updates require approval. After an offer or automatic attempt, record it with node docs/.joycraft/check.mjs acknowledge <available-version> --session <session-id>. Apply updates only at this workflow boundary; after success, reinvoke the skill or restart the session to load changed instructions.

Collaborative Setup

You are setting up Joycraft for a team. Solo defaults stay solo; this skill adds the team-only ceremony — docs/areas/ folders, area README/boundaries, and a thin team-facing CONTRIBUTING-joycraft doc.

This skill is interactive — ask the user, don't auto-detect.

When to run

Run once when a team is adopting Joycraft on a multi-dev project. Solo users do not need this skill — solo defaults are fine without it.

Step 1: Confirm Team Context

Ask the user:

"Setting up Joycraft for a team? (vs. solo work) If you're unsure, you can skip — solo defaults work fine and you can run this later."

If the user says "actually solo," bail before any writes:

"No problem. The solo workflow needs no extra setup. Run /joycraft-new-feature when you want to start a feature."

Step 2: Check for Flat Layout — Bail if Present

Before scaffolding team structure, check the project's docs/ for per-feature artifacts. Look for any of:

• docs/features/<slug>/brief.md
• docs/features/<slug>/research.md
• docs/features/<slug>/design.md
• Loose spec subdirectories that predate the per-feature layout (specs not under docs/features/<slug>/specs/ or docs/bugfixes/<area>/)

If any flat layout artifacts exist, tell the user:

"I see flat-layout artifacts in your docs/ (briefs/research/designs). Run npx joycraft@latest upgrade first — it will migrate them into docs/features/<slug>/ automatically. Then re-run this skill."

Then stop. Skills don't reliably shell out, so the CLI does the migration.

Step 3: Gather Areas + Owners (Interactive)

Ask the user:

"How many areas does your team work in? (e.g., auth, api, frontend, infra) — pick names that match how your team thinks about ownership. You can also skip and just create the team CONTRIBUTING doc."

For each area name the user provides:

1. Confirm the name (kebab-case).
2. Ask: "Who owns this area? (a name, an email, or a team handle — used in the area README's frontmatter)"
3. Ask (optional): "Are there NEVER or ASK FIRST rules specific to this area? If yes, list them; if no, skip."

If the user provides duplicate names, ask them to pick a different one. Track the area list in your working memory before writing anything.

If the user provides 0 areas, skip Step 4 and go straight to Step 5 (CONTRIBUTING doc only). Useful path for "we just want the team doc, no areas yet."

Step 4: Scaffold Each Area

For each confirmed area, lazy-create docs/areas/<area-name>/ and write a README.md with the shared frontmatter schema (areas are shared docs, not personal):

---
last_updated: YYYY-MM-DD
last_updated_by: <owner from step 3>
---

Owner resolution for last_updated_by: look up the owner name in this order — (1) git config user.name, (2) value in your auto-memory joycraft-owner.txt if present, (3) ask the user once and persist. Use the user-provided owner from Step 3 if they specified one for this area.

Body of README.md:

# <area-name>

> **Owner:** <name from Step 3>
> **Status:** active

## What this area covers

(Filled in by the area owner)

## Conventions

(Area-specific patterns or constraints)

## Onboarding

When a new dev joins this area, they should:
1. Read this README
2. Read `boundaries.md` (if present)
3. Read the codebase under <area-relevant paths>

If the user provided NEVER / ASK FIRST rules for the area, also write docs/areas/<area-name>/boundaries.md with the shared frontmatter and those rules. If they didn't, skip the boundaries file — the root AGENTS.md boundaries already cover the project-wide cases.

Idempotency: if docs/areas/<area-name>/README.md already exists, ASK before overwriting (default: skip + inform).

Step 5: Write the Team CONTRIBUTING Doc

Lazy-create docs/CONTRIBUTING-joycraft.md (NOT the project's main CONTRIBUTING.md — keep them separate so neither stomps on the other).

If docs/templates/CONTRIBUTING-joycraft-template.md exists in the project (it should — bundled by npx joycraft@latest init), use it as the starting point. If not, fall back to the inline template below.

The doc starts with shared frontmatter:

---
last_updated: YYYY-MM-DD
last_updated_by: <resolved owner>
---

Body (inline fallback template — short by design):

# Joycraft on this project

We use [Joycraft](https://www.npmjs.com/package/joycraft) for AI-assisted development.

## How our team uses it

(Filled in during /joycraft-collaborative-setup — fill this in with your team's specific conventions.)

## Conventions

- Per-feature work goes under `docs/features/<slug>/`
- Area-level work and ownership: see `docs/areas/`
- For "what is Joycraft?", see the package README

## Onboarding

When a new dev joins:
1. Run `npx joycraft@latest init` (idempotent on already-set-up projects)
2. Read `docs/areas/<your-area>/README.md` for context

If docs/CONTRIBUTING-joycraft.md already exists, ASK before overwriting — offer overwrite / append / skip; default to skip.

Step 6: Trigger AGENTS.md Update

Tell the user:

"Run npx joycraft@latest upgrade to refresh AGENTS.md with the Areas pointer (or npx joycraft@latest init if you haven't initialized yet)."

Don't try to shell out from inside the skill — let the user run the CLI deliberately.

Step 7: Hand Off

Summarize what you wrote (paths to area READMEs, the CONTRIBUTING doc, any boundaries files), then emit the canonical Handoff block.

Recommended Next Steps

Next:

/joycraft-new-feature

Include the path to docs/CONTRIBUTING-joycraft.md and any newly-created area READMEs in the summary above the Handoff block.

Notes

• This skill does NOT migrate flat-layout artifacts on its own. That's npx joycraft@latest upgrade's job — Step 2 directs the user to run it first.
• Area names are user-provided. Don't auto-detect from src/auth/, src/api/, etc. — many projects have monorepo or non-conventional layouts and auto-detection produces noise.
• If the user stops mid-way (Ctrl-C, abandons), whatever's been written stays. Re-running the skill is the recovery path; it's idempotent on existing area folders (asks before overwriting).