Roots Ecosystem

Overview

Use this skill to navigate Roots projects without loading the whole stack into context. Start from the smallest relevant reference, then load one task playbook only if the user is implementing or debugging real changes.

Quick Start

1. Identify the user's layer:

   • Bedrock project setup, .env, Composer, config/application.php, web/app/, mu-plugins -> read references/bedrock.md
   • Sage templates, Blade, components, composers, app/, resources/views/, Vite, editor assets -> read references/sage.md
   • Acorn booting, service providers, routes, WP-CLI, Blade rendering outside theme templates -> read references/acorn.md
   • Trellis provisioning, deploys, hooks, trellis CLI, Sage build steps during deploy -> read references/trellis.md
   • WordPress package distribution, WP Packages, roots/wordpress-full, roots/wordpress-packager, roots/wp-config, private plugin workflows, or Composer patches -> read references/packaging-and-distribution.md
   • Trellis CLI, roots/setup-trellis-cli, GitHub Actions deploys, or shared Roots support helpers -> read references/tooling-and-ci.md
   • Acorn extension packages such as mail, user roles, post types, prettify, FSE helper, llms.txt, or AI -> read references/acorn-extensions.md
   • Package-specific deep dive for a non-core Roots package -> start with the matching package index above, then load the linked package-*.md deep dive file
   • Cross-stack ownership or architecture -> read references/integration-patterns.md
   • Reusable provider/config/command/view patterns from Roots packages -> read references/acorn-package-patterns.md
   • Questions about source coverage, what this skill includes, or how complete it is -> read references/source-coverage.md
   • Conflicting guidance or uncertainty about authority -> read references/source-priority.md
   • Broad orientation to the whole ecosystem -> read references/ecosystem-map.md

2. If the user is implementing, load exactly one playbook after the subsystem reference:

   • Bedrock install or configuration changes -> references/playbook-bedrock-setup.md
   • Sage component, composer, template, or view work -> references/playbook-sage-components-and-composers.md
   • Acorn provider, route, WP-CLI, package-style extension, or custom Blade rendering -> references/playbook-acorn-service-providers-and-blade.md
   • Trellis deploy or build-hook work -> references/playbook-trellis-deploy-and-build.md
   • Bootstrap or rationalize a full Roots project stack -> references/playbook-roots-project-bootstrap.md
   • Build or extract a reusable Acorn package -> references/playbook-acorn-package-authoring.md
   • Deploy Trellis through GitHub Actions -> references/playbook-trellis-github-actions.md

3. Avoid loading all references by default. This skill is designed for progressive disclosure.

Workflow

1. Start with Roots-specific sources, not generic WordPress or generic Laravel advice.
2. Load references/source-coverage.md when the user asks about ecosystem completeness or source traceability.
3. Load references/source-priority.md if you need to resolve conflicts.
4. Load one subsystem reference based on the user’s primary task.
5. Load one playbook if the task is implementation-oriented.
6. Use Laravel documentation only where Acorn intentionally mirrors Laravel behavior, such as providers, routing, middleware, controllers, package structure, or Blade syntax.
7. Prefer current Roots docs for workflows and current Roots repository code for concrete structure and examples.

Navigation Map

• references/source-priority.md: authority order and conflict resolution
• references/source-coverage.md: what source material this skill covers and how deeply
• references/ecosystem-map.md: the whole stack at a glance
• references/bedrock.md: project structure, config model, Composer, envs, mu-plugins
• references/sage.md: theme structure, Blade, components, composers, Vite
• references/acorn.md: booting, providers, routes, WP-CLI, Blade rendering
• references/trellis.md: provisioning, deployment, hooks, CLI
• references/packaging-and-distribution.md: WP Packages, WordPress distributions, wp-config, private plugins, patches
• references/tooling-and-ci.md: Trellis CLI, GitHub Actions setup, shared Roots helpers
• references/acorn-extensions.md: first-party Acorn packages and when to use them
• references/package-*.md: per-package deep dives for distribution, tooling, and Acorn extension packages
• references/integration-patterns.md: ownership between layers
• references/acorn-package-patterns.md: package implementation patterns from Roots ecosystem examples

Guardrails

• Do not treat this as a generic WordPress skill.
• Do not assume Laravel behavior applies unless Acorn documentation or code confirms it.
• Do not recommend Trellis for every deployment by default; use it when the project is already Trellis-based or self-hosted Roots infrastructure is part of the stack.
• Do not assume every Roots repo deserves its own deep reference file; keep package-specific detail in shared references unless the package has distinct operational behavior.
• Do not move responsibilities across layers without reason:
  • Bedrock owns project structure and configuration bootstrap.
  • Sage owns theme implementation and theme-facing Blade/Vite conventions.
  • Acorn owns the Laravel-style application container and app abstractions.
  • Trellis owns provisioning and deployment orchestration.

Example Requests

• “Add a Composer-managed plugin and update Bedrock config for staging.”
• “Build a Sage Blade component and bind view data with a composer.”
• “Boot Acorn in a custom theme and register a service provider.”
• “Render a custom block with Blade in an Acorn-powered project.”
• “Wire a Sage asset build into Trellis deploy hooks.”
• “Set up Trellis deploys through GitHub Actions.”
• “Explain how roots/wordpress-full, WP Packages, and Bedrock relate.”
• “Add acorn-mail or acorn-prettify to an existing Acorn project.”
• “Show which Roots repos this skill actually covers and where.”
• “Explain how Bedrock, Sage, Acorn, and Trellis fit together in one project.”