Project Agent Bootstrap

Overview

Use this skill to turn a plain folder into an AI-ready project workspace. It writes the main instruction file from the bundled template, configures local MCP servers for the selected runtime, and bootstraps Git safely.

Quick Start

Run the bootstrap script first:

python3 ./project-agent-bootstrap/scripts/bootstrap_project.py \
  --project-root /absolute/path/to/project \
  --agent codex

Valid --agent values:

• codex: create AGENTS.md and .codex/config.toml
• claude: create CLAUDE.md, .mcp.json, and .claude/settings.local.json
• both: create both instruction files and both runtime configs
• auto: infer runtime from the existing project; default to codex

Workflow

1. Decide which runtime the project needs: Codex, Claude Code, or both.
2. Run scripts/bootstrap_project.py with the target project root.
3. Review the generated instruction file and keep the bundled policy intact unless the user explicitly wants changes.
4. If the project already had local config, keep the merged result. Do not strip user-defined MCP entries.
5. Continue implementation inside the bootstrapped repo.

Output Contract

Generate these files:

• AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md: copy the bundled template from references/instruction-template.md
• .codex/config.toml: add project-local playwright and shadcn servers for Codex
• .mcp.json: add project-local playwright and shadcn servers for Claude Code
• .claude/settings.local.json: enable project MCP servers for Claude Code
• .gitignore: create a minimal bootstrap ignore file when the repo is new
• .git: initialize a Git repository if missing and create an initial commit when possible

Guardrails

• Do not hard-delete replaced files. The script moves overwritten instruction files into .ai-bootstrap-trash/.
• Merge existing .mcp.json, .claude/settings.local.json, and .codex/config.toml instead of replacing them wholesale.
• Keep the package-version rule in the generated instruction file: every external package and library version must be checked on the internet before installation or update.
• Do not claim UI work is done just because code compiles. The generated instruction file already requires Playwright MCP verification for UI projects.

Resources

• Use scripts/bootstrap_project.py for deterministic project setup.
• Read references/instruction-template.md only if you need to inspect or adjust the bundled rules text.

Example Prompts

• "Create a new Codex-ready Next.js project here and set up AGENTS.md with local Playwright and shadcn MCP."
• "Bootstrap this repo for Claude Code with CLAUDE.md and project-local MCP servers."
• "Standardize this existing folder for AI agents before we start building."