agentic-skeleton-dir-structure
Agentic Skeleton Directory Structure Skill v2.0
Scaffolds production-ready agentic AI project structures that integrate with Agent-OS v3 by Builder Methods.
This skill follows the Spec-Driven Development (SDD) methodology: ~95% planning, ~5% building. You shape detailed specifications before the AI writes any code.
When This Skill Activates
On activation, follow this sequence:
- Check for arguments. If
$ARGUMENTSis provided, parse it for the repo pattern (single,mono, ormulti-lang) and skip that question in Step 0. - Detect the current directory. Run
lsto check if the current directory already has files (existing project) or is empty/new. If existing:- Warn the user: "This directory already has files. I can scaffold around them or create a new subdirectory. Which do you prefer?"
- If there is already a
CLAUDE.md, ask if they want to overwrite or preserve it.
- Begin Step 0 — gather requirements through interactive questions.
- After all inputs are collected, present a summary and ask for confirmation before creating anything.
- Scaffold — create directories, generate files, show the final tree.
- Guide next steps — Agent-OS installation and SDD workflow.
Step 0 — Gather Requirements
Collect these six inputs. Ask one question at a time, wait for a response, then proceed to the next. Skip any question already answered via arguments or context.
Question 1 — Repo Pattern
What repo pattern do you want?
- Single Repo — one app or service
- Mono-Repo — multiple apps/services, same language ecosystem
- Multi-Language Mono-Repo — services in different languages (e.g. Python + TypeScript + Go)
Question 2 — Platform Type
What type of project is this?
- Frontend — SPA, SSR, static site
- Backend — API, service, worker
- Full-Stack — frontend + backend together
- Middleware — gateway, BFF, proxy
- Multi-Service — multiple independent services
- Agents/AI — agentic AI service with tools, prompts, memory
Question 3 — Languages
What language(s) will you use? (e.g. TypeScript, Python, Go, Java, Rust, Ruby, C#)
Question 4 — IaC Tool
What Infrastructure as Code tool do you want? (or "none" to skip) Options: Terraform, Pulumi, CDK, Bicep, CloudFormation, Helm, Ansible, or None
Question 5 — Target Platform
Where will this deploy? e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Bare Metal, Vercel, Cloudflare
Question 6 — Agent Tooling
What AI coding tool are you using? (default: Claude Code) e.g. Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex
After All Questions
Present a summary table and ask for confirmation:
Here's what I'll scaffold:
| Input | Value |
|-----------------|------------------------|
| Repo pattern | <answer> |
| Platform | <answer> |
| Language(s) | <answer> |
| IaC tool | <answer> |
| Target platform | <answer> |
| Agent tooling | <answer> |
| Project name | <answer or ask now> |
Does this look right? I'll create the directory structure once you confirm.
Do NOT create any files or directories until the user confirms.
Step 1 — Scaffold Core Structure
Every project gets this root structure regardless of repo pattern or platform:
<project-root>/
├── CLAUDE.md # Claude Code project instructions (CRITICAL)
│ # Loaded every session — keep it lean and universal
│
├── .claude/ # Claude Code configuration
│ ├── settings.json # Permissions, hooks, MCP server config
│ ├── settings.local.json # Personal overrides (git-ignored)
│ ├── agents/ # Subagent definitions (specialist agents)
│ │ └── <name>.md # Each agent: instructions + allowed tools
│ ├── skills/ # Project-local skills (auto-invoked)
│ │ └── <skill-name>/
│ │ └── SKILL.md
│ ├── commands/ # Slash commands (/deploy, /test, etc.)
│ │ └── <name>.md
│ └── hooks/ # Lifecycle hooks (PreToolUse, PostToolUse, etc.)
│ └── scripts/
│
├── agent-os/ # Agent-OS project installation (Builder Methods)
│ ├── product/ # Product context (/plan-product output)
│ ├── specs/ # Feature specs (/shape-spec output)
│ └── standards/ # Coding standards (/discover-standards output)
│ └── index.yml # Standards auto-detection index
│
├── docs/ # Human and agent-readable documentation
│ ├── architecture/ # Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
│ ├── api/ # API documentation
│ └── runbooks/ # Operational runbooks
│
├── iac/ # Infrastructure as Code (if applicable)
├── deploy/ # Deployment scripts and CI/CD
├── .github/ OR .gitlab/ # VCS platform config
├── README.md
├── .gitignore
└── .env.example
Key rules:
CLAUDE.mdis the brain of the project — loaded every session, keep it lean.claude/skills/= lazy-loaded, auto-invoked reusable instructions (SKILL.md format).claude/agents/= specialist subagents for parallel or domain-specific work.claude/commands/= slash commands for repeatable workflowsagent-os/standards/= injected coding conventions so agents stay aligned across sessions- Never put secrets in any of these files
Then apply the repo pattern, platform layout, and IaC structure from reference files:
- Repo patterns and source layouts — read
references/repo-patterns.md - IaC and deployment patterns — read
references/iac-patterns.md - Agent-OS integration and commands — read
references/agent-os-guide.md
Step 2 — Create the Scaffold
After confirming the pattern and platform with the user, create all directories and seed files.
# Variables from user input
PROJECT_ROOT="<project-name>"
REPO_PATTERN="<single|mono|multi>"
PLATFORM="<frontend|backend|fullstack|middleware|agents>"
IAC_TOOL="<terraform|pulumi|cdk|bicep|cloudformation|helm|ansible|none>"
# --- Claude Code configuration ---
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/agents"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/skills"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/commands"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/.claude/hooks/scripts"
# --- Core Agent-OS directories ---
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/product"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/specs"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/standards/global"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/standards/backend"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/standards/frontend"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/agent-os/standards/testing"
# --- Documentation ---
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/docs/architecture"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/docs/api"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/docs/runbooks"
# --- IaC (skip if IAC_TOOL is "none") ---
if [ "$IAC_TOOL" != "none" ]; then
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/iac/modules"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/iac/environments/dev"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/iac/environments/staging"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/iac/environments/prod"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/iac/shared"
fi
# --- Deployment ---
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/deploy/scripts"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/deploy/ci"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/deploy/docker"
# --- Repo pattern branching ---
case "$REPO_PATTERN" in
single)
# Single repo: src/ + tests/
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/src"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/tests/unit"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/tests/integration"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/tests/e2e"
;;
mono)
# Mono-repo: apps/ + packages/ + services/
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/apps/web"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/apps/api"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/packages/ui"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/packages/config"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/packages/utils"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/services"
;;
multi)
# Multi-language mono-repo: services/<lang>/ + shared/
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/services"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/shared/proto"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/shared/configs"
mkdir -p "$PROJECT_ROOT/shared/scripts"
# Create per-language service dirs based on user's language choices
;;
esac
# --- Platform-specific source layout ---
# Consult references/repo-patterns.md for the language-specific src/ structure
# and create the appropriate subdirectories inside src/, apps/*, or services/*
# --- Seed files ---
touch "$PROJECT_ROOT/.env.example"
touch "$PROJECT_ROOT/.gitignore"
touch "$PROJECT_ROOT/README.md"
After creating directories, apply the language-specific source layout from
references/repo-patterns.md inside each src/, apps/*, or services/* directory.
Step 3 — Generate CLAUDE.md
Create this at the project root. Claude Code reads it on every session.
# <Project Name> — Claude Code Instructions
## Project Overview
<One paragraph describing what this project does and who it is for.>
## Repo Pattern
<!-- Single Repo | Mono-Repo | Multi-Language Mono-Repo -->
## Architecture
<Brief architecture overview. Reference docs/architecture/ for ADRs.>
## Agent-OS Integration
This project uses [Agent-OS v3](https://github.com/buildermethods/agent-os)
(Builder Methods). Key commands:
- `/plan-product` — Establish product context (mission, roadmap, tech stack)
- `/discover-standards` — Extract coding patterns into documented standards
- `/inject-standards` — Deploy relevant standards into current context
- `/shape-spec` — Create a feature spec in Plan Mode
Standards: `agent-os/standards/`
Specs: `agent-os/specs/`
Product context: `agent-os/product/`
## Project Structure
<Paste the relevant tree from the scaffold output.>
## Key Conventions
- <Convention 1>
- <Convention 2>
- <Convention 3>
## IaC & Deployment
- IaC tool: <Terraform / Pulumi / CDK / etc.>
- IaC location: `iac/`
- Deploy scripts: `deploy/scripts/`
- CI/CD: `deploy/ci/` or `.github/workflows/`
## Environment Variables
Copy `.env.example` to `.env` and fill in values. Never commit `.env`.
## Getting Started
1. Install dependencies: `<language-specific install command>`
2. Copy env: `cp .env.example .env`
3. Run locally: `<start command>`
4. Run tests: `<test command>`
Step 4 — Seed Agent-OS Files
Create the standards index so Agent-OS can discover and inject standards:
agent-os/standards/index.yml:
# Auto-detection rules for /inject-standards
version: "1.0"
standards:
- path: global/tech-stack.md
keywords: [tech, stack, language, framework, tooling]
always_inject: true
- path: backend/api-patterns.md
keywords: [api, route, controller, endpoint, REST, GraphQL]
- path: backend/data-access.md
keywords: [database, query, repository, ORM, model]
- path: frontend/component-patterns.md
keywords: [component, UI, page, view, hook]
- path: frontend/state-management.md
keywords: [state, store, context, redux, zustand, signal]
- path: testing/unit-testing.md
keywords: [test, unit, mock, spec, jest, pytest, vitest]
- path: testing/integration-testing.md
keywords: [integration, e2e, cypress, playwright, supertest]
Create stub product files:
agent-os/product/tech-stack.md:
# Tech Stack
<!-- Populated by /plan-product or manually -->
- Primary language(s): <from Step 0>
- Package manager: <npm, pnpm, uv, cargo, etc.>
- Framework(s): <from Step 0>
- Testing: <jest, vitest, pytest, etc.>
- IaC: <from Step 0>
agent-os/product/mission.md:
# Product Mission
<!-- Run /plan-product to populate this through guided conversation -->
agent-os/product/roadmap.md:
# Product Roadmap
<!-- Run /plan-product to populate this through guided conversation -->
Step 5 — Present Next Steps
After scaffolding is complete, show the user the final directory tree and present
these next steps. Read references/agent-os-guide.md for full Agent-OS details.
Present this to the user:
## Your scaffold is ready! Here's what to do next:
### 1. Initialize git (if not already)
git init && git add -A && git commit -m "Initial scaffold"
### 2. Install Agent-OS (one-time global setup)
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/buildermethods/agent-os.git && rm -rf ~/agent-os/.git
### 3. Install Agent-OS into this project
cd /path/to/your/project
~/agent-os/scripts/project-install.sh
This will:
- Populate agent-os/standards/ with your profile's standards
- Install slash commands into .claude/commands/agent-os/
### 4. Establish product context
Run /plan-product in Claude Code — it will guide you through
defining your mission, roadmap, and tech stack.
### 5. Start the Spec-Driven Development loop
1. Write some initial code to establish patterns
2. Run /discover-standards to extract those patterns
3. Run /inject-standards before each implementation session
4. Run /shape-spec in Plan Mode for new features
5. Repeat as your codebase evolves
If the user's agent tooling is NOT Claude Code, adapt the instructions accordingly (e.g., Cursor uses different skill/command locations).
Step 6 — Quality Checklist
Before declaring the scaffold complete, verify:
- All directories from the chosen repo pattern exist
- Language-specific
src/layout matchesreferences/repo-patterns.md -
CLAUDE.mdis present at project root with all sections populated -
.claude/directory exists withagents/,skills/,commands/,hooks/subdirs -
agent-os/standards/index.ymlexists with correct paths -
agent-os/product/tech-stack.mdreflects the user's choices -
agent-os/product/mission.mdandroadmap.mdstubs exist -
.env.exampleexists (never.env) -
.gitignoreincludes language-specific ignores and.env -
README.mdexists with project name and getting-started steps - IaC structure matches the chosen tool (per
references/iac-patterns.md) - No secrets, tokens, or credentials in any generated file
- Directory tree output shown to user for confirmation
Reference Files
Load these as needed during scaffolding:
-
references/repo-patterns.md— Language-specificsrc/layouts (TypeScript, Python, Go, Java, Rust, Ruby, C#), platform-specific layouts (Frontend, Backend, Middleware, Agents), and mono-repo tooling selection. -
references/iac-patterns.md— IaC directory structure by tool (Terraform, Pulumi, CDK, Bicep, CloudFormation, Helm, Ansible), CI/CD pipeline patterns, and environment promotion strategies. -
references/agent-os-guide.md— Agent-OS v3 installation, Spec-Driven Development methodology, slash command reference, standards design, and CLAUDE.md advanced patterns.