# AGENTS.md — Build guide for Format ## Project scope Publish a photographer's portfolio from selected collections with responsive images, captions and a contact page, plus an optional private proofing gallery. Catalogue verdict: kinda. The visible portfolio website builder loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. Format earns its keep through editor, CMS, hosting, polish, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope. Use the implementation prompt below to define the deliverable. Complete each phase's acceptance checks before extending the scope. ## Working agreement - Inspect the repository and its existing instructions before choosing paths, dependencies or commands. Keep one coherent stack and explain changes to the proposed architecture. - Plan a vertical slice that accepts a real input and produces the useful output described below. Persist only the state the prompt calls for; respect memory-only and upstream-managed workflows. Use fixtures only when they are clearly labelled. - After scaffolding, document the actual install, development, check and build commands in README and keep them synchronized with the package or project manifest. Do not report commands as successful unless they ran. - Work in small steps. At handoff, list implemented flows, checks actually performed, remaining blockers, and any credentials or provider setup the owner must supply. - Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization. ## Prerequisites - Runtime and tools: TypeScript, React, a Node build process and versioned JSON content with static HTML/CSS output. - Before starting: Licensed assets, a user-owned static hosting target and sample desktop/mobile content; forms need a separately authenticated server endpoint. ## Stack and architecture - TypeScript, React, a Node build process and versioned JSON content with static HTML/CSS output - Data design: Store Collection, Photograph, Derivative, Page and ProofSelection; public derivatives are separate from originals and proofing selections refer to stable asset IDs. - Setup: Licensed assets, a user-owned static hosting target and sample desktop/mobile content; forms need a separately authenticated server endpoint ## Security and data integrity - Keep drafts separate from the published manifest. Escape content, allowlist components and URLs, and publish a complete revision atomically with rollback to the preceding revision. - Start with public portfolio and explicit private-gallery authentication. Watermarks and disabled right-click are not access control; print commerce and color-managed fulfillment are deferred. - Keep secrets outside client bundles and exported projects; document what leaves the device and make retention/deletion controls visible. ## Agent implementation rules - Project rule — domain: Store Collection, Photograph, Derivative, Page and ProofSelection; public derivatives are separate from originals and proofing selections refer to stable asset IDs. - Project rule — scope and recovery: Start with public portfolio and explicit private-gallery authentication. Watermarks and disabled right-click are not access control; print commerce and color-managed fulfillment are deferred. - Project rule — acceptance: Replace a portfolio image while a client has selected it for proofing; keep the selected revision and avoid exposing the private original in public HTML. - Project rule — delivery: document real setup commands and permissions; do not claim a build, accuracy level, performance result or security certification that has not been demonstrated. ## Optional agent skills and references - Recommended skill: [frontend-design](https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md) — compose the proposed responsive site sections with deliberate typography, spacing and honest content. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime. - Recommended skill: [seo-audit](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills/blob/main/skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md) — review crawlability, metadata and evidence-based on-page findings without promising search rankings. Follow the maintainer's installation instructions and match its requirements to the chosen runtime. Read the linked SKILL.md and its dependencies before adding a skill. Select only the skills matching this project's runtime and task; their documentation does not supply API access, credentials or approval to perform external actions. Pin the reviewed revision where the tool supports it. Follow the chosen agent's documented project-level installation mechanism. ## Distribution ideas These are optional planning notes. Obtain the owner's approval before publishing or contacting anyone. - Demonstrate this working slice using synthetic or explicitly authorized non-sensitive examples: Publish a photographer's portfolio from selected collections with responsive images, captions and a contact page, plus an optional private proofing gallery. - Share a synthetic example export and the acceptance walkthrough; keep real customer, health, financial and source data private: Replace a portfolio image while a client has selected it for proofing; keep the selected revision and avoid exposing the private original in public HTML. - State the limits before asking someone to replace their existing tool: Start with public portfolio and explicit private-gallery authentication. Watermarks and disabled right-click are not access control; print commerce and color-managed fulfillment are deferred. ## Engineering roadmap 1. Phase 1 — Pin the working slice and create its example input: Publish a photographer's portfolio from selected collections with responsive images, captions and a contact page, plus an optional private proofing gallery. Confirm setup: Licensed assets, a user-owned static hosting target and sample desktop/mobile content; forms need a separately authenticated server endpoint. 2. Phase 2 — Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store Collection, Photograph, Derivative, Page and ProofSelection; public derivatives are separate from originals and proofing selections refer to stable asset IDs. 3. Phase 3 — Connect the working view to real saved state. Keep drafts separate from the published manifest. Escape content, allowlist components and URLs, and publish a complete revision atomically with rollback to the preceding revision. 4. Phase 4 — Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Start with public portfolio and explicit private-gallery authentication. Watermarks and disabled right-click are not access control; print commerce and color-managed fulfillment are deferred. 5. Phase 5 — Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Replace a portfolio image while a client has selected it for proofing; keep the selected revision and avoid exposing the private original in public HTML. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly. ## Paid-product capabilities outside this build - large template and component libraries - CMS collaboration and client handoff - managed hosting, forms, and analytics - general-purpose visual editing ## Implementation prompt Build the following focused alternative to Format. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service. WORKING SLICE Publish a photographer's portfolio from selected collections with responsive images, captions and a contact page, plus an optional private proofing gallery. SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE Use TypeScript, React, a Node build process and versioned JSON content with static HTML/CSS output. Prerequisites: Licensed assets, a user-owned static hosting target and sample desktop/mobile content; forms need a separately authenticated server endpoint. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success. DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS Store Collection, Photograph, Derivative, Page and ProofSelection; public derivatives are separate from originals and proofing selections refer to stable asset IDs. IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT Keep drafts separate from the published manifest. Escape content, allowlist components and URLs, and publish a complete revision atomically with rollback to the preceding revision. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content. APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY Start with public portfolio and explicit private-gallery authentication. Watermarks and disabled right-click are not access control; print commerce and color-managed fulfillment are deferred. ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO Replace a portfolio image while a client has selected it for proofing; keep the selected revision and avoid exposing the private original in public HTML. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested. DELIVERY Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product. PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication. ## Completion evidence Demonstrate the prompt's acceptance scenarios against the scoped workflow. Include setup from a clean checkout and failure recovery. Check persistence across restart and export/restore only for the state the prompt says to store; for memory-only tools, confirm that temporary content is discarded as specified. Record actual results and remaining limitations. A detailed plan alone does not establish a working replacement.