# AGENTS.md — Build guide for GetWaitlist / LaunchList

## Project scope
Collect a waitlist signup, send a verification link through a configured provider and show queue position only after verification. Give the operator an invitation preview and export approved launch contacts.

Catalogue verdict: yes. Email capture with a referral counter. This site's waitlist was built exactly this way; it took one prompt.
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- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.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
- Node, SQLite on persistent disk, a configured email provider, a public HTTPS origin and one authenticated owner account. Public signup routes are separate from the private administration area.
- Implementation components: Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules. SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
- Scope boundary: Fraud-proof referrals, guaranteed email delivery and growth claims are excluded.

## Stack and architecture
- Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
- SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
- Domain model: signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts

## Security and data integrity
- Public routes accept only their documented inputs with rate/size limits. Protect every owner/customer action with authenticated authorization and CSRF checks; keep secrets outside exports and redact personal data from logs.
- Correctness boundary: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
- Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
- Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data.

## Agent implementation rules
- Project rule — data model: signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit.

## Optional agent skills and references
- Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.

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 the actual GetWaitlist / LaunchList-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Collect a waitlist signup, send a verification link through a configured provider and show queue position only after verification. Give the operator an invitation preview and export approved launch contacts.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: Fraud-proof referrals, guaranteed email delivery and growth claims are excluded. Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Collect a waitlist signup, send a verification link through a configured provider and show queue position only after verification. Give the operator an invitation preview and export approved launch contacts. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Fraud-proof referrals, guaranteed email delivery and growth claims are excluded.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Public routes accept only their documented inputs with rate/size limits. Protect every owner/customer action with authenticated authorization and CSRF checks; keep secrets outside exports and redact personal data from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

## Paid-product capabilities outside this build
- their referral-widget templates
- built-in email blasts to the list
- spam filtering you didn't tune yourself

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Collect a waitlist signup, send a verification link through a configured provider and show queue position only after verification. Give the operator an invitation preview and export approved launch contacts.

Build this scoped GetWaitlist / LaunchList-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules.
- SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.

Prerequisites and limits
Node, SQLite on persistent disk, a configured email provider, a public HTTPS origin and one authenticated owner account. Public signup routes are separate from the private administration area.
Outside this release: Fraud-proof referrals, guaranteed email delivery and growth claims are excluded.

Data model and correctness
signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts
Invariant: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.

Security and privacy
Public routes accept only their documented inputs with rate/size limits. Protect every owner/customer action with authenticated authorization and CSRF checks; keep secrets outside exports and redact personal data from logs.

Recovery and export
Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Collect a waitlist signup, send a verification link through a configured provider and show queue position only after verification. Give the operator an invitation preview and export approved launch contacts. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Fraud-proof referrals, guaranteed email delivery and growth claims are excluded.
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Public routes accept only their documented inputs with rate/size limits. Protect every owner/customer action with authenticated authorization and CSRF checks; keep secrets outside exports and redact personal data from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: signup records, normalized emails, verification tokens, referral relationships, queue rank and invitation receipts
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Email verification is required before referral credit; rank cannot be purchased or changed by an unverified self-referral.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Repeat signup for an existing email without creating a second position; an expired token cannot verify a different signup and self-referral earns no credit.

## 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.