# AGENTS.md — Build guide for Retool

## Project scope
Build one internal operations screen over an approved database: search records, inspect detail and perform a narrowly defined edit. Keep the query catalog server-side with read-only credentials until write actions are explicitly enabled.

Catalogue verdict: kinda. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Retool, build one internal CRUD tool over a trusted database with role-aware actions. The hard boundary is connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime, plus connectors, runtime reliability, and governance.
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- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.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
- A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions.
- Implementation components: Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations. PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- Scope boundary: connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime; hundreds of connectors

## Stack and architecture
- Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.
- Domain model: approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts

## Security and data integrity
- Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML.
- Correctness boundary: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
- Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.
- Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching.

## Agent implementation rules
- Project rule — data model: approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice.

## Optional agent skills and references
- Optional external skill: [vercel-react-best-practices](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/react-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Improve React and Next.js data fetching, rendering, bundle size and server performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
- 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.

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 Retool-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Build one internal operations screen over an approved database: search records, inspect detail and perform a narrowly defined edit. Keep the query catalog server-side with read-only credentials until write actions are explicitly enabled.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime; hundreds of connectors Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build one internal operations screen over an approved database: search records, inspect detail and perform a narrowly defined edit. Keep the query catalog server-side with read-only credentials until write actions are explicitly enabled. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime; hundreds of connectors
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
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. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice. 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
- connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime
- hundreds of connectors
- pixel-perfect app design
- mobile app-store builds
- enterprise permissions and scale

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Build one internal operations screen over an approved database: search records, inspect detail and perform a narrowly defined edit. Keep the query catalog server-side with read-only credentials until write actions are explicitly enabled.

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

Architecture
- Next.js App Router and TypeScript for server-rendered pages and validated mutations.
- PostgreSQL with Drizzle migrations; Better Auth sessions for a small private workspace.

Prerequisites and limits
A supported Node release, PostgreSQL, HTTPS for a shared deployment, and a backup destination. Begin with one workspace and explicit owner/member permissions.
Outside this release: connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime; hundreds of connectors

Data model and correctness
approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts
Invariant: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.

Security and privacy
Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML.

Recovery and export
Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build one internal operations screen over an approved database: search records, inspect detail and perform a narrowly defined edit. Keep the query catalog server-side with read-only credentials until write actions are explicitly enabled. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: connectors, component library, permissions, workflows, and hosted runtime; hundreds of connectors
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
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. Commit related database changes in one transaction. Use version checks for competing edits and an outbox for external notifications; retry delivery independently of saving the record.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Authorize every record read and mutation on the server using its workspace membership; validate payloads, protect mutations against CSRF, and escape user-authored HTML. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export versioned JSON plus attachments and a readable CSV summary. Restore into a separate database and compare record IDs and attachment checksums before switching. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice.
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: [vercel-react-best-practices](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/react-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Improve React and Next.js data fetching, rendering, bundle size and server performance. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [supabase-postgres-best-practices](https://github.com/supabase/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/supabase-postgres-best-practices/SKILL.md) — Review PostgreSQL schemas, queries, indexes, pooling, concurrency and row-level security. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
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.
Project rule — data model: approved resource connections, named parameterized queries, role grants, table views and action receipts
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Users cannot submit arbitrary SQL or change a connection string; action authorization and row scope are checked independently of hidden UI controls.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: A member tampers with a record ID and receives a denial; retrying a confirmed action does not apply the same update twice.

## 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.