# AGENTS.md — Build guide for SmartSuite

## Project scope
Model one team's operational records, provide grid/form/kanban views and define one explicit automation such as notifying an assignee. Keep a versioned schema and a documented limited API.

Catalogue verdict: kinda. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For SmartSuite, configure records, views, automations, and dashboards for one team. The hard boundary is template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration, plus data model flexibility, collaboration, and integrations.
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- Do not publish, spend money, contact customers, delete source data or run irreversible migrations without the project owner's authorization.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: template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration; real-time multiplayer

## 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: solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries

## 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: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
- 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: solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries
- Project rule — preserve this invariant: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
- Project rule — acceptance evidence: Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification.

## 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 SmartSuite-inspired workflow with owned or clearly labeled sample data: Model one team's operational records, provide grid/form/kanban views and define one explicit automation such as notifying an assignee. Keep a versioned schema and a documented limited API.
- Publish a reproducible walkthrough with this observable result: Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification.
- Explain who can operate this scoped tool, its setup and ongoing costs, and these remaining product gaps: template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration; real-time multiplayer Avoid guaranteed savings, performance scores or implied endorsement.

## Engineering roadmap
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Model one team's operational records, provide grid/form/kanban views and define one explicit automation such as notifying an assignee. Keep a versioned schema and a documented limited API. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration; real-time multiplayer
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
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. Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification. 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
- template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration
- real-time multiplayer
- automation and integration breadth
- scale and formula depth
- enterprise permissions

## Implementation prompt
WORKING SLICE
Model one team's operational records, provide grid/form/kanban views and define one explicit automation such as notifying an assignee. Keep a versioned schema and a documented limited API.

Build this scoped SmartSuite-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: template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration; real-time multiplayer

Data model and correctness
solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries
Invariant: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
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: Model one team's operational records, provide grid/form/kanban views and define one explicit automation such as notifying an assignee. Keep a versioned schema and a documented limited API. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: template breadth, workflow, integrations, permissions, and hosted collaboration; real-time multiplayer
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
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. Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification.
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: solutions, typed tables, records, relation fields, saved views, automations and audit entries
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Schema changes validate existing values before migration; relation deletion and automation side effects require a preview and audit trail.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Change an enum field with existing records and review affected rows; replaying an automation event cannot send a second notification.

## 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.