Claude Automation Recommender

Analyze codebase patterns to recommend tailored Claude Code automations across all extensibility options.

This skill is read-only. It analyzes the codebase and outputs recommendations. It does NOT create or modify any files. Users implement the recommendations themselves or ask Claude separately to help build them.

Working with the baseline

This skill is invoked from inside a project that ships the Claude Code Baseline (docs/init/seed.md). Read that file before recommending — it lists what is already installed.

The baseline already provides the following. Do not recommend any of these as additions — they exist:

• 22 hooks: 17 write/run-boundary guards — setup_guard, destructive_cmd_guard, git_commit_guard, env_guard, direction_approval_guard, swarm_approval_guard, verify_pass_guard, track_guard, artifact_template_guard, plantuml_syntax_guard, spec_diagram_presence_guard, spec_design_calls_guard, swarm_boundary_guard, tdd_order_guard, process_lifecycle_guard, lint_runner, test_runner — plus 4 lifecycle hooks: memory_session_start, memory_stop, memory_pre_compact, harness_continuation — plus 1 input-boundary hook: consent_gate_grant.
• 1 subagent: swarm-worker — the only subagent in the baseline. It executes pre-decided recipes from main context inside isolated git worktrees during /swarm-dispatch. No new subagents should be recommended. All decision-making lives in skills running in main context, where conversational nuance and full file visibility are preserved.
• 36 skills: artifact drafting (4), workflow phases (10), phase workers — scenario, implement, verify, prose, design-ui (5), spec helpers — spec-lint, spec-render, spec-diagram-review, spec-traceability-review (4), orchestration — harness, swarm-plan, swarm-dispatch (3), memory — memory-sync (1), audit — audit-baseline (1), alternate tracks — chore (1), plus seven shared globals: claude-automation-recommender, code-structure, humanizer, documentation, technical-tutorials, copywriting, impeccable. Several skills mandatorily invoke another skill: scenario and implement invoke code-structure; design-ui invokes impeccable; prose invokes humanizer (always) and copywriting (when persuasive). The technical-tutorials skill carries its audience-context reference doc inline at .claude/skills/technical-tutorials/references/audience-context.md (consolidated 2026-04-28 from the upstream developer-audience-context skill).
• 4 commands: /approve-direction, /approve-swarm, /grant-commit, /init-project.
• 3 MCP servers: the documentation provider named in .claude/docs-provider.json (library docs), plantuml (diagram rendering), playwright (Microsoft-official browser automation; used by design-ui for cross-engine visual verification, by integrate for optional cross-engine smoke).

Your job is to surface gaps the baseline doesn't cover for this project. Examples of valuable recommendations:

• Project-management MCPs (Linear, Jira, GitHub Issues) when the codebase shows references to those systems.
• Monitoring / observability MCPs (Sentry, Datadog) when the project has an error-tracking integration.
• Stack-specific lint/test commands populating project.json → test.cmd and lint.cmd based on detected framework (Vitest vs Jest vs pytest, Ruff vs Black vs Prettier+ESLint, etc.).
• Stack-specific destructive-command patterns to extend project.json → destructive.{hard_block,ask}_patterns (e.g., terraform destroy, kubectl delete, rails db:drop).
• TDD glob conventions matching the project's actual test file layout (*_test.go, *.test.tsx, tests/test_*.py).
• New skills for repeated project workflows the baseline phases don't cover (e.g., release-notes for a project with monthly cuts, or stack-specific skills like react-patterns that the swarm-worker template can preload via the {{SKILLS}} token).

Output format for /init-project consumption

When invoked from /init-project, structure your output as a JSON block (in addition to the human-readable narrative) that the orchestrator can parse and apply:

{
  "stack": {
    "language": "typescript",
    "framework": "next.js",
    "test_runner": "vitest",
    "test_cmd": "vitest run --reporter=dot",
    "test_kind": "behavior",
    "linter": "biome",
    "lint_cmd": "biome check --apply"
  },
  "project_json": {
    "test": {
      "kind": "behavior"
    },
    "tdd": {
      "source_globs": ["src/**", "app/**"],
      "test_globs": ["**/*.test.{ts,tsx}"]
    },
    "destructive": {
      "ask_patterns_extend": ["\\bvercel\\s+remove\\b", "\\bsupabase\\s+db\\s+reset\\b"]
    }
  },
  "additions": {
    "mcp_servers": [
      {"name": "linear", "command": "npx -y @linear/mcp", "why": "issues referenced in 23 commits"}
    ],
    "skills": [],
    "hooks": [],
    "swarm_worker_skills": []
  },
  "gaps": [
    "No CI configuration detected; the baseline assumes the user runs tests locally"
  ]
}

Set project_json.test.kind (mirrored as the stack test_kind hint) to tell the chore track whether test.cmd can exercise a docs-only change: behavior — a code-only suite such as vitest — lets a pure-docs chore skip verify; structural (or an absent key) — a whole-repo check — always runs it. Recommend behavior whenever the test_cmd is a unit/integration runner. For vitest specifically, recommend --reporter=dot (the basic reporter was removed in vitest v4).

When invoked outside /init-project (ad-hoc), the human-readable narrative alone is fine — skip the JSON.

swarm-worker template — stack skills the worker should preload

The baseline ships exactly one subagent: swarm-worker. It is template-rendered. /init-project reads src/agents/swarm-worker.template.md and substitutes four tokens. The base body always preloads scenario and implement; this section is about adding stack-specific skills that the worker should also have loaded so its Skill(implement) invocation lands in a context primed for the stack.

Recommend stack skills in additions.swarm_worker_skills — a flat list of skill names (no from_template indirection, no per-variant explosion). /init-project re-renders the worker with SKILLS = ["scenario", "implement"] + swarm_worker_skills.

Schema for the recommendation:

"swarm_worker_skills": ["react-patterns", "react-testing-library", "accessibility"]

Rules:

• Every skill listed must exist on disk or appear earlier in additions.skills[] so it's installed before the worker re-render runs. /init-project enforces this; emit it correctly and the render lands cleanly.
• Stack skills only. Generic discipline (code-structure, humanizer) is already invoked by the worker's two mandatory skills (scenario → code-structure; implement → code-structure + the documentation provider). Don't duplicate.
• Don't recommend new subagent types. The worker's job is execution, not judgment; specialization happens via skills loaded into its context, not via parallel agent personas. New decision-making roles belong in skills, which run in main context where context richness matters.

Output Guidelines

• Recommend 1-2 of each type: Don't overwhelm - surface the top 1-2 most valuable automations per category
• If user asks for a specific type: Focus only on that type and provide more options (3-5 recommendations)
• Go beyond the reference lists: The reference files contain common patterns, but use web search to find recommendations specific to the codebase's tools, frameworks, and libraries
• Tell users they can ask for more: End by noting they can request more recommendations for any specific category

Automation Types Overview

Type	Best For
Hooks	Automatic actions on tool events (format on save, lint, block edits)
Subagents	Specialized reviewers/analyzers that run in parallel
Skills	Packaged expertise, workflows, and repeatable tasks (invoked by Claude or user via /skill-name)
Plugins	Collections of skills that can be installed
MCP Servers	External tool integrations (databases, APIs, browsers, docs)

Workflow

Phase 1: Codebase Analysis

Gather project context:

# Detect project type and tools
ls -la package.json pyproject.toml Cargo.toml go.mod pom.xml 2>/dev/null
cat package.json 2>/dev/null | head -50

# Check dependencies for MCP server recommendations
cat package.json 2>/dev/null | grep -E '"(react|vue|angular|next|express|fastapi|django|prisma|supabase|stripe)"'

# Check for existing Claude Code config
ls -la .claude/ CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null

# Analyze project structure
ls -la src/ app/ lib/ tests/ components/ pages/ api/ 2>/dev/null

Key Indicators to Capture:

Category	What to Look For	Informs Recommendations For
Language/Framework	package.json, pyproject.toml, import patterns	Hooks, MCP servers
Frontend stack	React, Vue, Angular, Next.js	Playwright MCP, frontend skills
Backend stack	Express, FastAPI, Django	API documentation tools
Database	Prisma, Supabase, raw SQL	Database MCP servers
External APIs	Stripe, OpenAI, AWS SDKs	the declared documentation provider for docs
Testing	Jest, pytest, Playwright configs	Testing hooks, subagents
CI/CD	GitHub Actions, CircleCI	GitHub MCP server
Issue tracking	Linear, Jira references	Issue tracker MCP
Docs patterns	OpenAPI, JSDoc, docstrings	Documentation skills

Phase 2: Generate Recommendations

Based on analysis, generate recommendations across all categories:

A. MCP Server Recommendations

See references/mcp-servers.md for detailed patterns.

Codebase Signal	Recommended MCP Server
Uses popular libraries (React, Express, etc.)	the documentation provider - Live documentation lookup, already shipped
Frontend with UI testing needs	Playwright - Browser automation/testing
Uses Supabase	Supabase MCP - Direct database operations
PostgreSQL/MySQL database	Database MCP - Query and schema tools
GitHub repository	GitHub MCP - Issues, PRs, actions
Uses Linear for issues	Linear MCP - Issue management
AWS infrastructure	AWS MCP - Cloud resource management
Slack workspace	Slack MCP - Team notifications
Memory/context persistence	Memory MCP - Cross-session memory
Sentry error tracking	Sentry MCP - Error investigation
Docker containers	Docker MCP - Container management

B. Skills Recommendations

See references/skills-reference.md for details.

Create skills in .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md. Some are also available via plugins:

Codebase Signal	Skill	Plugin
Building plugins	skill-development	plugin-dev
Git commits	commit	commit-commands
React/Vue/Angular	frontend-design	frontend-design
Automation rules	writing-rules	hookify
Feature planning	feature-dev	feature-dev

Custom skills to create (with templates, scripts, examples):

Codebase Signal	Skill to Create	Invocation
API routes	api-doc (with OpenAPI template)	Both
Database project	create-migration (with validation script)	User-only
Test suite	gen-test (with example tests)	User-only
Component library	new-component (with templates)	User-only
PR workflow	pr-check (with checklist)	User-only
Releases	release-notes (with git context)	User-only
Code style	project-conventions	Claude-only
Onboarding	setup-dev (with prereq script)	User-only

C. Hooks Recommendations

See references/hooks-patterns.md for configurations.

Codebase Signal	Recommended Hook
Prettier configured	PostToolUse: auto-format on edit
ESLint/Ruff configured	PostToolUse: auto-lint on edit
TypeScript project	PostToolUse: type-check on edit
Tests directory exists	PostToolUse: run related tests
.env files present	PreToolUse: block .env edits
Lock files present	PreToolUse: block lock file edits
Security-sensitive code	PreToolUse: require confirmation

D. Subagent Recommendations

Do not recommend new subagent types in this baseline. The architecture commits to: decisions live in main context (where conversation history, screenshots, and offhand user feedback are preserved); subagents only execute pre-decided recipes (currently only swarm-worker for parallel code execution). Anything you'd previously have made a code-reviewer / security-reviewer / api-documenter subagent should be a skill invoked from main context — find or recommend a skill, not an agent.

If the project has a strong stack signal that warrants additional skills the swarm-worker should preload, recommend them via additions.swarm_worker_skills (described under "swarm-worker template — stack skills the worker should preload").

E. Plugin Recommendations

See references/plugins-reference.md for available plugins.

Codebase Signal	Recommended Plugin
General productivity	anthropic-agent-skills - Core skills bundle
Document workflows	Install docx, xlsx, pdf skills
Frontend development	frontend-design plugin
Building AI tools	mcp-builder for MCP development

Phase 3: Output Recommendations Report

Format recommendations clearly. Only include 1-2 recommendations per category - the most valuable ones for this specific codebase. Skip categories that aren't relevant.

## Claude Code Automation Recommendations

I've analyzed your codebase and identified the top automations for each category. Here are my top 1-2 recommendations per type:

### Codebase Profile
- **Type**: [detected language/runtime]
- **Framework**: [detected framework]
- **Key Libraries**: [relevant libraries detected]

---

### 🔌 MCP Servers

#### [server name]
**Why**: [specific reason based on detected libraries]
**Install**: `claude mcp add [server name]`

---

### 🎯 Skills

#### [skill name]
**Why**: [specific reason]
**Create**: `.claude/skills/[name]/SKILL.md`
**Invocation**: User-only / Both / Claude-only
**Also available in**: [plugin-name] plugin (if applicable)
```yaml
---
name: [skill-name]
description: [what it does]
disable-model-invocation: true  # for user-only
---

---

⚡ Hooks

[hook name]

Why: [specific reason based on detected config] Where: .claude/settings.json

---

🤖 Swarm-worker stack skills

[skill name to preload]

Why: [specific reason — usually a strong stack signal that justifies preloading the skill into the swarm-worker's context] Where: additions.swarm_worker_skills in the JSON output

---

Want more? Ask for additional recommendations for any specific category (e.g., "show me more MCP server options" or "what other hooks would help?").

Want help implementing any of these? Just ask and I can help you set up any of the recommendations above.

## Decision Framework

### When to Recommend MCP Servers
- External service integration needed (databases, APIs)
- Documentation lookup for libraries/SDKs
- Browser automation or testing
- Team tool integration (GitHub, Linear, Slack)
- Cloud infrastructure management

### When to Recommend Skills

- Document generation (docx, xlsx, pptx, pdf — also in plugins)
- Frequently repeated prompts or workflows
- Project-specific tasks with arguments
- Applying templates or scripts to tasks (skills can bundle supporting files)
- Quick actions invoked with `/skill-name`
- Workflows that should run in isolation (`context: fork`)

**Invocation control:**
- `disable-model-invocation: true` — User-only (for side effects: deploy, commit, send)
- `user-invocable: false` — Claude-only (for background knowledge)
- Default (omit both) — Both can invoke

### When to Recommend Hooks
- Repetitive post-edit actions (formatting, linting)
- Protection rules (block sensitive file edits)
- Validation checks (tests, type checks)

### When to Recommend Subagents
**Don't.** The baseline ships exactly one subagent (`swarm-worker`) for parallel code execution; "specialized expertise" is a skill-shaped problem in this architecture, not an agent-shaped one. Recommend the skill instead.

### When to Recommend Plugins
- Need multiple related skills
- Want pre-packaged automation bundles
- Team-wide standardization

---

## Configuration Tips

### MCP Server Setup

**Team sharing**: Check `.mcp.json` into repo so entire team gets same MCP servers

**Debugging**: Use `--mcp-debug` flag to identify configuration issues

**Prerequisites to recommend:**
- GitHub CLI (`gh`) - enables native GitHub operations
- Puppeteer/Playwright CLI - for browser MCP servers

### Headless Mode (for CI/Automation)

Recommend headless Claude for automated pipelines:

```bash
# Pre-commit hook example
claude -p "fix lint errors in src/" --allowedTools Edit,Write

# CI pipeline with structured output
claude -p "<prompt>" --output-format stream-json | your_command

Permissions for Hooks

Configure allowed tools in .claude/settings.json:

{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": ["Edit", "Write", "Bash(npm test:*)", "Bash(git commit:*)"]
  }
}