Automated summary
Guides the design of robust backend systems, APIs, and data models with trade-offs and operational readiness.
Strengths
- Covers scope, data model, reliability, performance, security, and observability
- provides a structured checklist
- includes trade-off analysis.
Limitations
- Does not generate code or specific implementations
- may require significant domain knowledge to apply effectively.
Use when planning or reviewing backend architecture for a new service or major feature.
Avoid when you need quick code generation or when the backend requirements are already fully specified.
Security analysis
SafeThe skill provides design guidance and does not instruct any destructive, exfiltrating, or obfuscated actions. The allowed tools include Bash, but the skill itself contains no malicious commands or directives to bypass safety.
No concerns found
How this analysis is madeExamples
Design a backend system for a task management application. Include data model, API endpoints, error handling, and scalability considerations.I need to integrate a payment gateway into my existing backend. Outline the required data model, API contracts, failure modes, and observability plan.Review the current backend architecture for a social media app and suggest improvements for performance and reliability.name: backend-design description: Design robust backend systems and APIs. Use when users ask to plan or implement services, data models, or integrations. allowed-tools:
- Read
- Grep
- Glob
- Bash
Backend Design Skill
This skill guides the design of reliable backend systems, APIs, and data models with clear trade-offs, strong correctness guarantees, and operational readiness.
Design Thinking
- Scope: Identify core use cases, data flows, and integration points.
- Constraints: Latency, throughput, availability, compliance, and deployment limits.
- Data: Define entities, relationships, invariants, and lifecycle.
- Reliability: Error handling, retries, idempotency, and consistency model.
Architecture Guidelines
- API Design: Explicit contracts, versioning, validation, and error shape.
- Storage: Choose stores based on access patterns and durability needs.
- Performance: Indexing, caching, batching, and async processing.
- Security: AuthN/AuthZ, least privilege, secrets handling, auditability.
- Observability: Logging, metrics, tracing, and alerting signals.
- Scalability: Stateless services where possible, clear scaling boundaries.
Output Requirements
Provide a clear backend plan or implementation that includes:
- Data model and key invariants
- API endpoints or service interfaces
- Failure modes and recovery strategy
- Performance and scaling considerations
- Security and observability notes
Response Checklist
Backend Design Checklist
- [ ] Confirm requirements and constraints
- [ ] Define data model and invariants
- [ ] Specify API contracts and error shape
- [ ] Address failure modes and consistency
- [ ] Cover performance, scaling, and caching
- [ ] Include security and observability plans
From the file to a first result
The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.
View the source and supporting filesThis download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.
1. Download the file
Download SKILL.mdFrom the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.
Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.
mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/download' --output '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md'2. Check prerequisites
Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.
No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.
The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.
3. Load the skill
After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.
Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/backend-design' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232' '.claude/skills/backend-design'Cursor
test -f '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.cursor/skills' && test ! -e '.cursor/skills/backend-design' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232' '.cursor/skills/backend-design'OpenSkills
OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.
Official OpenSkills installationopenskills install './.skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232'openskills read 'backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232'Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.
For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.
openskills syncManual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.
4. Try a first task
Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:
Read .skill-downloads/backend-architecture-design-mm8o5232/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.
React Hook Form Best Practices
Development
Master React Hook Form: avoid anti-patterns, manage subscriptions, and handle reset, dirty state, and controlled inputs correctly.
Emotion to Mantine Migration
Development
Migrate Emotion styled-components to Mantine components with style props and CSS modules. Use when converting .styled.tsx files or removing @emotion imports.
Scope Creep Detector
Development
Analyzes git diffs against a stated intent to detect scope creep, unrelated files, broad PRs, and oversized changes, then suggests keep, split, or justify actions.