Best skills for Backend developer
As a backend developer, you build the core logic, APIs, and data layers that power applications. Two AI skills stand out for this role: Domain-Driven Design (DDD) and Definition of Done (DoD). DDD helps you model complex business domains through bounded contexts, aggregates, and ubiquitous language – AI can expedite this by suggesting patterns based on your domain descriptions. The Definition of Done ensures every feature meets a clear quality bar, including tests, documentation, and code review. Together, they help you ship maintainable, business-aligned backend systems. A common pitfall is treating AI-generated code as finished work: always apply your DoD checklist. DDD keeps your architecture focused on business value, not technical clutter. These skills aren't shortcuts; they're force multipliers for designing robust, scalable backend solutions.
24 skills selected
Algorithms and Data Structures
Development
Requires complexity analysis, proper data structure selection, and rigorous algorithm implementation for Python and ML pipelines at principal-engineer level.
Safe Database Migration
Development
Run database migrations with safety checks: dry-run previews before staging/production, automatic rollback guidance, and explicit confirmation for production. Use it to apply schema changes without risking data loss or downtime.
Manage Python Dependencies with uv
Development
I handle the full uv dependency-management lifecycle: adding/removing packages, syncing environments, regenerating lock files, running commands in project environment, and initializing new projects.
Django Expert Backend
Development
Provides expert guidance for Django backend development. Use it when building Django models, views, APIs with DRF, optimizing ORM queries, or implementing authentication and testing. Follows Django best practices to improve code quality and performance.
Temporal Python Workflows
Development
Manage Temporal workflows using local dev server and Python SDK. Includes starting, stopping, debugging, and troubleshooting.
Add Game Subsystem
Development
Scaffolds a complete new game subsystem end-to-end: models, service, router, schemas, migrations, OpenAPI spec, and tests. Use this skill when adding a major new game feature that spans multiple layers (database, service, API, tests), such as a crafting system, an auction house, a reputation system, or a quest system.
Rate Limiting Design Guide
Development
Executes a rate limiting design guide covering algorithms like Token Bucket, Leaky Bucket, and Sliding Window with implementation examples in Redis and Node.js.
Code Deslopper: Semantic Code Cleanup
Development
Semantic code cleanup and refactoring assistant that removes AI-generated code smells, unnecessary abstractions, and duplication while preserving behavior.
Python Patterns and Decision-Making
Development
This skill provides principles for making decisions in Python development: framework selection (FastAPI, Django, Flask), async vs sync patterns, type hints strategy, and project structure. It helps developers choose the right approach based on context rather than memorizing fixed patterns.
No Johns Setup Troubleshooter
Development
Diagnoses and fixes common setup issues for No Johns, an AI training framework for Melee. Runs systematic checks on Python 3.12, required packages (libmelee, pyenet), configuration files (Dolphin path, ISO, connect code), Dolphin installation, and arena connectivity. Useful when users encounter errors during initial setup or after updates.
Prepare and Open Pull Request
DevOps
Prepares and opens a GitHub pull request using the repository's workflow, without creating commits or pushing branches.
asc CLI Usage for App Store Connect
DevOps
Guidance for using the asc CLI for App Store Connect: command discovery, flags, output formats, authentication, and capabilities.
Domain-Driven Architecture Patterns
Development
Provides tactical Domain-Driven Design patterns for Python applications, including Domain Model, Repository, Service Layer, Unit of Work, and Aggregates. Helps architect clean backend systems with clear separation between business logic and infrastructure, and supports decisions on service boundaries and data access layers.
Python Functional Code Reviewer
Development
This skill reviews Python codebases with a focus on functional programming, avoiding for-loops, and promoting clean, composable code. It enforces code quality via ruff and validates environment hygiene with uv. Useful for ensuring modern, maintainable Python code.
uv: Fast Python Package Manager
Development
Skill for using uv to manage Python projects, run scripts with uv run, handle dependencies, and work with virtual environments.
Upload Skill to Anthropic API
DevOps
Analyzes, bundles, and uploads a Claude Code skill to the Anthropic Skills API for workspace-wide availability. Tracks uploads for future updates.
Database Patterns (Drizzle ORM)
Development
Provides database patterns for PostgreSQL using Drizzle ORM, including a repository-based data access layer. Enforces conventions like snake_case naming, UUID primary keys, and timestamps. Includes migration workflow and common query patterns for filtering.
Python Functional Bug Debugging
Development
Investigates functional bugs in Python using specifications, logs, and observed behavior. Useful when a feature isn't working as specified, to analyze runtime errors, or to scope a problem before implementing a fix.
TinyDB Database Management for JSON Storage
Development
Configure and operate TinyDB for JSON-based document storage. The skill covers setup, CRUD operations, ID generation, and query patterns. It helps when building applications that need lightweight JSON persistence with search capabilities.
Prisma ORM - Type-Safe Database Operations
Development
Performs type-safe database operations using Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL. Ideal for defining schemas, writing type-safe queries, creating migrations, modeling relations, or replacing raw SQL with ORM patterns. Automatically generates TypeScript types and manages database schema changes.
Code Quality Checker
Development
Runs ruff for linting and mypy for type checking on the codebase. It can auto-fix ruff violations and target specific directories. Useful for catching style issues, security warnings, and type errors before commit.
uv workflows for Python
Development
Master uv for Python dependency management, virtual environments, PEP 723 scripts, Python version management, CI with GitHub Actions, and Docker builds.
SQLAlchemy & Alembic Schema Evolution
Development
Handle SQLAlchemy model changes, constraints, indexes and Alembic revisions: generate, review, and test migrations and data transforms safely.
Idiomatic Python Patterns
Development
Python best practices, PEP 8, type hints, and idiomatic patterns for building robust, maintainable applications.
How to choose
- How are these skills selected?
- An algorithm picks them among the published skills that match this page's criteria, such as category, tags or compatible tools. It ranks them by the quality score a language model gave them. On ranking pages, it also weighs GitHub stars and the security rating. Nobody reviews them one by one.
- What do the security ratings mean?
- A language model reads the SKILL.md file, without running it, and gives it a rating. Safe means it sees no meaningful execution risk. Caution means the skill uses powerful tools such as bash, docker or the network for a legitimate purpose. Risky means it asks for destructive actions, for secrets to be sent out, or for obfuscated code to run; a skill rated Risky is never published. The rating does not replace your own reading of the file.
- How do I install a skill?
- Open any skill page and follow its install instructions for your tool — Claude Code, Cursor or Copilot. Each skill lists the exact steps so you can get it running in a couple of minutes.