Convex Quickstart skill for Claude Code: a running Convex app from one sentence

Makes Claude scaffold a barebones Next.js and Convex app from a one-sentence idea and start it on your machine.

Installs: 133.7K; on skills.sh
Stars: 68; on GitHub
Files: 2; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Oct 2026; last repo commit

Describe your app idea in a sentence and ask Claude to start a Convex app. Per SKILL.md, Claude runs a named recipe, quickstart-recipe@^2, with your idea and a template. The recipe creates the project, installs dependencies and starts the backend (anonymous) and the web dev server. Claude then opens the dev URL, shows a short plan and asks you to confirm before it builds beyond the template.

The template is minimal on purpose: local dev servers, no publish step and no pre-baked auth. If the scaffold cannot run, Claude writes a standard Convex project directly, with all backend code under convex/. It hands that code to the convex-expert skill. The skill folder holds 3 files including SKILL.md.

Good for

Developers starting a new full-stack app on Convex
People trying Convex who want a running template to build on
Claude Code, Cursor and Codex users who already run skills

Install convex-quickstart

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the convex-quickstart skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/convex/agent-skills --skill convex-quickstart --skill convex-expert

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js.

SKILL.md hands work to convex-expert, so the first command installs it too. Convex's docs say the skills CLI installs skills into .agents/skills/ in your project. The "All Convex skills" command installs every skill in the repo, which has 33 skill folders. One of them, convex-improve-convex-plugin, is listed in the Convex docs as sending your coding session's transcript to the Convex team. Run this skill with /convex-quickstart in Claude Code or $convex-quickstart in Codex, or let the agent pick it when the task fits.

Built from the package data we hold. Not yet tested by us.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Get a barebones Convex + web template running from a one-sentence idea.

Sections in SKILL.md

Workflow
Rules

Key facts

Author: Convex (the vendor's own repo; Convex's docs list it among the skills it provides)
Repo: convex/agent-skills
License: Apache-2.0 (LICENSE file; the README says original content is Apache-2.0)
Installs on skills.sh: 133,662 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 68 (Nov 2, 2026)
Last commit to the repo: Oct 29, 2026
What installs: 3 files including SKILL.md (agents/openai.yaml and assets/icon.svg)
Needs: Runs npx convex and npx tsc commands in your project, plus a recipe named quickstart-recipe@^2
Works in: Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Codex (README lists how to invoke skills in each)
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass, Socket: pass, Snyk: pass

What it includes

Runs quickstart-recipe@^2 with your idea and a template to create the app
SKILL.md says the recipe creates the project, installs dependencies, and starts the anonymous backend and the web dev server. It adds that the pack fetches and caches the recipe, with a pinned offline fallback.
Runs code · Run the quickstart recipe
Opens the printed dev URL for you
Once the recipe prints the dev URL, Claude opens it so you can see the running template.
Open the dev URL
Shows a short plan and waits for your OK before building past the template
Anything beyond the barebones template needs your confirmation first. Claude must not add hosting, publishing or pre-baked auth unless you ask.
Plan, then confirm
Writes a plain Convex project when the scaffold cannot run
Used in a non-interactive session, with no network, in a sandboxed temp dir, or when you only want code. Backend code goes under convex/, and no extra README-style files are written unless you ask.
Write · No-scaffold fallback
Bans unbounded .collect(), .filter() as WHERE, and wrong import paths
Use .withIndex with .paginate or .take. Import query, mutation and action helpers from ./_generated/server and api from ./_generated/api. Put "use node" only at the top of action-only files.
Data access and import rules
Avoids JS reserved words as export names, underscore table names and :param routes
httpRouter has no :param segments, so Claude uses pathPrefix and parses the last segment. Every http.route handler is wrapped in httpAction.
Reserved names and HTTP routes
Runs npx tsc --noEmit and pushes to a deployment, fixing every error
It prefers your existing deployment. Otherwise it runs npx convex dev --once if npx convex whoami succeeds, and anonymous mode only if it does not.
Runs code · Self-verify before finishing

From the official docs

Permissions

Medium risk

Claude creates a project, runs a recipe and pushes code to a Convex deployment, so a wrong target or command could change the wrong deployment. Run it in an empty directory and read each command before you approve it.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It runs a recipe that is not in the skill folder
SKILL.md names quickstart-recipe@^2 and says the pack fetches and caches it. Read the commands Claude shows before you approve them. github.com
It pushes your code to a Convex deployment
Its final check pushes to your existing deployment, or runs npx convex dev --once. Check which deployment that is before you let it run. github.com
Anonymous mode can rebind your .env.local
SKILL.md says forcing anonymous mode on a signed-in user rebinds .env.local and costs them the cloud deployment they expect. Claude should use it only when npx convex whoami fails. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only mode. Our advice: use it in an empty directory.
Scopes	Creates a project and installs dependencies Starts a backend (anonymous) and a web dev server Runs npx tsc --noEmit and pushes to a Convex deployment (npx convex dev --once)

Questions

How do I install convex-quickstart?

Use the install box above. quickstart hands any code under convex/ to the convex-expert skill, so the first command installs both. Run it with /convex-quickstart in Claude Code or $convex-quickstart in Codex, or just ask for a new Convex app.

Do I need a Convex account first?

SKILL.md says the recipe starts the backend anonymously. For its final check Claude prefers your project's existing deployment, and only forces anonymous mode when npx convex whoami fails. SKILL.md warns that forcing anonymous mode on a signed-in user rebinds .env.local and costs them their cloud deployment.

Can I use it on an app I already have?

The README describes it as starting a new Convex project or adding Convex to an existing app. The SKILL.md workflow itself only describes scaffolding a new template, so for an existing app expect help with convex/ code rather than a template.

Does it set up sign-in?

Not by default. SKILL.md tells Claude not to add pre-baked auth here unless you ask, to keep the template minimal. Convex has a separate convex-auth skill for sign-in.

Is it safe?

It creates a project, installs dependencies, starts dev servers and pushes code to a Convex deployment. The recipe it runs is named in SKILL.md but is not in the skill folder, so read the commands Claude shows before you approve them. Our advice: try it in an empty directory first.

Is it official?

Yes. It is in Convex's own agent-skills repo, and Convex's docs list it among the agent skills Convex provides.

Does it work in the Claude app?

The README and Convex docs name Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Windsurf and Codex. They do not name the Claude app, and this skill works on a local project, so we list no Claude app install.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: convex/agent-skills
Folder: skills/convex-quickstart

convex/agent-skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 3

convex/agent-skills README · github.com
Convex docs: Agent Skills · docs.convex.dev
convex-quickstart SKILL.md · github.com