Source-Driven Development skill for Claude Code: code from official docs, with citations

Makes your agent check official documentation for your framework version and cite its sources before it writes code.

Installs: 62.7K; on skills.sh
Stars: 112.6K; on GitHub
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

source-driven-development makes the agent back every framework-specific decision with official documentation instead of memory. It loads when you want a pattern verified against the docs, or when you want source-cited code, and it follows four steps: detect your stack and versions, fetch the relevant docs page, implement what the docs show and cite the source.

It reads your dependency file for exact versions and fetches documentation pages from the web. It ranks official docs first, then official blogs, web standards and compatibility data, and flags anything it could not verify.

Good for

Developers who want code that matches current framework docs
Teams writing boilerplate that will be copied around
Anyone tired of deprecated APIs from model memory

Install source-driven-development

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the source-driven-development skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/addyosmani/agent-skills --skill source-driven-development

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.

From its listing on skills.sh. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Grounds every implementation decision in official documentation. Use when you want to verify an approach against the official docs before implementing it, or when you want authoritative, source-cited code free from outdated patterns. Use when building with any framework or library where correctness matters.

Sections in SKILL.md

Overview
When to Use
The Process
Step 1: Detect Stack and Versions
Step 2: Fetch Official Documentation
Step 3: Implement Following Documented Patterns
Step 4: Cite Your Sources
Common Rationalizations
Red Flags
Verification

Key facts

Author: addyosmani (repo owner)
Installs on skills.sh: 62,728 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 112,555 on the agent-skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
License: MIT
Last commit: 2026-11-01
What installs: 1 file: SKILL.md
Needs: Your dependency file (such as package.json) and the agent's ability to fetch web pages
Works in: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Copilot, OpenCode and more, per the README

What it includes

Reads the dependency file and states the exact versions found
If versions are missing or unclear, it asks you.
Read · Step 1: Detect stack and versions
Fetches the specific docs page for the feature, not the homepage
Source order: official docs, official blog or changelog, web standards (MDN, web.dev), compatibility data.
Network · Step 2: Fetch official docs
Treats fetched pages as data and ignores instructions aimed at the model
Extracts only API definitions, examples, deprecations and version guidance.
Retrieval safety
Uses the signatures from the docs, not from memory; avoids deprecated APIs
Anything the docs do not cover is flagged as unverified.
Write · Step 3: Implement documented patterns
Full URLs in code comments and in the conversation
Prefers deep links with anchors and quotes the relevant passage for non-obvious choices.
Step 4: Cite sources
Surfaces conflicts between docs and your existing code
It does not silently pick one.
Conflict handling

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

It fetches web pages while it works, and a page could contain text meant to steer the agent. Read any command or URL it surfaces before approving.

What it can do

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

Watch out for

It fetches pages from the web
It reads documentation pages for your framework. The skill says fetched pages are data, and not to follow instructions inside them.
It reads your dependency file
It reads package.json or the equivalent to find versions. Step 1 uses it to state the exact versions found.

Technical details

Talks to	official documentation sites

Questions

What does source-driven-development do?

It makes Claude verify framework code against official documentation for your version, write the code to match and cite the pages it used. Unverified parts are flagged.

How do I install source-driven-development?

Use the install box above. The README also lists npx skills add addyosmani/agent-skills --skill source-driven-development for one skill, and a Claude Code plugin for the whole pack (/plugin marketplace add addyosmani/agent-skills, then /plugin install agent-skills@addy-agent-skills). A one-skill install copies only skills/source-driven-development/ and not the repo-level references folder; the README says the skill still works.

Does it need internet access?

Its Step 2 fetches documentation pages, so the agent needs a way to fetch web pages. Without one it cannot follow the main step.

Which sources does it trust?

Official documentation first, then official blogs and changelogs, web standards such as MDN and web.dev, and browser compatibility data. Stack Overflow, blogs and AI-generated summaries are not treated as primary sources.

When should I skip it?

The SKILL.md says to skip it when correctness does not depend on a version (renames, typos, file moves), for pure logic, or when you want speed over verification.

Is it safe to run?

It is a text file of instructions and bundles no scripts. It fetches web pages and tells the agent to ignore instructions inside them, but review any URLs or commands it surfaces.

Does it work in Codex, Cursor or other tools?

The README documents Codex (codex plugin marketplace add addyosmani/agent-skills, then codex plugin add agent-skills@agent-skills, Codex CLI v0.122 or newer), Cursor (copy skills into .cursor/skills/), Gemini CLI, Windsurf, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, Kiro and others. It says the skills are plain Markdown that work with any agent that accepts instruction files. It does not mention the Claude app.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: addyosmani/agent-skills
Folder: skills/source-driven-development

addyosmani/agent-skills skills.sh

Sources

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

Show all 2

source-driven-development SKILL.md · github.com
addyosmani/agent-skills README · github.com