Agent skill

Backend Design

Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability.

MITAuto-check passedBackend & APIs

Install Backend Design

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .claude/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .claude/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .agents/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .agents/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .cursor/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .cursor/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git --path .agents/skills/backend-design

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .gemini/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .gemini/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .github/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .github/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install itseffi/agentic-os backend-design --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/backend-design .opencode/skills/backend-design && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "backend-design" agent skill from https://github.com/itseffi/agentic-os/tree/main/.agents/skills/backend-design into .opencode/skills/backend-design/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "backend-design", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: backend-design
GitHub stars: 115
Token cost: ~474 tokens
SKILL.md length: 153 words
Files: 2
Skills in repo: 29
Repo updated: Oct 7, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability.

Works in 5 steps: Define backend objective → Define API and contract changes → Define data model and migrations → …
Tasks that involve Microservices
SKILL.md covers The Process, Output Format, Quality Bar and When to Use, plus 1 more section
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Backend Design is an agent skill from itseffi/agentic-os. Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability.

Its SKILL.md is about 470 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `agents/openai.yaml`).

It sits in Backend & APIs, covering Microservices, API design and Backend development. The repository describes itself as: Agentic personal OS to automate high-leverage workflows with Codex, Claude Code, Pi, OpenClaw and other coding agents/ runtime platforms. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve Microservices
Tasks that involve API design
Tasks that involve Backend development

Example prompts

“/backend-design”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

Define backend objective
Define API and contract changes
Define data model and migrations
Define security and observability
Define rollout and verification

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit e54d0ac. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are markdown).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Backend Design loads about 474 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 38 tokens; SKILL.md has 153 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~38
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~474

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from itseffi/agentic-os at commit e54d0ac, republished under its MIT licence (© itseffi). 153 words, ~474 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/backend-design/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: backend-design
description: Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability.

Backend Design

Use this skill to design robust backend changes before implementation.

The Process

Step 1: Define backend objective

Clarify:

business objective
service boundary
latency/reliability expectations

Step 2: Define API and contract changes

Specify:

endpoints/events
request/response schemas
error model and status mapping

Step 3: Define data model and migrations

Document:

schema changes
migration strategy
backward-compatibility approach

Step 4: Define security and observability

Include:

authn/authz requirements
rate limiting/abuse controls
logging, metrics, tracing
alerting conditions

Step 5: Define rollout and verification

Provide:

phased rollout or feature flags
rollback strategy
verification checks and commands

Output Format

markdown

# [Feature Name] Backend Design Spec

## Objective
- Goal:
- Service boundary:

## API Contracts
- Endpoint/event definitions:
- Request/response schema:
- Error model:

## Data Model
- Schema changes:
- Migration plan:
- Compatibility notes:

## Security and Reliability
- Authn/authz:
- Abuse controls:
- Reliability constraints:

## Observability
- Logs:
- Metrics:
- Traces:
- Alerts:

## Rollout and Verification
- Rollout plan:
- Rollback plan:
- Verification commands/evidence:

Quality Bar

Contracts must be explicit and testable
Migration and rollback must be present for schema changes
Verification must include observable evidence

When to Use

Use this skill when the task directly matches the workflow described above.

When Not to Use

Do not use this skill when the request is unrelated, low-stakes, or better handled by a simpler direct response.

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in .agents/skills/backend-design of itseffi/agentic-os.

SKILL.md
agents/openai.yaml

Open the folder on GitHubat commit e54d0ac

Compare with similar skills

Backend Design next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Backend Design compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Backend Design this skillitseffi/agentic-os	115	—	~474	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	yesterday
Nodejs Backend Patternsever-works/ever-works	158	18 repos	~4k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	3 days ago
Backend DevelopmentMoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills	1.1k	—	~853	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	17 days ago
Moai Domain Backendmodu-ai/moai-adk	1.2k	—	~2.1k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Spring Boot Idiomsirahardianto/awesome-agv	157	—	~794	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	3 days ago
Kratos Developmentaide-family/moon	253	—	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	None	3 mo ago

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Questions about Backend Design

What does Backend Design do?

Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability. Backend Design is an agent skill from itseffi/agentic-os. Design backend architecture for implementation with API contracts, data model changes, service boundaries, security, and observability.

When should I use Backend Design?

Backend Design fits situations like: tasks that involve Microservices; tasks that involve API design; tasks that involve Backend development.

How do I install Backend Design in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/backend-design in itseffi/agentic-os) into .claude/skills/backend-design in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Backend Design in Codex?

Run `npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/backend-design in itseffi/agentic-os) into .agents/skills/backend-design in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Backend Design in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add itseffi/agentic-os --skill backend-design -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/backend-design, .gemini/skills/backend-design, .github/skills/backend-design and .opencode/skills/backend-design in your project.

What does Backend Design need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Backend Design is instructions for the agent only.

Does Backend Design access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Backend Design safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Backend Design use?

Backend Design is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Backend Design use?

About 474 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 1.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Backend Design?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Backend Design: Nodejs Backend Patterns (ever-works/ever-works, 158 stars), Backend Development (MoizIbnYousaf/ai-agent-skills, 1.1k stars), Moai Domain Backend (modu-ai/moai-adk, 1.2k stars) and Spring Boot Idioms (irahardianto/awesome-agv, 157 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Backend Design?

itseffi (a GitHub user) maintains it in itseffi/agentic-os, which has 115 GitHub stars. The repository holds 29 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: itseffi/agentic-os on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Backend Design

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Backend Design

The Process

Step 1: Define backend objective

Step 2: Define API and contract changes

Step 3: Define data model and migrations

Step 4: Define security and observability

Step 5: Define rollout and verification

Output Format

Quality Bar

When to Use

When Not to Use

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from itseffi/agentic-os

Related

Questions about Backend Design