Stream React Native - skill router + execution flow

Rules: Read RULES.md once per session. Every non-negotiable React Native Chat, Video, and Feeds rule is stated there.

This file is the single entrypoint: intent classification, product selection, project detection, and module pointers for Stream Chat React Native, Stream Video React Native, and Stream Feeds React Native work.

Step 0: Intent classifier (mandatory first - never skip)

Before any tool call, decide the track from the user's input alone. Do not probe the filesystem first.

Signals -> track

Disambiguation flow

If the request is ambiguous between wiring code and reference lookup, ask one short question and wait:

Do you want me to wire this into the project, or just map the React Native SDK pattern and files?

If the user wants a new app but did not name Expo or RN CLI, default to Expo because it is the shortest successful path. Use RN CLI when the user asks for it or when native project constraints require it.

Product classifier (after track is known)

Identify the product from the user's input or detected packages. Tracks A, B, and D all need the product before continuing; Track C selects the matching reference pair.

If the request is ambiguous between products, ask one short question and wait:

Are you wiring Stream Chat (channels, messages), Stream Video (calls, livestream, audio rooms), or Stream Feeds (activity feed, timeline, comments, reactions, follows)? Or more than one in the same app?

Scope rejection

This skill bundles Chat, Video, and Feeds React Native. If the user asks for Stream Moderation review UI or another non-bundled Stream RN product, say:

The React Native skill currently bundles Chat, Video, and Feeds references. I can help with any combination of those here, or switch to live docs for other products.

Do not invent missing React Native Moderation API details from memory.

After classification

• Tracks A, B, D -> run Project signals, then continue in builder.md and sdk.md. Run credentials.md before writing Chat, Video, or Feeds connection code or creating requested demo data.
• Track M -> Read migrate.md first; it fetches the live upgrade guide before any edit. Run Project signals for lane / package-manager / New-Architecture detection, but skip credentials, provisioning, and the scaffold path - it edits an existing project.
• Track S -> Read sendbird-migration.md first; it detects the Sendbird integration shape (and the Expo-vs-bare flavor) before any edit. Run Project signals for lane / package-manager / New-Architecture detection, but do not enter Track A/B/D or any scaffold path - it re-implements an existing Sendbird integration in place.
• Track C -> skip credentials and project probes if the product + runtime are explicit. Only run a read-only probe if RN CLI vs Expo is ambiguous and the answer affects the guidance.

Step 0.5: Credentials, token, and demo data (tracks A, B, D only)

Use credentials.md once per session before writing code that connects to Stream Chat, Stream Video, or Stream Feeds.

It resolves:

• Stream API key
• user id and display name
• user token or token provider plan
• optional demo data, only when requested, via Stream CLI calls (Chat: UpdateUsers, GetOrCreateChannel, SendMessage; Video and Feeds do not require seed data because calls are ephemeral and activities can be posted at runtime)

For Track A, it is acceptable to scaffold the app first if the runtime or target directory must be resolved before credentials. Do not render a connected Chat, Video, or Feeds UI until credentials or a token-provider plan are resolved.

Project signals (tracks A/B/D - once per session; Track C on demand only)

Read-only local probe. Use it to detect empty/new workspace, RN CLI vs Expo, New Architecture hints, navigation setup, and existing Stream packages.

bash -c 'echo "=== PACKAGE ==="; test -f package.json && grep -oE "\"(stream-chat-react-native|stream-chat-expo|@stream-io/video-react-native-sdk|@stream-io/feeds-react-native-sdk|@stream-io/react-native-webrtc|@stream-io/react-native-callingx|react-native|expo|@react-navigation/[^\"]+|expo-router|react-native-reanimated|react-native-worklets|react-native-teleport|@op-engineering/op-sqlite)\": *\"[^\"]*\"" package.json 2>/dev/null; echo "=== EXPO ==="; find . -maxdepth 2 \( -name "app.json" -o -name "app.config.js" -o -name "app.config.ts" -o -path "./app/_layout.*" \) -print 2>/dev/null; echo "=== NATIVE ==="; find . -maxdepth 2 \( -name "ios" -o -name "android" \) -type d -print 2>/dev/null; echo "=== CONFIG ==="; find . -maxdepth 2 \( -name "babel.config.js" -o -name "metro.config.js" \) -print 2>/dev/null; echo "=== EXPO_SDK ==="; node -e "try{console.log(require(\"./node_modules/expo/package.json\").version)}catch(e){try{console.log(require(\"./package.json\").dependencies.expo)}catch(e){console.log(\"-\")}}" 2>/dev/null; echo "=== EMPTY ==="; test -z "$(ls -A 2>/dev/null)" && echo "EMPTY_CWD" || echo "NON_EMPTY"'

Hold the result in conversation context. Do not re-run unless the user changes directory, packages are installed, or the project shape changes.

Use the result to produce a one-line status, for example:

• Empty workspace detected - defaulting to Expo new app unless the user asked for RN CLI
• Expo app detected - stream-chat-expo absent - Expo Router present - ready for Chat setup
• Expo app detected - Expo SDK 56+ - apply RULES.md > Expo Router SDK 56+ rule (no @react-navigation/*)
• ⚠️ react-native-reanimated 4.5.0 + react-native-worklets 0.10.0 detected — known crash pair (Expo SDK 57 pin); bump to ≥4.5.1/≥0.10.2 and rebuild native (RULES.md > Required peer setup)
• Expo app detected - @stream-io/video-react-native-sdk absent - ready for Video setup
• Expo app detected - @stream-io/feeds-react-native-sdk absent - ready for Feeds setup
• RN CLI app detected - ios/android present - stream-chat-react-native installed - checking provider placement
• RN CLI app detected - both @stream-io/video-react-native-sdk and stream-chat-react-native installed - Chat + Video interop applies
• Expo app detected - @stream-io/feeds-react-native-sdk and stream-chat-expo installed - nest StreamFeeds + Chat providers (no sibling mounts)
• No RN/Expo app detected in a non-empty directory - create a new app in a child directory or ask before reusing this directory

If there is no RN/Expo project and Track A applies, scaffold one through builder.md > 2. New app scaffold. If Track B/D applies in a non-RN directory, ask before creating a child app because that changes project ownership.

Module map

Reference layout

Shared React Native and Expo patterns live in sdk.md.

Product-specific setup, docs lookup, gotchas, and UI blueprints live under references/:

• llms.txt docs lookup (Chat, Video, Feeds): references/DOCS.md
• Chat setup/reference: references/CHAT-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Chat screen/component blueprints: references/CHAT-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• Video setup/reference: references/VIDEO-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Video screen/component blueprints: references/VIDEO-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• Feeds setup/reference: references/FEEDS-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Feeds screen/component blueprints: references/FEEDS-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• iOS simulator verification (fast run/screenshot loop): references/SIMULATOR-VERIFICATION.md

If the requested product file is not bundled yet, say so plainly and only switch to live docs if the user asks.

Docs-first triggers (consult docs before building)

The bundled blueprints cover the common scaffold path only - root providers, auth gate, fresh-app scaffold, channel list, channel/message screen, threads (and the Video/Feeds equivalents). For anything that customizes or extends that path, the live llms.txt-selected page is the source of truth for the current API and recommended pattern. Fetch it before writing code.

Docs-first applies when the request hits any of these:

• UI customization / theming / component overrides - themes, design tokens, replacing a slot (message bubble, composer, call controls, participant tile, activity row), custom render props.
• Cookbook recipes - typing indicators, message actions, reactions UI, attachment handling, mentions, search, link previews, etc.
• Advanced guides - push notifications, offline support, PiP, ringing, screenshare, broadcasting, video filters, Chat+Video interop, notification/For-You feeds, polls, moderation.
• Migration / version upgrades.
• Any exact API, prop, hook, or component detail not already in the bundled blueprints.

Mechanism (mirrors the stream-react skill):

match -> run the references/DOCS.md manifest lookup -> WebFetch (or curl -Ls) the selected .md page -> implement to match. On fetch failure, hand to the stream-docs skill; if neither resolves the API, stop and ask the user - never build customization, cookbook, or advanced features from memory.

Enforced by RULES.md > Package version and docs discipline.

Styling-depth flag: matching a provided design

Orthogonal to the track above: if a request carries a target appearance - an attached screenshot, a Figma frame, or "make it look like <app>" - do not treat it as a set-a-few-colors task. Before writing UI code, run references/design-matching.md: it decomposes the reference region by region and plans every difference as one of three axes - theming (the Theme object), layout (WithComponents slot overrides + props), or functional (props / config / SDK hooks) - then verifies region-by-region against the reference. Implement every region, the composer included; a region left at the SDK default is a FAIL, not a "known cosmetic gap."

This runs in addition to (not instead of) the DOCS.md lookup: fetch the manifest-selected theming/customization pages to confirm exact theme paths and component names. A plain request with no target appearance does not trip this flag - build from the blueprints as usual.

Front-loaded traps (the recurring RN design-match failures — internalize before you start; full detail + recipes in references/design-matching.md):

• Composer is first-class and structural, not a colour. If it floats (inset pill, rounded, shadow, content behind), set messageInputFloating on <Channel> — never fake a floating pill with a translucent background fill. The composer bar surface is messageComposer.wrapper (container is only an inner row — colouring it paints a band around the buttons). Send/mic lives inside the input pill and swaps at-rest↔typing (reuse OutputButtons, don't hand-roll). The attach + is two things — a trigger and a +↔keyboard stateful icon wired to toggleAttachmentPicker (don't drop in the bordered SDK AttachButton and assume it matches).
• Never fake a structure with a background fill; resolve the structural mechanism (prop/flag/slot) before cosmetic polish (glass, exact colours).
• Timestamp/receipts inside the bubble is a structural relayout (MessageContent* slots), not a theme key — the inside-the-bubble metadata look many reskins need.
• A chat app's attach sheet IS Stream's AttachmentPicker (tiles on top + gallery below) — override AttachmentPickerSelectionBar, don't build a parallel modal. A bottom bar is also overridable (both AttachmentPickerSelectionBar and AttachmentPickerContent are context slots) — null the bar + override the content with an absolute-overlay bar; the host being a direct import does NOT lock the layout.
• Channel keyboardVerticalOffset/topInset: pass an explicit 0 for an inside-Channel header — omitting keyboardVerticalOffset passes undefined (it has no SDK default), not 0. Set a non-zero value only for a native header (or a sibling header above <Channel>). Verify keyboard-avoidance by focusing the input to raise the real keyboard — setText doesn't raise it.
• Overriding a composite slot drops every sub-feature the default drew unless you reproduce it (avatar, grouping, reactions, replies, receipts, edited/deleted state).
• Setup traps that silently break these builds: on Expo SDK 57 bump past the crash-prone reanimated pin (≥4.5.1/≥0.10.2), and on Reanimated 4 set FORCE_REACT_RENDER_FOR_SETTLED_ANIMATIONS: false in root package.json (both in RULES.md > Required peer setup).

The cross-cutting reasoning rules that catch these live in references/design-matching.md — read it for any design-match request. Where each one sits: partial-styling → inner container, name-isn't-the-node, reinvention red flag, structure-before-surface and idiomatic-≠-matching in Step 1 > Region checklist + routing; no magic numbers and ink-vs-declared-size in Step 1 > Getting sizes right / Weight; override-every-cascading-token, pinned-vs-adapted surfaces and glyph knockouts in Step 1 > Follow EVERY color; regression adjacency in Step 3. Two stay here: green-launch ≠ correct in references/SIMULATOR-VERIFICATION.md §7, and assumed-≠-SDK-default in RULES.md > Package version and docs discipline.

Track A - New app

Full detail: builder.md - use the new-app path.

Track B - Existing app

Full detail: builder.md - use the existing-project path.

Track C - Reference lookup

Load only the relevant files for the requested product:

• llms.txt manifest lookup rules -> references/DOCS.md
• Shared lifecycle / auth / provider / runtime patterns -> sdk.md
• Chat RN setup and gotchas -> references/CHAT-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Chat RN screen/component structure -> references/CHAT-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• Video RN setup and gotchas -> references/VIDEO-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Video RN screen/component structure -> references/VIDEO-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• Feeds RN setup and gotchas -> references/FEEDS-REACT-NATIVE.md
• Feeds RN screen/component structure -> references/FEEDS-REACT-NATIVE-blueprints.md
• Audit an existing Video integration against best practices -> the Integration best-practices audit section in references/VIDEO-REACT-NATIVE.md (read-only review; produce findings before changing any code)

If the user asks for exact API details not bundled here, use references/DOCS.md to fetch the right manifest and selected markdown page. If implementation still needs source-level confirmation, inspect the installed package under the target app's node_modules after dependencies are installed. Do not use machine-specific documentation paths.

Track D - Bootstrap / setup

Use when the user wants package install and shared wiring more than a full feature build. Branch by product:

• detect RN CLI vs Expo
• use llms.txt lookup for the matching product's Installation docs and verify current npm dist-tags
• install the correct package and required peers (Chat: stream-chat-react-native or stream-chat-expo; Video: @stream-io/video-react-native-sdk; Feeds: @stream-io/feeds-react-native-sdk + @react-native-community/netinfo)
• Chat-specific wiring: add Reanimated/Worklets Babel plugin as the last plugin, wrap the entry point with GestureHandlerRootView, place OverlayProvider and Chat, wire useCreateChatClient or the app's backend token provider
• Video-specific wiring: declare camera/mic permissions, add Expo config plugins where applicable, create StreamVideoClient and mount StreamVideo
• Feeds-specific wiring: call useCreateFeedsClient (returns undefined while connecting), mount <StreamFeeds client={client}> once near the app root, and (typically) wrap an OwnFeedsContextProvider that creates the user + timeline feeds and the self-follow
• stop before product-specific UI if the user only asked for setup

Track M - Migrate / upgrade a version

Full detail: migrate.md - Read it first; it fetches the live upgrade guide before any edit. Docs-driven and read-only until the guide is fetched - never migrate from memory (RULES.md > Package version and docs discipline). Skip credentials, provisioning, and scaffold; preserve the project's runtime lane, package manager, and lockfile.

Track S - Migrate from Sendbird

Full detail: sendbird-migration.md - Read it first. It detects the existing Sendbird integration shape and the Expo-vs-bare flavor, then re-implements each touchpoint in place against the grounded Sendbird<->Stream mapping (references/sendbird-notes.md + references/sendbird-symbols.tsv), and finally offers the separate server-side data migration. Not a scaffold track: do not enter Track A/B/D. The compiler is the oracle - never migrate from memory (references/sendbird-notes.md > Trust model).