Create Power Pages Code Site

Guide the user through creating a complete, production-quality Power Pages code site from initial concept to deployed site. Follow a systematic approach: discover requirements, scaffold and launch immediately, plan components and design, implement with design applied, validate, review, and deploy.

Core Principles

• Use best judgement for design details: Once the user picks an aesthetic direction and mood, make confident decisions about specific fonts, colors, page layouts, and component behavior. Do not ask the user to specify every detail — use the design reference and your own taste to make creative, distinctive choices.
• Use TaskCreate/TaskUpdate: Track all progress throughout all phases — create the todo list upfront with all phases before starting any work.
• Scaffold early, design with intention: Get the dev server running immediately after discovery so the user has something to look at. Then plan the design and features while the scaffold is live — apply the chosen aesthetic during implementation.
• Live preview feedback loop: The dev server MUST be running before any customization begins. Browse the site via Playwright (browser_navigate + browser_snapshot) to verify every significant change. Do NOT take screenshots — only use accessibility snapshots to check page structure and content.
• Use real images: Source high-quality photos from Unsplash wherever pages need visual content — hero sections, feature cards, about pages, backgrounds, etc. Use https://images.unsplash.com/photo-{id}?w={width}&h={height}&fit=crop URLs with specific photo IDs found via WebSearch. Never leave image placeholders or broken <img> tags pointing to nonexistent files.
• Git checkpoints: Commit after every individual page and component — each gets its own commit so breaking changes can be reverted.

Constraint: Only static SPA frameworks are supported (React, Vue, Angular, Astro). NOT supported: Next.js, Nuxt.js, Remix, SvelteKit, Liquid.

Initial request: $ARGUMENTS

Phase 1: Discovery

Goal: Understand what site needs to be built and what problem it solves

Actions:

1. Create todo list with all 7 phases (see Progress Tracking table)

2. If site purpose is clear from arguments:

   • Summarize understanding
   • Identify site type (portal, dashboard, landing page, blog, etc.)

3. If site purpose is unclear, use AskUserQuestion:

   Question	Header	Options
   What should the site be called? (e.g., "Contoso Portal", "HR Dashboard")	Site Name	(free text — use a single generic option so the user types a custom name via "Other")
   Which frontend framework?	Framework	React (Recommended), Vue, Angular, Astro
   What is the site's purpose?	Purpose	Company Portal, Blog/Content, Dashboard, Landing Page
   Who is the target audience?	Audience	Internal (employees, partners), External (public-facing customers)
   Where should the project be created?	Location	Current directory, New folder in current directory (Recommended), Any other directory

4. Resolve the project location:

   • If "Current directory": Project root = <cwd>.
   • If "New folder in current directory": Create a folder named __SITE_NAME__ inside the cwd. Project root = <cwd>/__SITE_NAME__/.
   • If "Any other directory": Ask for the full path. Verify/create it. Project root = provided path.

   After resolving, confirm: "The site will be created at <resolved path>."

   Store this as PROJECT_ROOT.

5. From the user's answers, derive:

   • __SITE_NAME__ (Title Case, e.g., Contoso Portal)
   • __SITE_SLUG__ (kebab-case derived from site name, e.g., contoso-portal)
   • __SITE_DESCRIPTION__ (one-line description based on name + purpose)

6. Summarize understanding and confirm with user before proceeding

Audience influences site generation:

• Internal: Prioritize data tables, dashboards, authentication, navigation depth, functional over flashy design
• External: Prioritize landing page appeal, SEO-friendly structure, contact forms, clean marketing-oriented layout

Output: Clear statement of site purpose, framework, audience, derived naming values, and project location

Phase 2: Scaffold & Launch Dev Server

Goal: Get a running site immediately so the user has something to preview while features and design are planned

The scaffold is a temporary branded loading screen — it shows a Power Pages animated "Building your site" experience with orbiting elements, status messages, and feature cards. Its only purpose is to get the dev server running quickly so the user has something to look at while you plan and build. During Phase 5 (Implementation), the entire scaffold — including theme.css, Layout, Home page, and all placeholder components — is completely replaced with the user's actual site: their chosen typography, color palette, pages, components, and navigation. Do NOT try to build on top of the loading screen; replace it entirely.

See ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/framework-conventions.md for the full framework → build tool → router → output path mapping.

Actions:

2.1 Copy Template

${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT} is already resolved to the plugin's absolute path at runtime. Use it directly in Glob/Read paths — do NOT search for the plugin directory.

Read and copy all files from the matching asset template to the project directory:

Use Glob to discover all files in the asset directory, Read each file, then Write to the project directory preserving the relative path structure.

2.2 Replace Placeholders

After copying, replace all __PLACEHOLDER__ tokens in every file. Use Edit with replace_all: true on each file.

• Name/slug/description placeholders: Use the actual values from Phase 1 (__SITE_NAME__, __SITE_SLUG__, __SITE_DESCRIPTION__).

Note: The scaffold loading screen uses hardcoded Power Pages branding colors — there are no color placeholders (__PRIMARY_COLOR__, etc.) to replace. The user's chosen color palette is applied fresh during Phase 5 when the scaffold is completely replaced.

2.3 Rename gitignore

Rename gitignore → .gitignore in the project root (stored without dot prefix to avoid git interference in the plugin repo).

2.4 Install Dependencies

Run npm install before initializing git so that package-lock.json is included in the initial commit:

cd "<PROJECT_ROOT>"
npm install

2.5 Initialize Git Repository

Initialize a git repo and make the first commit. This captures all template files AND package-lock.json in one clean baseline:

cd "<PROJECT_ROOT>"
git init
git add -A
git commit -m "Initial scaffold: __SITE_NAME__ (__FRAMEWORK__)"

From this point, commit after every significant milestone so any breaking change can be reverted.

2.6 Start Dev Server

This MUST happen now — before any planning or customization begins. The dev server gives the user a live preview while features and design are being planned:

cd "<PROJECT_ROOT>"
npm run dev

Run npm run dev in the background using Bash with run_in_background: true. Note the local URL (typically http://localhost:5173 for Vite or http://localhost:4200 for Angular or http://localhost:4321 for Astro).

2.7 Verify in Playwright & Share URL

Immediately after the dev server starts, verify the scaffold is working:

1. Use mcp__plugin_power-pages_playwright__browser_navigate to open the dev server URL
2. Use mcp__plugin_power-pages_playwright__browser_snapshot to verify the page loaded correctly (do NOT take screenshots — only use accessibility snapshots)
3. Share the dev server URL with the user so they can preview the site in their own browser (e.g., "Your site is running at http://localhost:5173 — open it in your browser to follow along as I build.")

GATE: Do NOT proceed to Phase 3 until ALL of the following are true:

1. Template files copied and placeholders replaced
2. Git repo initialized with initial scaffold commit
3. npm install completed successfully
4. Dev server is running in the background (npm run dev)
5. Playwright has opened the site and verified it loads via browser_snapshot
6. The dev server URL has been shared with the user

If any of these are not done, complete them now before moving on.

Output: Running dev server with verified scaffold, URL shared with user

Phase 3: Component Planning

Goal: Determine what pages, components, and design elements the site needs — while the user previews the running scaffold

Actions:

1. Use AskUserQuestion to collect feature and design requirements:

   Question	Header	Options
   Which features? (multi-select)	Features	(generate 3-4 context-aware options based on the site name, purpose, and audience from Phase 1)
   What aesthetic direction do you want?	Aesthetic	Minimal & Clean (Recommended), Bold & Vibrant, Dark & Moody, Warm & Organic
   What's the overall mood?	Mood	Professional & Trustworthy (Recommended), Creative & Playful, Technical & Precise, Elegant & Premium

   Feature options are NOT hardcoded. Infer relevant features from Phase 1 answers. For example:

   • "HR Dashboard" + Internal → Employee Directory, Leave Requests, Announcements, Org Chart
   • "Contoso Portal" + External → Contact Form, Service Catalog, Knowledge Base, FAQ
   • "Partner Hub" + Internal → Document Library, Partner Directory, Deal Tracker, Notifications

   Always generate options that make sense for the specific site — never reuse a fixed list.

2. Read the design aesthetics reference: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/create-site/references/design-aesthetics.md

3. Map aesthetic + mood to design choices using the Aesthetic x Mood Mapping table from the design reference. Record the chosen font direction, color direction, and motion direction.

4. Analyze requirements and determine needed components. Present component plan to user as a table:

   | Component Type      | Count | Details |
   |---------------------|-------|---------|
   | Pages               | 4     | Home, About, Services, Contact |
   | Shared Components   | 3     | Navbar, Footer, ContactForm |
   | Design Elements     | 4     | Google Fonts (Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro), Color palette (6 CSS vars), Page transitions, Gradient backgrounds |
   | Routes              | 4     | /, /about, /services, /contact |

5. Use best judgement to determine the final color palette based on the chosen aesthetic + mood. These will be written fresh into a new theme.css during Implementation (Phase 5) when the scaffold loading screen is completely replaced:

   CSS Variable	Description	Value
   --color-primary	Primary hex color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)
   --color-secondary	Complementary hex color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)
   --color-bg	Background color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)
   --color-surface	Surface/card color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)
   --color-text	Main text color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)
   --color-text-muted	Muted text color	(choose based on aesthetic + mood)

Output: Confirmed list of pages, components, design elements, and routes to create

Phase 4: Plan Approval

Goal: Get user approval on the implementation plan

Actions:

1. Read the design aesthetics reference: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/create-site/references/design-aesthetics.md

2. Present the implementation plan directly to the user as a formatted message. The plan MUST have ALL of the following sections:

   Section A — Design & Pages

   • Pages to create (with content outline for each)
   • Components needed for each page
   • Routing and navigation structure
   • Design decisions (from the chosen design direction):
     • Typography: specific Google Fonts chosen
     • Color palette: full CSS variable set with hex values (replacing the scaffold defaults)
     • Motion/animation plan: page load, hover states, transitions
     • Background treatment: gradients, patterns, effects

   Section B — Review & Deployment

   • What to verify before handoff
   • Deployment options

   CRITICAL: The plan is written for the user — do NOT reference internal phase numbers, tool names, or implementation details. Describe what will be built and what it will look like. The scaffold is already running — this plan covers what will be built on top of it.

3. Use AskUserQuestion to get approval:

   Question	Header	Options
   Does this plan look good?	Plan	Approve and start building (Recommended), I'd like to make changes
   • If "Approve": Proceed to Phase 5.
   • If "I'd like to make changes": Ask what they want changed, update the plan, and re-present for approval.

Output: Approved implementation plan

Phase 5: Implementation

Goal: Build all pages, components, and design elements with the chosen aesthetic applied from the start

Prerequisite: The dev server MUST already be running and verified via Playwright (completed in Phase 2). If it is not, go back and complete Phase 2.

Design reference: Read ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/create-site/references/design-aesthetics.md and apply its principles throughout this phase. All pages and components should be built with the chosen typography, color palette, motion, and backgrounds from the start — do NOT build with neutral styling first and redesign later.

Actions:

5.1 Create Todos for All Work

Before writing any code, use TaskCreate to create a todo for every piece of work. This gives the user full visibility into what will be built:

• One todo per page — e.g., "Create Contact page (/contact)", "Create Dashboard page (/dashboard)"
• One todo per shared component — e.g., "Create ContactForm component", "Create DataTable component"
• One todo for routing — "Update router with all new routes"
• One todo for navigation — "Update Layout/Header with navigation links"
• One todo for design foundations — "Apply design tokens (fonts, colors, motion, backgrounds)"

Each todo should have a clear subject, activeForm, and description that includes the file path and what the page/component does. Then work through the todos in order, marking each in_progress → completed.

5.2 Replace the Scaffold & Build

The scaffold is a temporary loading screen — it must be completely replaced during this phase. Do NOT build on top of it or try to modify the loading animation into a real page. Start fresh with the user's chosen design.

1. Design foundations — Completely rewrite theme.css (or styles.css for Angular) from scratch with the chosen color palette as CSS custom properties, Google Fonts, motion/animation utilities, and background treatments. The scaffold's loading screen CSS is discarded entirely. Commit after this step.
2. Layout — Rewrite the Layout component (and Header/Footer for Astro) with proper navigation, header, and footer that reflect the chosen design. The scaffold's passthrough Layout is replaced with a real layout structure.
3. Shared components — Build reusable components (Navbar, Footer, ContactForm, etc.) that pages will use
4. Pages — Create route components for each requested page, replacing the scaffold Home page and About placeholder entirely
5. Router — Register all new routes (the scaffold only has / and /about — add all requested routes)
6. Navigation — Add links to the new Layout/Header component
7. Entry HTML — Update index.html (or Layout.astro for Astro) to load the chosen Google Fonts instead of the scaffold's DM Sans + Outfit

Important: Build real, functional UI with distinctive design applied — not placeholder "coming soon" pages, and not generic unstyled markup. Every page and component should reflect the chosen aesthetic from the moment it's created. The scaffold loading screen should be completely gone after this phase — no trace of the Power Pages branded animation should remain.

5.3 Source Real Images

Use high-quality photos from Unsplash wherever the site needs visual content. Do NOT use placeholder services (e.g., placeholder.com, placehold.co), broken <img> tags, or leave empty image slots.

How to find images:

1. Use WebSearch to search Unsplash for relevant photos (e.g., site:unsplash.com modern office workspace)
2. Pick specific photos and use their direct URL with sizing parameters: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-{id}?w={width}&h={height}&fit=crop
3. Choose images that match the site's aesthetic and mood

Where to use images:

• Hero sections — Striking, high-resolution photos that set the tone for the site
• Feature/service cards — Relevant photos that illustrate each feature or service
• About/team sections — Professional or contextual photos matching the site's purpose
• Backgrounds — Atmospheric photos used as full-bleed or overlay backgrounds
• Content sections — Supporting photos that break up text and add visual interest

Guidelines:

• Pick images that feel cohesive together — consistent style, lighting, and color tone
• Use appropriate sizing (w=800 for cards, w=1600 for heroes/backgrounds) to avoid slow loads
• Add descriptive alt text to every <img> for accessibility
• For icons and logos, use inline SVGs instead of photos

5.4 Git Commit Checkpoints

Commit after every individual page and component so breaking changes can be reverted. Each page and each component gets its own commit — do NOT batch multiple pages or components into a single commit.

git add -A
git commit -m "<short description of what was added/changed>"

When to commit:

• After applying design foundations (fonts, colors, motion)
• After creating each page (e.g., "Add Home page", "Add Contact page")
• After creating each shared component (e.g., "Add Navbar component", "Add Footer component")
• After updating routing and navigation
• Before attempting anything risky or experimental

If something breaks, revert to the last good commit:

git revert HEAD

5.5 Live Verification

After each significant change (new page or component), browse the site via Playwright to ensure everything is up to the mark:

1. Use mcp__plugin_power-pages_playwright__browser_navigate to reload or navigate to the updated page
2. Use mcp__plugin_power-pages_playwright__browser_snapshot to verify the page structure and content are correct — do NOT take screenshots
3. If something looks wrong in the snapshot, fix it before proceeding

The user is previewing in their own browser via the dev server URL shared in Phase 2.7.

GATE: Do NOT proceed to Phase 6 until ALL customization is complete with design applied. The site must have distinctive typography (Google Fonts — no generic Inter/Roboto/Arial), a cohesive color palette (CSS variables), motion/animations, and all requested pages/features before moving to review.

Output: All pages, components, and design elements implemented and verified

Phase 6: Review & User Testing

Goal: Ensure the site meets user expectations and all pages work correctly

Actions:

1. Browse through each page via Playwright (browser_navigate + browser_snapshot) to verify all pages load correctly — do NOT take screenshots
2. Present a summary of what was built:

   | Component Type      | Count | Details |
   |---------------------|-------|---------|
   | Pages               | 4     | Home (/), About (/about), Services (/services), Contact (/contact) |
   | Shared Components   | 3     | Navbar, Footer, ContactForm |
   | Design Elements     | 4     | Playfair Display + Source Sans Pro, 6 CSS variables, fade-in transitions, gradient backgrounds |
   | Git Commits         | 7     | scaffold + 6 feature commits |

3. Share the dev server URL with the user and list all available routes
4. Ask the user to review using AskUserQuestion:

   "The site is ready for review at <dev server URL>. Please check it out in your browser. Would you like any changes?"

5. If the user requests changes, apply them and re-verify by browsing via browser_snapshot

Output: User-approved site ready for deployment

Phase 7: Deployment & Next Steps

Goal: Deploy the site and suggest enhancements

This phase is MANDATORY. Do NOT end the session without asking about deployment.

Actions:

1. Record skill usage:

   Reference: ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/skill-tracking-reference.md

   Follow the skill tracking instructions in the reference to record this skill's usage. Use --skillName "CreateSite". Note: .powerpages-site may not exist for first-time sites — the script exits silently.

2. Use AskUserQuestion with options: Deploy now (Recommended), Skip for now:

   "Would you like to deploy your site to Power Pages now?"

3. If the user chooses to deploy, invoke the /power-pages:deploy-site skill.

4. Mark all todos complete

5. Present a final summary:

   • Site name and purpose
   • Framework and project location
   • Components created (X pages, Y components, Z design elements)
   • Key files and their purposes
   • Total file count and git commit count

6. Suggest optional enhancement skills:

   • /power-pages:setup-datamodel — Create Dataverse tables for dynamic content
   • /power-pages:add-seo — Add meta tags, robots.txt, sitemap.xml, favicon
   • /power-pages:add-tests — Add unit tests (Vitest) and E2E tests (Playwright)

Output: Deployed (or deployment-ready) site with clear next steps

Important Notes

Throughout All Phases

• Use TaskCreate/TaskUpdate to track progress at every phase
• Ask for user confirmation at key decision points (see list below)
• Use best judgement for design details — make confident, creative choices based on the user's aesthetic + mood selection without asking for every specific font, color, or layout decision
• Apply design from the start — never build neutral then restyle
• Verify via Playwright after every significant change
• Commit after every page and component — each gets its own dedicated commit, never batch multiple together
• No screenshots — only use browser_snapshot (accessibility snapshots) to verify pages; never use browser_take_screenshot as it clutters the user's directory. Give the user the dev server URL for visual preview.

Key Decision Points (Wait for User)

1. After Phase 1: Confirm site purpose, framework, and project location
2. After Phase 4: Approve implementation plan
3. After Phase 6: Accept site or request changes
4. At Phase 7: Deploy or skip

Progress Tracking

Before starting Phase 1, create a task list with all phases using TaskCreate:

Mark each task in_progress when starting it and completed when done via TaskUpdate. This gives the user visibility into progress and keeps the workflow deterministic.

Quality Standards

Every site must meet these standards before completion:

• Distinctive typography via Google Fonts (no generic Inter/Roboto/Arial)
• Cohesive color palette via CSS variables
• Motion/animations (page transitions, hover states)
• All requested pages and features implemented (not placeholders)
• All routes working and navigation complete
• Git commits at key milestones
• Verified via Playwright
• User reviewed and approved
• Deployment offered

Example Workflow

User Request

"Create a partner portal for our consultants"

Phase 1: Discovery

• Name: Partner Portal
• Framework: React
• Purpose: Company Portal
• Audience: Internal (partners, consultants)
• Location: New folder partner-portal in current directory

Phase 2: Scaffold & Launch

• React template copied, default placeholders replaced
• Git initialized, npm installed, dev server running at http://localhost:5173
• Playwright verified scaffold loads
• URL shared with user — they can preview immediately

Phase 3: Component Planning

• Features: Consultant Directory, Project Tracker, Document Library, Announcements
• Aesthetic: Minimal & Clean
• Mood: Professional & Trustworthy
• Component table presented and approved
• Design choices made: DM Sans + Space Grotesk, #1e3a5f primary, blue-gray palette

Phase 4: Plan Approval

• Plan presented inline with design & pages + review & deployment sections
• User approved via AskUserQuestion

Phase 5: Implementation

• Todos created for each page, component, routing, navigation, design foundations
• Built in order: design tokens (replace defaults with chosen palette) → shared components → pages → router → nav
• Git commits after each major piece
• Playwright verified each page

Phase 6: Review

• Summary table presented
• User reviewed at http://localhost:5173, requested minor color adjustment
• Adjustment applied, re-verified

Phase 7: Deploy

• User chose to deploy → invoked /power-pages:deploy-site
• Final summary presented with next step suggestions

Begin with Phase 1: Discovery