How agents get the context they need to build Zite apps well: the framework guide, llms.txt, and tips for great results.
Zite is built for AI agents. External agents (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) have no training data on zitejs, so
Zite delivers the context they need, when they need it.
Every create_sandbox response includes a framework guide: a concise spec of how Zite apps are
structured (monorepo layout, data access, zite.sql() identifier rules, available imports and libraries,
build workflow). Connecting the MCP and booting a sandbox is enough to build correctly, with no memorizing
conventions in advance. The same conventions are documented for humans in the
Framework reference.
When an agent works outside a Zite sandbox, building against the Database API or
planning in your IDE before it connects, drop this into your project’s AGENTS.md (or a Cursor rule /
CLAUDE.md):
# Building on ZiteApps live in a `zitejs` monorepo under `apps/<dir>/`: React frontend in `src/`, backend workflows in`src/api/` (one file = one workflow).## Data access (backend only — the frontend never hits the DB directly)- Each `src/api/<name>.ts` default-exports `createEndpoint({ inputSchema, outputSchema, execute })` from `zitejs/backend`.- Query with the generated client: `import { zite } from 'zitejs/db'` — `zite.<table>.findAll({ filters })`, plus `findOne/create/update/delete/bulkCreate`. Read `.zite/db.ts` for exact table/field SDK names.- Aggregates & joins: `zite.sql({ query, params })` — double-quote `"Table"`/`"field"` SDK names, bind values via `$1`, SELECT-only, join linked records through the link table.- Frontend calls workflows via the generated typed client: `import { listTickets } from 'zitejs/api'`.- Auth: `useAuth()` from `zitejs/auth` (frontend); `context.user` in workflows when `authenticated: true`.## Conventions- Imports: platform SDKs via `zitejs/*` (never relative into `.zite/`). Shared UI via `@project/components/ui/*`. Your own files via relative paths. Never edit `.zite/` or `src/main.tsx` (generated).- Available libs: react 18, tailwindcss, react-router-dom, @tanstack/react-query, @tanstack/react-table, recharts 2, lucide-react, framer-motion, zod 3.24.2, date-fns 3, react-hook-form, sonner, next-themes, react-error-boundary, react-markdown, react-day-picker, use-debounce, cmdk, pdf-lib, @dnd-kit/*, @tiptap/*, @stripe/*, react-webcam, barcode-detector, @googlemaps/js-api-loader.- After adding/renaming workflows, run `npx zitejs generate` from the workspace root.
For the full corpus, point your tool at this site’s llms-full.txt, and link recipes directly (e.g.
/recipes/stripe-payments) for task-specific guidance.
