# Claude Skill

Install the BuildBase Claude skills so Claude Code can integrate the SDK into your app or deploy a self-hosted stack.

BuildBase publishes two [Agent Skills](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills) for Claude, in the public [buildbase-app/claude-skill](https://github.com/buildbase-app/claude-skill) repo. Install one and Claude knows the SDK's real API instead of guessing at it.

- **`buildbase`**, for developers integrating the SDK. Takes a Next.js app from `npm install` to a working sign-in, then covers workspaces, billing, feature flags, quotas, credits, notifications, webhooks and calling BuildBase from a non-Node backend.
- **`buildbase-selfhost`**, for operators running their own stack. Deploys and operates the [self-hosted](/self-hosted/overview) platform: the architecture, Docker Compose and Nginx configs, environment variables, production hardening and upgrades.

Self-hosting? Use `buildbase-selfhost` to stand the stack up first, then `buildbase` to build your app against it, pointing `serverUrl` at your own tenant server.

## Install in Claude Code

The repo is a Claude Code plugin marketplace. Add it once, then install the skill you want. Plugins update with the marketplace.

```text
/plugin marketplace add buildbase-app/claude-skill
/plugin install buildbase@buildbase-skills
/plugin install buildbase-selfhost@buildbase-skills
```

The second line is the SDK skill and the third is the self-hosting one; you can install either or both. To pick up a newer version later:

```text
/plugin marketplace update buildbase-skills
```

## Install as a plain skill folder

If you would rather not use plugins, copy the skill folders into your skills directory:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/buildbase-app/claude-skill
cd claude-skill/plugins
cp -R buildbase ~/.claude/skills/
cp -R buildbase-selfhost ~/.claude/skills/
```

To share them with your team, copy them into `.claude/skills/` inside your project and commit them instead.

## Install on claude.ai

The repo's README has a script that packages each skill as a zip. Upload it under **Settings > Capabilities > Skills** (Pro, Team and Enterprise plans).

## Using it

Once installed, ask Claude as you normally would. Each skill picks up its own topics:

- "Add BuildBase auth to my Next.js app."
- "Why does my `WhenSubscription` gate render nothing?"
- "Deploy BuildBase self-hosted with Docker Compose."

The `buildbase` skill works best on Next.js with TypeScript. On other React frameworks it adapts the same steps.

> **Note:**
  The skill is a guide, not the reference. When it and these docs disagree,
  these docs and the [SDK on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@buildbase/sdk)
  are right.


## Or start from a starter

If you have not written the app yet, clone one that is already wired to BuildBase:

- [Next.js starter](https://github.com/buildbase-app/nextjs-starter) - a Next.js SaaS app with sign-in, workspaces, billing and i18n already wired.
- [Agent + MCP starter](https://github.com/buildbase-app/nextjs-agent-mcp-starter) - an agent-first Next.js app with a live MCP server and agent OAuth.
- [Self-hosted starter](https://github.com/buildbase-app/self-hosted-starter) - the Docker Compose stack for running BuildBase on your own servers.

## Next Steps

- [Installation](/quick-start/installation) - Install the SDK and configure the provider by hand.
- [Quickstart](/quick-start/quickstart) - Build a working app with auth in 5 minutes.