About

Imported from akillness/jeo-skills (.agent-skills/payloadcms/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add akillness/jeo-skills --skill payloadcms. Copyright stays with the author.

payloadcms — Payload CMS operator

Name: payloadcms
Author: akillness

Keyword: payload, payloadcms, headless cms, payload config

When to use this skill

Set up a new Payload project (or add Payload into an existing Next.js app)
Define or evolve collections, globals, access control, and field schemas
Run/dev/test Payload locally and verify admin/API behavior
Plan safe content-model migrations and rollback strategy
Prepare production-ready Payload changes with explicit validation checks

When not to use this skill

Generic API contract work with no Payload runtime context → use api-design
Auth architecture decisions outside Payload-specific setup → use authentication-setup
Pure DB physical schema tuning without Payload model constraints → use database-schema-design
Broad deployment orchestration not specific to Payload runtime → use deployment-automation

Instructions

Step 1) Identify the operating mode

Pick one primary mode before editing anything:

Mode	Use when	Core output
Bootstrap	New install or first-time integration	working local Payload app
Modeling	Collection/global schema updates	reviewed model diff + migration notes
Runtime debug	Admin/API failing or misconfigured	root-cause + verified fix
Release prep	Production rollout request	risk/rollback + verification checklist

Step 2) Preflight checks

Verify runtime/toolchain in repo (node, package manager, framework layout)
Locate Payload config (payload.config.*) and model files
Confirm environment/secrets shape (DATABASE_URI, storage/auth keys)
Inspect existing migration history before schema edits

Step 3) Execute smallest valid workflow

A. Bootstrap

Install dependencies according to repo package manager
Generate/init Payload configuration with minimal required collections
Run local dev and verify both:
- Admin UI loads
- API responds for at least one collection

B. Modeling

Edit one bounded model change at a time (field add/remove/type changes)
Document blast radius: affected collections, API output, admin forms, seed/import jobs
Prepare migration path and rollback path before merge

C. Runtime debug

Reproduce in local or staging with concrete failing endpoint/page
Check config, env bindings, access rules, and adapter wiring
Verify fix with explicit before/after proof (endpoint + admin behavior)

D. Release prep

Confirm migration order and downtime assumptions
Add rollback notes (revert migration, restore backup, disable feature flags if used)
Ensure verification list is executable in CI or staging smoke tests

Step 4) Validation checklist

Payload server starts without schema/runtime errors
At least one modified collection/global is verified through API and admin
Migration steps are deterministic and reversible
Risk + rollback notes are present for production-bound changes

Examples

Example 1: Add a new collection safely

Prompt: "Add a blog-post collection to our Payload app and keep migration risk low"

Mode:
- Modeling

Expected flow:
- Locate payload config and collection directory
- Add collection schema with access defaults
- Run local checks (admin + API)
- Document migration/rollback in PR notes

Example 2: Debug broken admin panel route

Prompt: "Payload admin page fails after yesterday's schema change"

Mode:
- Runtime debug

Expected flow:
- Reproduce failure
- Isolate misconfigured field/access/env issue
- Apply minimal fix
- Verify admin loads and affected API endpoint works

Best practices

Keep model changes small and auditable per PR
Never merge schema changes without migration + rollback notes
Validate both admin UI and API surface for touched models
Prefer explicit access rules over implicit defaults
Treat environment binding and adapter configuration as first-class checks

References

Payload repo: https://github.com/payloadcms/payload
Payload docs: https://payloadcms.com/docs/getting-started/what-is-payload
Survey evidence run: .survey/hourly-skill-candidates-20260427-095216/evidence.json

Use it

Copy one of these into your project. Installing also returns the manifest and these snippets.

yaml

targets:
  - https://api.opensmartroute.ai/api/v1/registry/akillness-jeo-skills-payloadcms/manifest   # or paste the manifest below

Manifest

An Open Capability Manifest: the router reads it to know what this does, what it costs and when to pick it.

akillness-jeo-skills-payloadcms.ocm.jsonjson

{
  "ocm": "1",
  "id": "akillness-jeo-skills-payloadcms",
  "kind": "skill",
  "name": "payloadcms",
  "description": "Operate Payload CMS (Next.js-native headless CMS) in repo workflows: bootstrap a Payload app, configure collections/globals, run local dev + migrations, and ship safe content-model changes. Use when the request mentions Payload CMS, payload config, collection schema, admin panel, or Next.js + headless CMS integration.",
  "publisher": "akillness",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "capabilities": {
    "domains": [
      "general"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "skill-md",
      "payloadcms",
      "payload",
      "cms",
      "headless-cms",
      "nextjs",
      "backend",
      "content-model",
      "migration",
      "skills-sh"
    ],
    "languages": [
      "en"
    ]
  },
  "quality_prior": 0.6,
  "examples": [
    "Operate Payload CMS (Next.js-native headless CMS) in repo workflows: bootstrap a Payload app, configure collections/globals, run local dev + migrations, and ship safe content-model changes. Use when the request mentions Payload CMS, payload config, collection schema, admin panel, or Next.js + headless CMS integration."
  ],
  "primary": false,
  "metadata": {
    "source": {
      "provider": "skills.sh",
      "repository": "https://github.com/akillness/jeo-skills",
      "path": ".agent-skills/payloadcms/SKILL.md",
      "ref": "HEAD",
      "url": "https://github.com/akillness/jeo-skills/blob/HEAD/.agent-skills/payloadcms/SKILL.md",
      "key": "akillness/jeo-skills/.agent-skills/payloadcms/SKILL.md"
    },
    "allowed_tools": [
      "Bash",
      "Read",
      "Write",
      "Edit",
      "Glob",
      "Grep",
      "WebFetch"
    ]
  },
  "instructions": "# payloadcms — Payload CMS operator\n\n> Keyword: `payload`, `payloadcms`, `headless cms`, `payload config`\n\n## When to use this skill\n\n- Set up a new Payload project (or add Payload into an existing Next.js app)\n- Define or evolve collections, globals, access control, and field schemas\n- Run/dev/test Payload locally and verify admin/API behavior\n- Plan safe content-model migrations and rollback strategy\n- Prepare production-ready Payload changes with explicit validation checks\n\n## When not to use this skill\n\n- Generic API contract work with no Payload runtime context → use `api-design`\n- Auth a",
  "cost": {
    "context_tokens": 1040
  }
}

Fetch it by URL: GET /api/v1/registry/akillness-jeo-skills-payloadcms/manifest?version=1.0.0

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