Guide · Agent skill
How to use the NestJS Backend Patterns agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The NestJS Backend Patterns skill (skill name: nestjs-patterns) is a set of written guidelines that tells an AI agent how to structure a NestJS backend: feature modules, thin controllers, class-validator DTOs, guards, one consistent error format and startup config validation. It is for developers building or refactoring a NestJS API who want consistent structure, and for teams who want a shared checklist. After this guide you will know what the skill changes about the agent's output, how to install it, how to ask for it, and where its limits are.
NestJS Backend Patternsaffaan-m/ECC · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the nestjs-patterns skill ZIP from this page. It contains SKILL.md.
- 2Choose an install location. Pick ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ inside one project. The Claude apps use Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
- 3Unzip the skill. Unzip the download into the chosen skills folder so SKILL.md sits inside the nestjs-patterns folder.
- 4Confirm your project fits. Make sure you have a NestJS and TypeScript project and install class-validator if you want the DTO examples to work.
- 5Ask for NestJS work naturally. Describe the NestJS task in plain terms, such as adding a module, DTO or guard, and mention NestJS by name.
- 6Review the output. Check the generated modules, DTOs and guards against the skill's conventions and confirm any auth logic yourself.
What does the nestjs-patterns skill make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder containing instructions that an AI agent reads when a task matches the skill's description. This one is a single file, SKILL.md, that describes NestJS conventions. It does not run code, call the network or do work on its own. It changes how the agent writes NestJS code.
When the skill is active, the agent is guided to keep domain code inside feature modules, keep controllers thin and move business logic into injectable services, validate every request DTO with class-validator, and use a global ValidationPipe with whitelist and forbidNonWhitelisted enabled on public APIs. It also points the agent toward a single error envelope, returning response DTOs instead of ORM entities, and validating environment config at boot.
- Feature-module project layout under src/modules/ with common/ for shared filters, guards, interceptors and pipes
- Global validation, serializer and exception filter setup in main.ts
- Guards for coarse access rules, with resource-specific checks in services
- Testing guidance: isolated provider tests and request-level tests that reuse production pipes and filters
Install the nestjs-patterns skill
Download the skill ZIP from this page. The skill is distributed as a folder containing SKILL.md. Choose one of two install locations depending on how you want to use it.
For a personal install available in all your projects, unzip the download into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder. Afterwards the skill folder should contain SKILL.md.
If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need a special command. The skill's description covers NestJS modules, controllers, providers, DTO validation, guards, interceptors, config and TypeScript backends, so ask for NestJS work in those terms and the agent can pick it up. Mentioning NestJS by name, and the specific piece you are working on, makes it more likely to apply.
The skill also covers testing NestJS units and HTTP endpoints, and adding exception filters, so those requests are good triggers too.
- "Add a users module with a create endpoint and DTO validation in NestJS."
- "Refactor this NestJS controller so the business logic lives in a service."
- "Add a JWT guard and a roles guard to the admin report route in my NestJS app."
- "Set up a consistent error response format for this NestJS API."
What does a typical result look like?
Suppose you ask the agent to add a create-user endpoint. Following the skill, it should produce a DTO with class-validator decorators, such as an email check and a length-limited name, a controller method that accepts the DTO with @Body(), and a service method that does the work. The controller stays limited to parsing input and returning a response.
The skill's example for the DTO shows optional enum fields marked with @IsOptional() and @IsEnum(), and its controller example uses ParseUUIDPipe on route parameters. Expect the agent to reuse those patterns rather than invent its own.
@IsEmail()
email!: string;
@IsString()
@Length(2, 80)
name!: string;What does the skill need and what should you check?
The skill assumes a NestJS and TypeScript project. Its examples use class-validator for DTO validation, so install that in your project if you want the validation examples to work. If you follow the persistence guidance, you also need Prisma or TypeORM. Projects that do not use NestJS or TypeScript will not get value from this skill.
The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its listing. The examples are illustrative: the auth example in particular shows how guards are applied and is not a complete security design.
- NestJS and TypeScript project
- class-validator for DTO validation examples
- Prisma or TypeORM if you follow the persistence guidance
- Scripts: none. Network: none.
Tips for getting the most from it
Give the agent the context it needs to apply the patterns: point it at your existing module layout and say whether the endpoint is public, because the skill recommends stricter validation and explicit auth on public endpoints. When refactoring, ask for one controller or module at a time so the changes stay reviewable.
Review what the agent writes against the skill's checklists. The skill is strongest on structure and consistency. It is not a security audit, so treat auth, rate limiting and audit logging as decisions to confirm for your own system.
- Say whether an endpoint is public or internal
- Refactor one module at a time
- Check the output against the production defaults section, such as structured logging and health checks
- Review auth code yourself before shipping
What people use it for
- Scaffolding a new feature module with a controller, service and DTOs in a NestJS API
- Refactoring a fat controller so business logic moves into injectable services
- Adding class-validator DTO validation and a global ValidationPipe to an existing app
- Setting up one consistent JSON error format with an exception filter
- Writing isolated unit tests and request-level tests for guards and validation
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the nestjs-patterns skill?
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills instead.
Is the nestjs-patterns skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, which permits reuse under its terms. Check the licence text for the full conditions before redistributing it.
What does the NestJS skill require?
It requires a NestJS and TypeScript project. The DTO examples need class-validator, and the persistence guidance assumes Prisma or TypeORM if you use them.
Does the skill run code or access the internet?
According to its listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network. It is a single SKILL.md file of written guidelines and example snippets.
Can the agent use this skill on a non-NestJS project?
Not usefully. The examples are NestJS-specific and assume TypeScript, so projects using other frameworks will not benefit from them.
Is this skill enough to secure my API?
No. It gives general patterns for guards, validation and error handling, not an audit. The auth examples are illustrative, so review and test authentication and authorisation for your own system.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are building or refactoring a NestJS and TypeScript API and want the agent to follow consistent conventions for modules, DTO validation, guards and error responses. Skip it if your project does not use NestJS, or if you need a security review, since it is a set of guidelines rather than a tool that checks or secures your code.
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