Guide · Agent skill
How to use the React Native Architecture agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The react-native-architecture skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI coding agent how to start and structure a React Native app with Expo. Once it is installed, the agent can suggest a folder layout, an Expo Router navigation setup, starter commands, and common performance and security practices. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it, and where its limits are.
React Native Architecturewshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it so you have a folder containing SKILL.md and references/details.md.
- 2Place the folder. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or to a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload it in the apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 4Check prerequisites. Confirm Node.js and npm are installed, and have an existing React Native or Expo project or a plan for a new one.
- 5Ask a natural question. Describe your mobile task in plain language, for example asking for a project structure or a navigation setup with Expo Router.
- 6Review the output. Check the agent's suggested commands and code against your project and current library versions before running or merging them.
What this skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that tells the agent when and how to apply a particular body of knowledge. This one covers building React Native apps with Expo, including navigation, native modules, offline-first design, and cross-platform patterns.
When the skill applies, the agent follows its established patterns. It suggests a project structure with an app folder for Expo Router screens, components, hooks, services, stores, and types. It also compares Expo with bare React Native and offers starter setup commands.
- Proposes a folder structure (src/app, src/components, src/hooks, src/services, src/stores, src/utils, src/types)
- Lays out navigation with Expo Router, including auth and tab groups and a modal screen
- Compares Expo and bare React Native on setup complexity, native modules, OTA updates, build service, and custom native code
- Recommends practices such as FlashList for long lists, memoized components, StyleSheet.create, and keeping secrets in environment variables
Install the skill from a ZIP file
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. The folder contains SKILL.md and a references folder with a file called details.md.
You can install it for yourself across all projects by placing the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Prerequisites for the skill
The skill needs Node.js and npm, because its setup commands use npx create-expo-app and npx expo install. Expo tooling is installed through npx, so you do not install it separately beforehand. You also need either an existing React Native or Expo project or a plan to create a new one.
The guidance assumes you already know React and TypeScript. It is written for developers, not for people without a React Native project.
- Node.js and npm
- An existing or new React Native / Expo project
- Working knowledge of React and TypeScript
Ask for it with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language and mention mobile or React Native work. The skill's description says it applies when you are developing mobile apps, implementing native integrations, or architecting React Native projects.
Name the goal you want, such as a starting structure, a navigation layout, or a review of performance. The agent will then use the skill's patterns as its reference.
- Set up a new Expo app with tabs and a login flow using a clean folder structure
- Should I use Expo or bare React Native for an app that needs a custom native module?
- Review this FlatList screen for performance problems in React Native
- Show me how to add a modal screen with Expo Router
Follow the quick start for a new project
The skill's quick start creates a blank TypeScript Expo project and installs the essential packages. It also shows a root layout that wraps screens in query and theme providers and sets up a Stack with tabs, auth, and modal screens.
Run the commands in your own terminal and check them against current library documentation, since the skill itself warns that the patterns are generic.
npx create-expo-app@latest my-app -t expo-template-blank-typescript
npx expo install expo-router expo-status-bar react-native-safe-area-context
npx expo install @react-native-async-storage/async-storage
npx expo install expo-secure-store expo-hapticsGet deeper examples from the reference file
The main SKILL.md gives the core guidance. When basic navigation advice is not enough, the agent can read references/details.md, which contains more detailed worked examples. The included example shows an Expo Router tab layout that uses theme colors and icons.
- Open this file yourself if you want to read the worked examples before the agent does
Safety and what the skill does not do
According to the skill's listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. It is a set of instructions, not a program that changes your system on its own.
The commands it suggests are still real. npx create-expo-app and npx expo install download and install packages, so review them before running. Keep secrets out of source code and use environment variables, as the skill recommends.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Review install commands before running them in your terminal
What people use it for
- Starting a new Expo app with a consistent folder structure from the beginning
- Deciding between Expo managed workflow and bare React Native for a team project
- Setting up tab navigation and an auth group with Expo Router
- Reviewing a screen for long-list performance, such as switching to FlashList
- Checking a code change for secrets in source files or missing error boundaries
Frequently asked questions
Is the React Native Architecture skill free?
The skill is listed under the MIT licence. The source page does not list a price, so check the directory listing for any current terms before you rely on it.
What do I need to use the react-native-architecture skill?
You need Node.js and npm, because the setup commands use npx. You also need an existing React Native or Expo project or a new one to create, and working knowledge of React and TypeScript.
Where do I install an agent skill?
Unzip the downloaded folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does this skill run code or access the internet?
According to its listing, the skill runs no scripts and uses no network. The npx commands it suggests do install packages, so review them before running.
Should I use Expo or bare React Native?
The skill's comparison says Expo has lower setup complexity, built-in OTA updates, and EAS for builds, with native customisation through config plugins. Bare React Native has higher setup complexity and gives direct access to native code, with manual linking and custom CI. Choose based on how much custom native code you expect.
Can the skill replace checking my code against current docs?
No. The skill's patterns are generic, and the agent still needs to check them against your actual codebase and current library versions.
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Our verdict
This skill suits developers starting a new React Native or Expo app who want a consistent structure, or teams weighing Expo against bare React Native. It is less useful if you are not a developer or if you need advice specific to an existing codebase, since its patterns are generic and need checking against your project and current library versions.
Download the skill