Describe an app. Get the workbench.
Monoceros Guide is a skill you install in Claude. Describe
what you want to build, and it hands you the exact
monoceros commands - plus a strong build prompt for the agent
- to spin up a local, isolated dev container for it.
What it does
- Turns a fuzzy idea into a concrete setup: it picks the languages, services, and AI tools from the live component catalog - never invents one that doesn't exist.
-
Hands you the three commands to run -
init,apply,run- as a copy-paste block, with a build prompt for the coding agent baked into the last one. - Asks only what it genuinely needs (stack preference, a UI or not), then explains the setup in plain words before the commands.
It does not build the app itself - the agent inside the container does that - and it runs nothing on your machine; you run the commands. You need the Monoceros CLI installed first; see Installation.
Install it
Download the skill bundle, then upload it to Claude. You need to be signed in to Claude; the skill is added to your personal skills.
- In Claude, open Customize - this is where you add skills.
- Choose Skills.
- Click the +, then in the popup pick Create skill → Upload a skill and select the
monoceros-guide.zipyou downloaded. - The new skill appears in your list of personal skills, ready to use.
Try it
Start with /monoceros-guide so the skill is used, then describe
your idea. A few examples:
/monoceros-guide I want to build a small tool to keep my freelance income and expenses under control: add clients and projects, record invoices (amount, date, paid or open) and expenses, and see revenue, outstanding amounts and VAT per month and quarter - as a dashboard in the browser, running locally, no cloud.
/monoceros-guide I'd like something to keep track of my income and expenses as a freelancer. Help me set it up.
/monoceros-guide Set up a workbench for github.com/acme/api - a Node API with Postgres - so an agent can keep building on it.