Core Catalyst project setup — directory structure, environments, CLI commands, and all Catalyst IDs (Project ID, ZAID, Table ID, Segment ID, Org ID). Trigger on 'start a Catalyst project', 'what is .catalystrc', 'where do I find my Table ID', 'difference between Development and Production', or any C

⚠️ PRE FLIGHT CHECK: Before creating any project files, confirm that .catalystrc and catalyst.json exist in the project directory. If they don't: 1. Use MCP ( CatalystbyZoho List All Organizations → CatalystbyZoho List All Projects ) to get the org ID and project ID. 2. Run: catalyst init org <orgId p <projectId ni 3. Never ask the user to run catalyst init interactively. Never create these files manually — they are CLI generated and must come from the CLI. How It Works 1. MCP check first — Before reading any local files, look for CatalystbyZoho tools. If available, use MCP to get org ID, project ID, and all resource IDs instead of asking the user. 2. Account alignment check — do this before catalyst init — MCP and CLI can be authenticated as different accounts. Before running catalyst init org <id , verify they match: Compare the org name shown to the result of CatalystbyZoho List All Organizations . If they differ, run catalyst login force to re authenticate the CLI before proceeding. 3. New to Catalyst? — If the user is setting up Catalyst for the first time or asking "how do I start", load references/quick start.md for the full walkthrough. 4. Console navigation — If the user asks how to find IDs, create tables, set permissions, or configure CORS in the console, load references/console ui guide.md . 5. Pre flight — Confirm .catalystrc and catalyst.json exist. If missing, use MCP to get org/project IDs and run catalyst init org <orgId p <projectId ni . Never use interactive catalyst init . 6. Project structure — Load references/project basics.md for directory layout, catalyst.json , IDs, and dev to prod checklist. 7. CLI questions — Load references/cli.md for the exact command, flags, and safety rules. 8. Answer — Provide the specific ID path or CLI command needed. Never ask the user to manually look up IDs when MCP is connected. Triggers Use this skill for: "how do I start a Catalyst project", "what is .catalystrc", "where do I find my Table ID / ZAID / Segment ID / Project ID", "difference between Development and Production", "Catalyst project structure", "catalyst.json explained", catalyst init , catalyst deploy , catalyst serve , catalyst login , "how do I set up Catalyst with Claude", "how do I use Catalyst in Cursor", "how do I use Catalyst with GitHub Copilot", "which service should I use", "what Catalyst service for X", or any question about Catalyst IDs, environments, organizations, IDE setup, architecture decisions, or CLI subcommands. 🔌 MCP Connection Check (Do This Before Anything Else) Before reading .catalystrc , asking the user for IDs, or doing anything project related — check whether Zoho MCP tools are available in your tool list. Look for tools prefixed with CatalystbyZoho (e.g., CatalystbyZoho List All Projects , CatalystbyZoho List All Tables ). If MCP tools ARE available: Use CatalystbyZoho List All Organizations to get the org ID Use CatalystbyZoho List All Projects to get the project ID Use MCP tools to fetch table names, bucket names, ZAIDs, and all other project details directly — do NOT ask the user to copy paste IDs from the console If MCP tools are NOT available: Prompt the user to connect Zoho MCP before proceeding Guide them to: VS Code → Settings → MCP (or Claude Desktop claude desktop config.json ) and add the Catalyst MCP server Fall back to reading .catalystrc and catalyst.json from the local project directory only as a last resort Never ask the user to manually look up IDs from the console if MCP is connected. Every project detail — org ID, project ID, table IDs, ZAIDs, bucket names — is retrievable via MCP tools. Asking the user to hunt for IDs when MCP is available wastes time and introduces copy paste errors. References Load the relevant reference file for detailed information: Reference Contents references/quick start.md First time setup — install CLI, catalyst init , find org/project IDs, add a function, serve locally, deploy, create a Data Store table, configure CORS/Authorized Domains references/console ui guide.md Console navigation — finding Project ID/ZAID/Table ID, creating tables with typed columns, enabling App User permissions (Scopes and Permissions), Authorized Domains + CORS toggle references/project basics.md Project directory structure, catalyst.json , .catalystrc , catalyst config.json , environments, dev to prod checklist, all Catalyst IDs (Project ID, ZAID, Table ID, Segment ID, etc.) references/cli.md Full CLI command reference — all subcommands with flags, Slate/AppSail non interactive setup, catalyst serve port behavior, deploy scoping, safety rules, resource first development order references/architecture.md Service selection guide — which Catalyst service to use for which pattern, typical stack combinations, DC availability table for regionally restricted services references/setup/claude code.md Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in Claude Code (Claude Desktop) references/setup/cursor.md Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in Cursor references/setup/github copilot.md Installing skills and connecting Zoho MCP in GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

catalyst-basics