Initializing a Project

Get the checklist

The 14-step initialization guide. Right-click and “Save As” to download.

Download init-project.md View on GitHub

The initialization checklist (init-project.md) is a 14-step process that takes a project from zero to fully configured with AI-ready templates. This page walks through each step.

Overview

The 14 steps group into four phases:

Phase	Steps	What happens
Setup	1-3	Verify prerequisites, create directory, copy files
Configuration	4-8	Fill AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, workflow files
Documentation	9-11	Set up docs structure, navigation, standards
Validation	12-14	Run audit, verify with AI, initial commit

The checklist

Step 1: Verify prerequisites

• Git installed
• Templates repo cloned
• Project directory exists

Step 2: Copy core templates

git clone https://github.com/ydun-code-library/Ydun_ai_workflow.git
cd Ydun_ai_workflow
cp templates/core/AGENTS.md.template /path/to/project/AGENTS.md
cp templates/core/CLAUDE.md.template /path/to/project/CLAUDE.md
cp templates/core/JIMMYS-WORKFLOW.md /path/to/project/

Step 3: Copy session continuity files

cp templates/core/STATUS.md.template /path/to/project/STATUS.md
cp templates/core/NEXT-SESSION-START-HERE.md.template /path/to/project/NEXT-SESSION-START-HERE.md

Step 4: Fill AGENTS.md header

Replace the header placeholders:

• [PROJECT_NAME] — Your project’s name
• [SERVICE_DESCRIPTION] — One-line description
• [GITHUB_URL] — Repository URL
• [LOCAL_PATH] — Local directory path
• [PRIMARY_PURPOSE_DESCRIPTION] — What the project does

Step 5: Fill all 9 PROJECT_SPECIFIC sections

This is the most important step. Each section is marked with <!-- PROJECT_SPECIFIC START --> comments. See the AGENTS.md guide for what to write in each one.

Validation: After filling, run:

grep "PROJECT_SPECIFIC" AGENTS.md | grep -c "START"  # Should match END count
grep "\[.*\]" AGENTS.md | grep -v http | grep -v "<!-- "  # Should return nothing

Step 6: Fill CLAUDE.md

Replace command placeholders:

[DEV_COMMAND]       → bun run dev
[TEST_COMMAND]      → bun test
[BUILD_COMMAND]     → bun run build

Step 7: Initialize STATUS.md

Fill in:

• Project type and goal
• Initial phase (usually “Phase 1: Foundation”)
• First session entry

Step 8: Initialize NEXT-SESSION-START-HERE.md

Fill in:

• Project identity paragraph
• Key files table
• First set of next steps

Step 9: Set up documentation structure (optional)

For projects with significant documentation:

cp templates/docs/doc-components/DOCS-MAP.md.template /path/to/project/DOCS-MAP.md

Step 10: Add navigation headers (optional)

Add AI navigation headers to key documentation files:

<!-- AI NAVIGATION
Primary purpose: [what this doc covers]
Read when: [when an AI should read this file]
Skip when: [when it's not relevant]
Related: [links to related docs]
-->

Step 11: Review documentation standards

Read DOCUMENTATION-STANDARDS.md for the 7 principles of AI-optimized documentation. Apply them to any existing project docs.

Step 12: Run compliance audit

templates/tools/audit-project.sh --full  # Run from inside the cloned repo

This checks:

• All required files present
• No unfilled placeholders
• Template versions match
• Documentation structure valid

Step 13: Verify with an AI assistant

Start a new AI session in the project and check:

• Does the AI read AGENTS.md on entry?
• Does it understand the project context?
• Can it find key files and understand the architecture?
• Does it follow Jimmy’s Workflow when asked to implement something?

Step 14: Initial commit

git add AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md JIMMYS-WORKFLOW.md STATUS.md NEXT-SESSION-START-HERE.md
git commit -m "feat: initialize project templates (Ydun AI Workflow v1.7.0)"

Common mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Leaving [PLACEHOLDER] values	Run grep "\[.*\]" AGENTS.md | grep -v http
Skipping PROJECT_SPECIFIC sections	All 9 must be filled, even if minimal
Generic context in IMPORTANT_CONTEXT	Be specific — this is what makes the AI useful
Not updating STATUS.md	Update at every checkpoint, not just at session end
Copying JIMMYS-WORKFLOW.md but not reading it	The workflow only works if you invoke it

Full reference

The complete 14-step checklist with detailed instructions for each step is in init-project.md. The companion AGENTS-TEMPLATE-GUIDE.md provides section-by-section guidance for filling AGENTS.md.