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Skills/directus
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directus

Build backends and APIs with Directus headless CMS. Use when a user asks to create a headless CMS, build a content API without coding, set up a backend admin panel, create REST or GraphQL APIs from a database, manage content with roles and permissions, build a data platform with auto-generated APIs, or replace traditional CMS with a headless solution. Covers data modeling, auto-generated REST/GraphQL APIs, roles/permissions, flows (automation), file storage, and SDK integration.

#directus#cms#headless#api#backend#admin
terminal-skillsv1.0.0
Works with:claude-codeopenai-codexgemini-clicursor
Source

Usage

$
✓ Installed directus v1.0.0

Getting Started

  1. Install the skill using the command above
  2. Open your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Cursor)
  3. Reference the skill in your prompt
  4. The AI will use the skill's capabilities automatically

Example Prompts

  • "Review the open pull requests and summarize what needs attention"
  • "Generate a changelog from the last 20 commits on the main branch"

Documentation

Overview

Directus is an open-source headless CMS and data platform that wraps any SQL database with auto-generated REST and GraphQL APIs, a visual admin dashboard, role-based access control, file storage, and automation flows. Unlike Strapi (which defines its own schema), Directus mirrors your existing database — add columns in the admin UI or directly in SQL, and the API updates instantly. Use it for content management, internal tools, data APIs, and backend-as-a-service.

Instructions

Step 1: Deployment

bash
# Docker (quickest start)
docker run -d --name directus \
  -p 8055:8055 \
  -e SECRET="your-secret-key-min-32-chars" \
  -e ADMIN_EMAIL="admin@example.com" \
  -e ADMIN_PASSWORD="your-secure-password" \
  -e DB_CLIENT="sqlite3" \
  -e DB_FILENAME="/directus/database/data.db" \
  -v directus_data:/directus/database \
  -v directus_uploads:/directus/uploads \
  directus/directus:latest

# Production with PostgreSQL
docker run -d --name directus \
  -p 8055:8055 \
  -e SECRET="your-secret-key" \
  -e ADMIN_EMAIL="admin@example.com" \
  -e ADMIN_PASSWORD="your-secure-password" \
  -e DB_CLIENT="pg" \
  -e DB_HOST="postgres" \
  -e DB_PORT="5432" \
  -e DB_DATABASE="directus" \
  -e DB_USER="directus" \
  -e DB_PASSWORD="dbpassword" \
  directus/directus:latest

# Access admin: http://localhost:8055

Step 2: Data Modeling

Create collections (tables) and fields via the admin UI or REST API:

bash
# Create a "posts" collection via API
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/collections \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer admin_token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "collection": "posts",
    "meta": { "icon": "article", "note": "Blog posts" },
    "fields": [
      { "field": "id", "type": "uuid", "meta": { "special": ["uuid"] }, "schema": { "is_primary_key": true } },
      { "field": "title", "type": "string", "meta": { "required": true } },
      { "field": "slug", "type": "string", "meta": { "interface": "input" } },
      { "field": "content", "type": "text", "meta": { "interface": "input-rich-text-html" } },
      { "field": "status", "type": "string", "meta": { "interface": "select-dropdown", "options": { "choices": [{"text":"Draft","value":"draft"},{"text":"Published","value":"published"}] } } },
      { "field": "published_at", "type": "timestamp" }
    ]
  }'

Step 3: Auto-Generated APIs

Once collections exist, Directus auto-generates full CRUD APIs:

bash
# REST — List all published posts
curl 'http://localhost:8055/items/posts?filter[status][_eq]=published&sort=-published_at&limit=10' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token'

# REST — Get single post with related author
curl 'http://localhost:8055/items/posts/POST_ID?fields=*,author.name,author.avatar' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token'

# REST — Create post
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/items/posts \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"title": "My Post", "content": "<p>Hello world</p>", "status": "draft"}'

# GraphQL — Same queries
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/graphql \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"query": "{ posts(filter: {status: {_eq: \"published\"}}, sort: [\"-published_at\"], limit: 10) { id title content published_at author { name } } }"}'

Step 4: SDK Integration

javascript
// lib/directus.js — JavaScript SDK for frontend/backend integration
import { createDirectus, rest, readItems, createItem, authentication } from '@directus/sdk'

const client = createDirectus('http://localhost:8055')
  .with(authentication())
  .with(rest())

// Fetch published posts
const posts = await client.request(
  readItems('posts', {
    filter: { status: { _eq: 'published' } },
    sort: ['-published_at'],
    limit: 10,
    fields: ['id', 'title', 'slug', 'content', 'published_at', { author: ['name', 'avatar'] }],
  })
)

// Create a new post
const newPost = await client.request(
  createItem('posts', {
    title: 'New Post',
    content: '<p>Content here</p>',
    status: 'draft',
  })
)

Step 5: Roles and Permissions

bash
# Create a read-only "viewer" role
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/roles \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer admin_token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"name": "Viewer", "admin_access": false}'

# Set permissions: viewer can read published posts only
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/permissions \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer admin_token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "role": "VIEWER_ROLE_ID",
    "collection": "posts",
    "action": "read",
    "permissions": { "status": { "_eq": "published" } },
    "fields": ["id", "title", "content", "published_at"]
  }'

Step 6: Flows (Automation)

Directus Flows are visual automation pipelines triggered by events (like Zapier, but built-in).

bash
# Create a flow: when a post is published, send a webhook
curl -X POST http://localhost:8055/flows \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer admin_token' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "name": "Notify on Publish",
    "trigger": "event",
    "options": { "type": "action", "scope": ["items.update"], "collections": ["posts"] },
    "accountability": "all",
    "status": "active"
  }'

Examples

Example 1: Build a content API for a marketing website

User prompt: "I need a CMS backend for our marketing site — blog posts, team members, case studies, and FAQ. Non-technical editors should be able to manage content through a visual dashboard."

The agent will:

  1. Deploy Directus with Docker + PostgreSQL.
  2. Create collections for posts, team_members, case_studies, and faqs.
  3. Set up relational fields (posts → author, case studies → tags).
  4. Configure a public role with read-only access for the frontend.
  5. Connect the Next.js/Astro frontend using the Directus SDK.

Example 2: Build an internal tool for operations data

User prompt: "Our ops team tracks orders, suppliers, and inventory in spreadsheets. Build a proper backend with an admin panel where they can manage everything."

The agent will:

  1. Deploy Directus pointing at the existing PostgreSQL database.
  2. Directus auto-detects existing tables and generates APIs + admin UI.
  3. Create roles: admin (full access), manager (CRUD), viewer (read-only).
  4. Set up flows for notifications (new order → Slack alert).

Guidelines

  • Directus mirrors your database schema — it does not own it. You can add columns via Directus admin or directly in SQL, and both stay in sync. This makes it safe for existing databases.
  • Use Directus as a backend-as-a-service for content-heavy apps. For complex business logic (multi-step workflows, custom calculations), extend with custom endpoints or use a separate API layer.
  • Configure the PUBLIC role carefully — it defines what unauthenticated users can access. For a public blog, allow read access to published posts only.
  • File uploads go to local storage by default. In production, configure S3, Cloudflare R2, or Google Cloud Storage for scalability.
  • Directus supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, MS SQL, SQLite, CockroachDB, and OracleDB. PostgreSQL is recommended for production.

Information

Version
1.0.0
Author
terminal-skills
Category
Development
License
Apache-2.0