develop

Implement Subframe designs in the codebase. Fetch the design via MCP, sync components, and add business logic.

MCP Authentication

If you cannot find the get_page_info tool (or any Subframe MCP tools), the MCP server likely needs to be authenticated. Ask the user to authenticate the Subframe MCP server. If the user is using Claude Code, instruct them to run /mcp to view and authenticate their MCP servers, and then say "done" when they're finished.

Detect Project State

Before starting, check for package.json and .subframe/ folder in the current directory:

Existing non-Subframe project

If the current directory has a package.json but no .subframe/ folder, ask the user which approach they prefer:

• Use the design as inspiration — Fetch the design via MCP for reference, but implement the page using the existing styles, components, and patterns already in the repo. Translate the Subframe design's layout and structure into whatever UI framework the project already uses (e.g., existing component library, CSS modules, styled-components). Do NOT install Subframe or sync components. Skip to Inspiration Workflow.
• Use Subframe styles and components — Install Subframe into the project so the design renders pixel-perfect with Subframe's generated code. Run /subframe:setup first, then continue with the Workflow below.

Workflow

1. Fetch the design - Use get_page_info with the URL, ID, or name.
2. Sync components if needed - Only if components don't exist locally
3. Create the page - Put it in the right place per codebase patterns
4. Add business logic - Data fetching, forms, events, loading/error states

Inspiration Workflow

Use this workflow when the user chose to use the design as inspiration in an existing non-Subframe project.

1. Fetch the design - Use get_page_info with the URL, ID, or name to get the design's layout and structure. Use other available Subframe MCP tools as needed to get additional context (e.g., get_component_info to understand a component's props, get_theme to check theme values).
2. Study existing patterns - Look at the project's existing components, styles, and conventions
3. Create the page - Implement the design using the project's existing UI framework, mapping Subframe components to their equivalents in the codebase (e.g., Subframe Button → the project's own button component)
4. Add business logic - Data fetching, forms, events, loading/error states

Fetching Designs

// By URL
get_page_info({ url: "https://app.subframe.com/PROJECT_ID/design/PAGE_ID/edit" })

// By ID (e.g., from /subframe:design)
get_page_info({ id: "PAGE_ID", projectId: "PROJECT_ID" })

// By name
get_page_info({ name: "Settings Page", projectId: "PROJECT_ID" })

// List all pages first if needed
list_pages({ projectId: "PROJECT_ID" })

Get the projectId from .subframe/sync.json. If .subframe/sync.json doesn't exist or doesn't contain a projectId, call list_projects to get the available projects. Each project includes a projectId, name, teamId, and teamName.

• One project: Use it automatically.
• Multiple projects: Always ask the user which project to use. Present each project with its teamName to disambiguate. If the user already mentioned a specific team or project name, match it against the teamName and name fields — but still confirm before proceeding. Never silently pick a project when multiple exist.

Syncing Components

Sync components when they don't exist locally. You can sync specific components by name:

npx @subframe/cli@latest sync Button Alert TextField

Or sync all components:

npx @subframe/cli@latest sync --all

When to sync:

• Components don't exist locally → Sync those specific components before implementing
• Components already exist → Don't sync automatically. If the user wants the latest versions, they'll ask.

Never modify synced component files - they get overwritten. Create wrapper components if you need to add logic.

Sync Disable

If you must modify a synced component file directly, add // @subframe/sync-disable to the top of the file:

// @subframe/sync-disable
import * as React from "react"
// ... rest of component

This prevents the file from being overwritten on future syncs.

Updating a sync-disabled component:

If the user wants to update a component that has sync-disable, the sync command will skip it. To get the latest version:

1. Use get_component_info to fetch the latest code from Subframe
2. Manually merge the changes with the local modifications

Adding Business Logic

Subframe generates presentational code with placeholder data. You add:

Data fetching:

const { data, isLoading, error } = useQuery(...)

if (isLoading) return <Skeleton />
if (error) return <Alert variant="error">{error.message}</Alert>

return <PageComponent {...data} />

Form handling:

const handleSubmit = async (e: FormEvent) => {
  e.preventDefault()
  await submitForm(formData)
}

Event handlers:

<Button onClick={handleClick}>Submit</Button>
<Card actionSlot={<IconButton onClick={handleDelete} />} />

Updating Existing Pages

When a design changes:

1. Fetch the updated design
2. Update layout/structure from new design
3. Preserve existing hooks, handlers, and state management
4. Sync any new components

When diffing the updated design against the existing code, if there are design changes beyond what the user asked you to design (e.g., layout tweaks, new elements, removed sections), call those out and ask whether to include them.

MCP Tools Reference