5 paste-in templates that fit your side project into one file — so your AI agent can read the whole thing in one pass.
I have an idea for a project. Before I write any code, help me fit it into a single-file architecture that one agent can read in one pass. Step 1: Read my idea. Then pick ONE of these 5 shapes: • Single-page app (1 HTML file, CDN libs, localStorage) • CLI tool (1 script, stdin/stdout, curl install) • API endpoint (1 serverless function, native handler) • Chrome extension (manifest.json + 1 script) • Data pipeline (1 script, CSV in, CSV out) Step 2: Explain WHY that shape fits (one sentence) and WHY the other 4 don't (one sentence each). Step 3: Generate the complete file(s). All code inline. Zero build steps. Zero package.json files. Max 2 files total. Step 4: Output a README with: what the file does, how to run it, and what to paste into the next prompt when I want to extend it. My idea: [PASTE YOUR ONE SENTENCE HERE]
↑ Copy this. Paste it into Claude, Cursor, or your AI agent. Replace the last line with your idea. Ship by Sunday.
Grab the master prompt above and paste it into your AI agent. Replace the last line with your project idea.
The agent reads your idea, chooses the best-fitting project shape from the 5 below, and explains why.
You get a complete, working project in 1–2 files. No npm. No Docker. No build step. Just open and run.
Each shape has its own paste-in prompt. Or use the master prompt and let your agent choose.
One HTML file. Everything — UI, logic, API calls, styling — in one self-contained page. Zero build step. Open in any browser.
Build a single HTML file that does [YOUR APP IDEA]. Requirements: - All HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in ONE file. No external dependencies except CDN-hosted libraries (Tailwind, Alpine.js, htmx). - The file must work when opened directly in a browser — no build step, no npm, no server. - Include a dark-mode toggle, responsive layout, and localStorage persistence. - Output only the complete HTML file with inline everything.
One script that does one job. No package. No virtualenv. Install is curl + chmod.
Build a CLI tool as a single [Python/Rust/Go] file that does [YOUR TOOL IDEA]. Requirements: - ONE file. No imports of local modules — only standard library or well-known public packages. - Usage: pipe input via stdin, get output via stdout. No interactive prompts. - Include --help with examples, error handling for missing dependencies, and a shebang line. - Output only the file. The user installs with: curl -O [url] && chmod +x [file]
One file deployed as a serverless function. No framework. No database unless it's embedded.
Build a serverless API endpoint as a single file for [PLATFORM: Vercel/Cloudflare Workers/AWS Lambda] that does [YOUR API IDEA]. Requirements: - ONE file. Handle request, validate input, return JSON response. - No ORM. No Express/Fastify/Next.js. Use the platform's native request handler. - Authentication: simple API key check from environment variable. - Include CORS headers, rate limiting stub, and error response format. - Output only the file + deployment command.
One manifest.json + one script. The minimal surface area for a browser extension.
Build a Chrome extension as TWO files (manifest.json + one script) that does [YOUR EXTENSION IDEA]. Requirements: - manifest.json: Manifest V3, minimal permissions. - script.js/content.js: All logic in one file. Use vanilla JS or a CDN-hosted library. - The extension should work when loaded unpacked — no build step. - Output both files with installation instructions.
One Python or Node script. Input: CSV/JSON. Output: transformed CSV/JSON. No database, no scheduler, no dashboard.
Build a data pipeline as a single [Python/Node] script that does [YOUR PIPELINE IDEA]. Requirements: - ONE file. Read from stdin or a file path argument. Write to stdout or an output path. - No database. No Airflow/Prefect/Dagster. No Docker. - Handle: missing columns, empty files, encoding issues. - Include: a --dry-run flag, a --sample N flag, and a progress indicator. - Output only the file.
Before you write a line of code, ask: can one agent read the entire project in one pass?
If the answer is no, the project is already too large for its own good — and it hasn't been built yet. Cut scope until the answer is yes.
When every file counts, you stop adding things that don't. One agent, one pass. The artifact is the install. Distribution costs you nothing.
Five independent projects, five different layers, one shared pattern: the file is the install.