Create Spring Boot Java Project — Agent Skill by GitHub

From the author

Create a new Spring Boot Java project (Maven or Gradle) from start.spring.io with sensible defaults for configuration, PostgreSQL, logging, security, testing and Docker. Use when asked to scaffold, bootstrap or generate a Spring Boot application. Detects existing project versions and never upgrades implicitly.

— the description by wuwen5

AutoGineer summary

Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author

This skill automates the creation of Spring Boot applications by interacting with the start.spring.io API. It provides a structured approach to bootstrapping projects using either Maven or Gradle, while applying opinionated defaults for configuration, database connectivity, logging, security, and containerization. The skill includes logic to detect existing project structures to prevent accidental overwrites or unauthorized version upgrades, ensuring consistency across the development lifecycle.

What it does

Generates new Spring Boot projects via start.spring.io API
Supports both Maven and Gradle build systems
Applies standardized configurations for PostgreSQL, logging, and security
Detects existing project files to avoid regeneration
Provides Dockerfile templates for JVM and native images
Verifies project setup through build and health check commands

When to use it

When you need to bootstrap a new Spring Boot application
When you require a consistent project structure with standard dependencies
When you need to integrate PostgreSQL, Testcontainers, or Docker support
When you need to ensure configuration best practices like externalized secrets

Advantages

Ensures consistent project structure and dependency management
Prevents accidental version upgrades in existing projects
Automates the setup of essential development and testing tools
Reduces manual configuration effort for standard Spring Boot features

Usage examples

“Create a new Spring Boot project named my-app using Maven.”: The agent will generate a new Spring Boot project structure in a directory named my-app using Maven, including default dependencies and configuration files.
“Bootstrap a Spring Boot application with PostgreSQL and security.”: The agent will scaffold a project with the necessary dependencies for JPA, PostgreSQL, and Spring Security, and configure the initial application properties.

Install

Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/github/create-spring-boot-java-project/download

Unzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:

mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip create-spring-boot-java-project.zip -d .agents/skills

Documentation by wuwen5

Create a Spring Boot Java project

Scaffold a Spring Boot application with start.spring.io, then apply a small set of opinionated defaults. Out of scope for now: front-ends (Vue/React/Angular), cloud deployment (Azure), Git setup, CRaC and AOT images.

Step 0: Detect before you create

If the working directory already contains a pom.xml or build.gradle(.kts), this is an existing project: do not regenerate it. Read its Spring Boot, Java and test-framework versions and follow them. Never upgrade versions implicitly; propose an upgrade and wait for the user's decision.
Check the tools: java -version (JDK matching the chosen Java version), docker --version (needed for Testcontainers and Compose). On the default path (current Boot via start.spring.io) Maven/Gradle need not be installed: the generated wrapper is used. The Boot 3.5 fallback needs Maven or Gradle installed once to create the wrapper (see versions.md).
Ask only for what is missing: project name, group id, package, build tool (default Maven), dependencies (default: web, actuator, validation, devtools; add data-jpa, postgresql, security, docker-compose, testcontainers when a database or auth is needed).

Step 1: Resolve versions

Follow references/versions.md: query https://start.spring.io/metadata/client at run time for the latest stable Spring Boot release, fall back to the documented pinned values if offline. Do not hardcode latest anywhere.

Step 2: Generate the project

Use the start.spring.io HTTP API with explicit, pinned parameters (no piped installers). Replace the values in capitals.

Maven:

curl -fsS https://start.spring.io/starter.zip \
  -d type=maven-project -d language=java -d packaging=jar \
  -d bootVersion=BOOT_VERSION -d javaVersion=JAVA_VERSION \
  -d groupId=com.example -d artifactId=demo -d name=demo \
  -d packageName=com.example.demo -d baseDir=demo \
  -d dependencies=web,actuator,validation,devtools \
  -o demo.zip && unzip -q demo.zip && rm demo.zip

Gradle: same command with -d type=gradle-project (Groovy DSL) or -d type=gradle-project-kotlin (Kotlin DSL; the language stays java).

Inspect the result (ls demo, read the build file) and make sure the wrapper (mvnw or gradlew) is executable. Add -d dependencies=...,data-jpa,postgresql,docker-compose,testcontainers for a database project.

Step 3: Apply the defaults

Area	What to do	Reference
Boot 3 vs 4 differences	Starter names, Jackson 3, test modules	references/spring-boot-4.md
Configuration	`application.properties` or `.yml` (match the project), profiles, `@ConfigurationProperties`, secrets via environment	references/configuration.md
Database	PostgreSQL, Hibernate settings, Compose for dev, Testcontainers for tests	references/database.md
Logging	SLF4J, parameterized messages, levels, structured logging	references/logging.md
Security	Spring Security basics, secure defaults, Problem Details	references/security.md
Docker	JVM image and GraalVM native image Dockerfiles	references/docker.md
Testing	See the `spring-boot-testing` skill (slices, Testcontainers, Failsafe)	`skills/spring-boot-testing`
Best practices	See the `java-springboot` skill and `instructions/springboot.instructions.md`	`skills/java-springboot`

Keep dotfiles minimal: a .gitignore covering target/, build/, .gradle/, IDE folders and .env; never commit .env (commit a .env.sample).

Step 4: Verify

Build and test: ./mvnw verify (Maven) or ./gradlew build (Gradle).
Run: ./mvnw spring-boot:run or ./gradlew bootRun, then curl -fsS localhost:8080/actuator/health must return {"status":"UP"}.
Report the chosen versions and anything that was skipped or deferred.

Provenance

Adapted from the Apache-2.0 skill jdubois/dr-jskill; see references/PROVENANCE.md.

Files

ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer891 B
LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer1.0 KiB
SKILL.md4.5 KiB
assets/Dockerfile2.1 KiB
assets/Dockerfile-gradle2.5 KiB
assets/Dockerfile-native1.2 KiB
assets/Dockerfile-native-gradle1.3 KiB
references/PROVENANCE.md1.7 KiB
references/configuration.md2.2 KiB
references/database.md3.4 KiB
references/docker.md4.4 KiB
references/logging.md1.6 KiB
references/security.md2.4 KiB
references/spring-boot-4.md2.2 KiB
references/versions.md2.6 KiB

references/versions.md

Version handling

Rules

Existing project: read versions from pom.xml / build.gradle(.kts) (Spring Boot parent or plugin version, java.version/toolchain, spring-boot-starter-test). Keep them. Never bump implicitly.
New project: resolve at run time, fall back to the table below only when offline.
Never use latest, LATEST or RELEASE as a version, nor piped shell installers.

Resolve the latest stable Spring Boot

curl -fsS -H 'Accept: application/json' https://start.spring.io/metadata/client \
  | python3 -c "import json,sys; d=json.load(sys.stdin); print(d['bootVersion']['default'], d['javaVersion']['default'])"

bootVersion.default is the current stable release (it may carry a .RELEASE suffix such as 4.1.1.RELEASE; strip it: pass 4.1.1).
Skip ids containing SNAPSHOT, M or RC (milestones/snapshots) unless the user asks for them.
javaVersion.default is only the start.spring.io default. Pick the highest LTS the installed JDK supports (java -version), and make sure it is offered in javaVersion.values.
Use the major line the user asks for. If they do not say, use the latest stable; see spring-boot-4.md for what changes between 3.x and 4.x.
start.spring.io only generates Boot 4.0+ (verified: bootVersion=3.5.x returns HTTP 400 "compatibility range is >=4.0.0"). For a Boot 3.5 project, generate nothing: hand-write the build file with spring-boot-starter-parent 3.5.x (latest 3.5 on Maven Central, e.g. 3.5.16), spring-boot-starter-web, and spring-boot-starter-test, plus the Maven/Gradle wrapper. Creating the wrapper (mvn wrapper:wrapper / gradle wrapper) requires Maven or Gradle to be installed locally; if neither is available, ask the user to install one or choose Boot 4.
Verify the choice exists on Maven Central: curl -fsSI https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/springframework/boot/spring-boot/BOOT_VERSION/spring-boot-BOOT_VERSION.pom.

Fallback values (offline, reviewed 2026-10)

Item	Value
Spring Boot	4.1.1
Java	25 (LTS)
PostgreSQL image	`postgres:18-alpine`
Testcontainers	managed by the Spring Boot BOM; do not pin unless overriding
JDK image	`eclipse-temurin:25-jdk-noble`
GraalVM image	`ghcr.io/graalvm/graalvm-community:25`

These values age: when start.spring.io is reachable, prefer its answer, and tell the user which source was used.

Dependencies managed by the BOM

Do not specify versions for Spring-managed dependencies (Hibernate, Jackson, Testcontainers, PostgreSQL driver, JUnit). Pin only what the BOM does not manage (for example a Maven plugin or a Docker image tag).

Requirements and compatibility

Written for: GitHub Copilot

Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta

“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.

Needs: Needs network access

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Download ZIP

The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download create-spring-boot-java-project.zip