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solomid.tech
Case study

amply-starter-astro: a starting point with the rules built in

A starter for the code tier of Amply's stack. Every new Astro project begins with the same components, conventions and checks.

In short

I planned and built the Astro starter for Amply's three-tier stack (Webflow, Astro, Next.js), using a written spec and Claude Code. I maintain it.

Role
Planned, built and maintain it
Client
Amply (internal)
Stack
Astro, Tailwind v4, shadcn islands
Built with
Claude Code, from a planning document
Year
2026
01 / PROBLEM

Problem

Amply works in three tiers: Webflow, Astro and Next.js. Webflow projects already started from a shared base, the Webflow Project Starter. The Astro tier had no equivalent, so each code project set up its own structure and rules.

02 / APPROACH

Approach

Six steps, in order.

  1. 01

    Plan before code

    A written planning document set the stack, folder structure and conventions first.

  2. 02

    Bootstrap with Claude Code

    A detailed bootstrap prompt let the agent build the starter from the plan, step by step.

  3. 03

    Static by default, interactive by exception

    Astro renders HTML on the server. Tailwind v4 handles styles. shadcn components load as islands only where a page needs interaction.

  4. 04

    Guardrails kit

    Lint, type checks, accessibility checks, layout checks at five widths, token and contrast gates, a launch preflight and a robots policy. They run before every commit and in CI.

  5. 05

    Markdown twins and llms.txt

    Every build writes a Markdown copy of each key page and an llms.txt map from the built HTML.

  6. 06

    Roll out to the team

    I presented the Astro and Webflow starters together at an Amply all-hands, as proof of the three-tier stack.

01 / SOURCE Markdown 02 / BUILD Astro SSR 03 / GATE Guardrails PEOPLE HTML page AGENTS .md twin CRAWLERS llms.txt
Fig. 1 One source, three outputs. Nothing ships unless the guardrails pass.
03 / RESULT

Result

What is true today. Numbers come when they are measured.

Live test
solomid.tech is built on the starter, as a live test of the stack and the ideas.
04 / STACK

Stack

Stack
Layer Choice Why
FrameworkAstroServer-rendered HTML with no JavaScript by default
StylesTailwind v4Utility classes that agents and people write the same way
Componentsshadcn islandsAccessible components, loaded only where needed
Build agentClaude CodeBuilt the starter from the planning document
ChecksLint, types, axe, layout, preflightRules enforced by tools, not by memory