turborepo

Files (26)

• SKILL.md
• turborepo.md · command/
• RULE.md · references/best-practices/
• dependencies.md · references/best-practices/
• packages.md · references/best-practices/
• structure.md · references/best-practices/
• RULE.md · references/boundaries/
• RULE.md · references/caching/
• gotchas.md · references/caching/
• remote-cache.md · references/caching/
• RULE.md · references/ci/
• github-actions.md · references/ci/
• patterns.md · references/ci/
• vercel.md · references/ci/
• RULE.md · references/cli/
• commands.md · references/cli/
• RULE.md · references/configuration/
• global-options.md · references/configuration/
• gotchas.md · references/configuration/
• tasks.md · references/configuration/
• RULE.md · references/environment/
• gotchas.md · references/environment/
• modes.md · references/environment/
• RULE.md · references/filtering/
• patterns.md · references/filtering/
• RULE.md · references/watch/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Turborepo Skill

Build system for JavaScript/TypeScript monorepos. Turborepo caches task outputs and runs tasks in parallel based on dependency graph.

## IMPORTANT: Package Tasks, Not Root Tasks

**Prefer package tasks over Root Tasks.**

When creating tasks/scripts/pipelines, you MUST default to package tasks:

1. Add the script to each relevant package's `package.json`
2. Register the task in root `turbo.json`
3. Root `package.json` only delegates via `turbo run <task>`

**DO NOT** put task logic in root `package.json` when it can live in packages. This defeats Turborepo's parallelization.

```json
// DO THIS: Scripts in each package
// apps/web/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "next build", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }

// apps/api/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "tsc", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }

// packages/ui/package.json
{ "scripts": { "build": "tsc", "lint": "eslint .", "test": "vitest" } }
```

```json
// turbo.json - register tasks
{
  "tasks": {
    "build": { "dependsOn": ["^build"], "outputs": ["dist/**"] },
    "lint": {},
    "test": { "dependsOn": ["build"] }
  }
}
```

```json
// Root package.json - ONLY delegates, no task logic
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "turbo run build",
    "lint": "turbo run lint",
    "test": "turbo run test"
  }
}
```

```json
// DO NOT DO THIS - defeats parallelization
// Root package.json
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "cd apps/web && next build && cd ../api && tsc",
    "lint": "eslint apps/ packages/",
    "test": "vitest"
  }
}
```

Root Tasks (`//#taskname`) are ONLY for tasks that truly cannot exist in packages, such as Vitest Projects' `//#test`, repo-wide release scripts, or tooling that does not invoke `turbo` itself.

## Secondary Rule: `turbo run` vs `turbo`

**Always use `turbo run` when the command is written into code:**

```json
// package.json - ALWAYS "turbo run"
{
  "scripts": {
    "build": "turbo run build"
  }
}
```

```yaml
# CI workflows - ALWAYS "turbo run"
- run: turbo run build --affected
```

**The shorthand `turbo <tasks>` is ONLY for one-off terminal commands** typed directly by humans or agents. Never write `turbo build` into package.json, CI, or scripts.

## Quick Decision Trees

### "I need to configure a task"

```
Configure a task?
├─ Define task dependencies → references/configuration/tasks.md
├─ Lint/check-types (parallel + caching) → Use Transit Nodes pattern (see below)
├─ Specify build outputs → references/configuration/tasks.md#outputs
├─ Handle environment variables → references/environment/RULE.md
├─ Set up dev/watch tasks → references/configuration/tasks.md#persistent
├─ Package-specific config → references/configuration/RULE.md#package-configurations
└─ Global settings (cacheDir, daemon) → references/configuration/global-options.md
```

### "My cache isn't working"

```
Cache problems?
├─ Tasks run but outputs not restored → Missing `outputs` key
├─ Cache misses unexpectedly → references/caching/gotchas.md
├─ Need to debug hash inputs → Use --summarize or --dry
├─ Want to skip cache entirely → Use --force or cache: false
├─ Remote cache not working → references/caching/remote-cache.md
└─ Environment causing misses → references/environment/gotchas.md
```

### "I want to run only changed packages"

```
Run only what changed?
├─ Changed packages + dependents (RECOMMENDED) → turbo run build --affected
├─ Custom base branch → TURBO_SCM_BASE=origin/develop turbo run build --affected
├─ Manual git comparison → --filter=...[origin/main]
└─ See all filter options → references/filtering/RULE.md
```

From primer/agent-eval, MIT.

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