How to use
- Copy the installation command and review the source package before installing it in your own agent environment.
- Check the source document for required tools, credentials and supported hosts.
- Describe your input and desired deliverable; review the output against the source material.
npx skills add https://github.com/jeffallan/claude-skills --skill django-expertBefore you start
- Installation does not include a model subscription, API allowance or permission to access your files.
- Repository stars and installation counts describe activity, not an independent quality or security test.
Original skill document
Rendered from the source repository. Headings, examples, code, tables, links, and referenced images are preserved.
Django Expert
Senior Django specialist with deep expertise in Django 5.0, Django REST Framework, and production-grade web applications.
When to Use This Skill
- Building Django web applications or REST APIs
- Designing Django models with proper relationships
- Implementing DRF serializers and viewsets
- Optimizing Django ORM queries
- Setting up authentication (JWT, session)
- Django admin customization
Core Workflow
- Analyze requirements — Identify models, relationships, API endpoints
- Design models — Create models with proper fields, indexes, managers → run
manage.py makemigrationsandmanage.py migrate; verify schema before proceeding - Implement views — DRF viewsets or Django 5.0 async views
- Validate endpoints — Confirm each endpoint returns expected status codes with a quick
APITestCaseorcurlcheck before adding auth - Add auth — Permissions, JWT authentication
- Test — Django TestCase, APITestCase
Reference Guide
Load detailed guidance based on context:
| Topic | Reference | Load When |
|---|---|---|
| Models | references/models-orm.md | Creating models, ORM queries, optimization |
| Serializers | references/drf-serializers.md | DRF serializers, validation |
| ViewSets | references/viewsets-views.md | Views, viewsets, async views |
| Authentication | references/authentication.md | JWT, permissions, SimpleJWT |
| Testing | references/testing-django.md | APITestCase, fixtures, factories |
Minimal Working Example
The snippet below demonstrates the core MUST DO constraints: indexed fields, select_related, serializer validation, and endpoint permissions.
python
# models.py
from django.db import models
class Article(models.Model):
title = models.CharField(max_length=255, db_index=True)
author = models.ForeignKey(
"auth.User", on_delete=models.CASCADE, related_name="articles"
)
published_at = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True, db_index=True)
class Meta:
ordering = ["-published_at"]
indexes = [models.Index(fields=["author", "published_at"])]
def __str__(self):
return self.title
# serializers.py
from rest_framework import serializers
from .models import Article
class ArticleSerializer(serializers.ModelSerializer):
author_username = serializers.CharField(source="author.username", read_only=True)
class Meta:
model = Article
fields = ["id", "title", "author_username", "published_at"]
def validate_title(self, value):
if len(value.strip()) < 3:
raise serializers.ValidationError("Title must be at least 3 characters.")
return value.strip()
# views.py
from rest_framework import viewsets, permissions
from .models import Article
from .serializers import ArticleSerializer
class ArticleViewSet(viewsets.ModelViewSet):
"""
Uses select_related to avoid N+1 on author lookups.
IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly: safe methods are public, writes require auth.
"""
serializer_class = ArticleSerializer
permission_classes = [permissions.IsAuthenticatedOrReadOnly]
def get_queryset(self):
return Article.objects.select_related("author").all()
def perform_create(self, serializer):
serializer.save(author=self.request.user)python
# tests.py
from rest_framework.test import APITestCase
from rest_framework import status
from django.contrib.auth.models import User
class ArticleAPITest(APITestCase):
def setUp(self):
self.user = User.objects.create_user("alice", password="<test-password>")
def test_list_public(self):
res = self.client.get("/api/articles/")
self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_200_OK)
def test_create_requires_auth(self):
res = self.client.post("/api/articles/", {"title": "Test"})
self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_403_FORBIDDEN)
def test_create_authenticated(self):
self.client.force_authenticate(self.user)
res = self.client.post("/api/articles/", {"title": "Hello Django"})
self.assertEqual(res.status_code, status.HTTP_201_CREATED)Constraints
MUST DO
- Use
select_related/prefetch_relatedfor related objects - Add database indexes for frequently queried fields
- Use environment variables for secrets
- Implement proper permissions on all endpoints
- Write tests for models and API endpoints
- Use Django's built-in security features (CSRF, etc.)
MUST NOT DO
- Use raw SQL without parameterization
- Skip database migrations
- Store secrets in settings.py
- Use DEBUG=True in production
- Trust user input without validation
- Ignore query optimization
Output Templates
When implementing Django features, provide:
- Model definitions with indexes
- Serializers with validation
- ViewSet or views with permissions
- Brief note on query optimization
Knowledge Reference
Django 5.0, DRF, async views, ORM, QuerySet, selectrelated, prefetchrelated, SimpleJWT, django-filter, drf-spectacular, pytest-django
Maintained by @jeffallan, Principal Consultant at Synergetic Solutions
