---
description: Get Storefront Next development guidelines and best practices for React Server Components, data loading, and framework constraints.
---

# sfnext_get_guidelines

::: warning DEPRECATED — use the agent-skills plugins instead
This tool is **deprecated** and **not compatible with the Storefront Next 1.0 GA release**. It has been superseded by the [`storefront-next` and `storefront-next-figma`](../../guide/agent-skills) agent-skills plugins, which stay current with the GA release. It now lives in the opt-in [`STOREFRONTNEXT_DEPRECATED`](../toolsets#storefrontnext-deprecated) toolset (never auto-enabled, excluded from `--toolsets ALL`) and **will be removed in a future release**. Install the skills plugins instead — see the [Agent Skills guide](../../guide/agent-skills).
:::

Returns critical architecture rules, coding standards, and best practices for building Storefront Next applications with React Server Components.

## Overview

The `sfnext_get_guidelines` tool provides essential development guidance for Storefront Next. It:

1. Returns comprehensive guidelines by default (quick-reference plus key sections).
2. Supports retrieving specific topic sections on demand.
3. Loads content from markdown files covering architecture, data fetching, components, testing, and more.

**Important:** This tool is the **essential first step** for Storefront Next development. Use it before writing any code to understand non-negotiable patterns for React Server Components, data loading, and framework constraints.

This tool is part of the STOREFRONTNEXT toolset and is auto-enabled for Storefront Next projects (detected by `@salesforce/storefront-next*` dependencies).

## Parameters

| Parameter  | Type     | Required | Default                                                         | Description                                                                                                                                         |
| ---------- | -------- | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `sections` | string[] | No       | `['quick-reference', 'data-fetching', 'components', 'testing']` | Optional array of specific sections to retrieve. If not specified, returns comprehensive guidelines. Pass an empty array to return an empty string. |

### Available Sections

| Section            | Topics Covered                                                                                          |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `quick-reference`  | Critical rules, architecture principles, quick patterns                                                 |
| `data-fetching`    | Server-only data loading (no client loaders), synchronous loaders for streaming, data fetching patterns |
| `state-management` | State management patterns                                                                               |
| `auth`             | Authentication and session management                                                                   |
| `config`           | Configuration system                                                                                    |
| `i18n`             | i18n patterns and internationalization                                                                  |
| `components`       | Component best practices                                                                                |
| `styling`          | Tailwind CSS 4, Shadcn/ui, styling guidelines                                                           |
| `page-designer`    | Page Designer integration                                                                               |
| `performance`      | Performance optimization                                                                                |
| `testing`          | Testing strategies                                                                                      |
| `extensions`       | Framework extensions                                                                                    |
| `pitfalls`         | Common pitfalls to avoid                                                                                |

## Usage Examples

### Default (Comprehensive Guidelines)

Get the default comprehensive set (quick-reference, data-fetching, components, testing):

```
Use the MCP tool to get Storefront Next development guidelines before I start coding.
```

### Single Section

Retrieve a specific topic:

```
Use the MCP tool to get Storefront Next guidelines for data-fetching patterns.
```

### Multiple Related Sections

Combine related sections in one call:

```
Use the MCP tool to get Storefront Next guidelines for data-fetching, components, and performance.
```

### All Sections

Retrieve all available sections:

```
Use the MCP tool to get all Storefront Next development guidelines.
```

## Output

Returns text content with guidelines for the requested section(s):

- **Single section**: Returns content directly (no separators or instructions).
- **Multiple sections**: Returns content with `---` separators between sections, prefixed with instructions to display full content without summarization.

The returned content includes:

- Critical rules and best practices
- Code examples (correct ✅ and incorrect ❌ patterns)
- Quick reference snippets
- Framework-specific patterns for React Server Components

## Related Tools

- Part of the [STOREFRONTNEXT](../toolsets#storefrontnext) toolset
- Auto-enabled for Storefront Next projects
- [`sfnext_add_page_designer_decorator`](./sfnext-add-page-designer-decorator) - Add Page Designer decorators to components

## See Also

- [STOREFRONTNEXT Toolset](../toolsets#storefrontnext) - Overview of Storefront Next tools
- [Storefront Next Guide](../../guide/storefront-next) - User guide for Storefront Next
- [Configuration](../configuration) - Configure MCP server and toolset selection