---
name: Butterbase Preflight
slug: butterbase-preflight
category: DevOps
description: Butterbase Preflight checks that a Butterbase account, MCP connection, API key, and app_id are in place before platform-touching actions. Use it to verify setup and write the results to preflight state files.
github: "https://github.com/butterbase-ai/butterbase-skills/tree/main/skills/journey-preflight"
stars: 532
forks: 40
install: "npx degit https://github.com/butterbase-ai/butterbase-skills/tree/main/skills/journey-preflight ~/.claude/skills/journey-preflight"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/journey-preflight
source_path: skills/journey-preflight/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 798
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/butterbase-ai/butterbase-skills"
added: 2026-08-26T05:11:42.356Z
last_synced: 2026-08-26T05:11:42.356Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/butterbase-preflight"
---

# Butterbase Preflight

Butterbase Preflight checks that a Butterbase account, MCP connection, API key, and app_id are in place before platform-touching actions. Use it to verify setup and write the results to preflight state files.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/butterbase-ai/butterbase-skills/tree/main/skills/journey-preflight ~/.claude/skills/journey-preflight
```

## README

# Butterbase Preflight

Gate that ensures the user can actually talk to the Butterbase platform before any stage tries to. Writes results to `docs/butterbase/03-preflight.md` and stamps `app_id` + `api_base` into `00-state.md`.

## When to use

- Automatically as the first step of any `journey-*` build stage when `03-preflight.md` is missing, older than 24 hours, or `00-state.md`'s `app_id` is null.
- Directly via `/butterbase-skills:journey-preflight` when the user wants to re-verify.

## Procedure

For each check, write a one-line result to `03-preflight.md` (`<check> ✓/✗ <note>`). Ask the user to fix any ✗ before continuing — do not auto-skip failures.

1. **Butterbase account.** Call `mcp__butterbase__list_regions` (cheapest call). Success → ✓. Auth error → ✗ with `"Sign up at https://butterbase.ai, then run npx @butterbase/cli mcp install and complete the OAuth flow in your client (e.g. /mcp in Claude Code)."`. If MCP tool is not visible at all, jump to step 2.

2. **MCP server connected.** Check whether `mcp__butterbase__*` tools are listed in the agent's available tools. Absent → ✗ with `"Install the Butterbase MCP server: npx @butterbase/cli mcp install. See https://butterbase.ai/docs/mcp."`. Present → ✓.

3. **MCP OAuth complete.** Auth for `mcp__butterbase__*` calls is OAuth, not an env var — step 1 already proved it works if `list_regions` succeeded. If step 1 failed with auth error, retry after the user runs `/mcp` (or `claude mcp login butterbase`) and completes browser consent. `BUTTERBASE_API_KEY` (`bb_sk_…`) is still relevant for **runtime app code** (functions, server-side `@butterbase/sdk`) — check separately at deploy time, not here.

4. **App provisioned.** Read `00-state.md` front-matter for `app_id`.
   - Non-null and `mcp__butterbase__manage_app` (action `get_config`) succeeds → ✓.
   - Null → ask the user: `"No app yet. Create one now? (yes/no — if no, you can paste an existing app_id)"`. On yes, call `mcp__butterbase__init_app` (ask for app name and region — recommend `us-east-1` as default). Capture `app_id` and `api_base` from the response. Update `00-state.md` front-matter.
   - User-provided app_id → verify with `manage_app get_config`; on success update `00-state.md`.

5. **CLI installed.** Run `butterbase --version`. If "command not found":
   - Read the Toolchain section of `02-plan.md`. If `CLI usage: yes` (default), prompt: "Install `@butterbase/cli` globally now? (yes / skip)". On yes, run `npm install -g @butterbase/cli`. On skip, note in `03-preflight.md` that the CLI is not installed and which workflows will require dashboard fallback.
   - If `CLI usage: no`, skip this check.

## `03-preflight.md` format

```markdown
# Preflight — <ISO date>

- account        ✓
- mcp_connected  ✓
- api_key        ✓
- app_provisioned ✓  app_id=app_abc123 region=us-east-1

Re-run with /butterbase-skills:journey-preflight.
```

## Outputs

- Writes/overwrites `docs/butterbase/03-preflight.md`.
- Updates `00-state.md` front-matter `app_id`, `api_base`, `last_updated`, and ticks `- [x] preflight`.

## Anti-patterns

- ❌ Echoing the API key value back to the user.
- ❌ Skipping a failed check ("I'll just try anyway"). Stop and ask the user to fix it.
- ❌ Calling `init_app` without confirming with the user — apps cost money on paid plans.