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Widget Bundle Generator

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Effortlessly create HXL WidgetBundles for rich UIs.

by forcedotcom808 stars on forcedotcom/sf-skills
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Updated Aug 10, 2026
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Free · Opens the source repo

What Widget Bundle Generator does

The Widget Bundle Generator skill is designed to help developers create complete HXL WidgetBundles, which include a UEM tree, a JSON Schema, and a metadata XML file. This skill is triggered when a user requests a widget, mosaic, fragment, or card-style UI component without explicitly mentioning Lightning Types or Apex-backed types. By focusing on the entity or data shape specified in the prompt, this skill streamlines the process of widget creation, making it easier for developers to implement rich user interfaces in their applications.

To use this skill, developers must provide a widgetName and a shape that describes the data the widget will render. The shape can be derived from a lightningTypeSchema or extracted directly from the user's prompt, which can include JSON payloads or descriptive lists. If neither source yields a valid shape, the skill will prompt the user for clarification, ensuring that the generated widget meets the specified requirements.

The output consists of three essential files: a widget envelope in JSON format, a schema.json file that outlines the widget's input contract, and a .uiwidget-meta.xml file that registers the bundle. This structured output allows for easy integration into existing projects, saving developers time and effort when creating UI components.

This skill is particularly useful for developers working with Salesforce applications who need to generate customizable widgets quickly and efficiently. By automating the creation of WidgetBundles, the skill enhances productivity and reduces the potential for errors in manual coding.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to generate a widget or rich UI component based on a specified data shape or entity.

When not to use it

Avoid this skill when working with Custom Lightning Types or when editing existing LWC components, as it is not designed for those scenarios.

What you can build with it

Creating a New Widget

A developer needs to create a new widget for displaying customer data and uses this skill to generate the necessary files.

Rapid UI Component Development

A team is building a Salesforce application and utilizes this skill to quickly generate multiple UI components based on varying data shapes.

Automating Widget Creation

An engineer automates the generation of widgets in a CI/CD pipeline, leveraging this skill to streamline the deployment process.

How to install Widget Bundle Generator

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add forcedotcom/sf-skills/platform-widget-generate --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by forcedotcom

Generating a Widget Bundle

Author a complete WidgetBundle: a UEM tree (tile/widget), a JSON Schema describing the widget's input contract, and the .uiwidget-meta.xml that registers the bundle.

When to Use This Skill

Use when the user asks for a widget, mosaic, fragment, or card-style rich UI surface. Do not use this skill for custom-LWC renderers or for renderer.json files inside a Custom Lightning Type bundle — those belong to platform-custom-lightning-type-generate.

Inputs

  • widgetName (required) — camelCase identifier; becomes the directory name under uiWidgets/.
  • A shape — what data the widget renders. The widget cannot be generated without it. The shape arrives one of two ways, in priority order:
    1. lightningTypeSchema{ path, apexClassFqn } for an existing Apex-backed Lightning Type. The FQN takes one of two forms: outer-class (<namespace>__<ClassName>) where the outer class is the payload, or inner-class (<namespace>__<ClassName>$<InnerClass>) where the named inner class is the payload. Passed in by the platform-lightning-type-widget-coordinate orchestrator. When present, derive per references/schema-from-lightning-type.md.
    2. Extracted from the user's prompt — when no lightningTypeSchema is passed, infer the shape directly from what the user wrote: a pasted JSON payload, an enumerated field list ("id as string, total as number"), or descriptive prose. The output is the same ordered list of { name, type, required } either way.

If neither source yields a shape, STOP and ask the user before proceeding.

Output

Three files in <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/:

FileContent
<widgetName>.jsonWidget envelope — { "type": "lightning__agentforceWidget", "contentBody": { "widgetBody": { UEM tree rooted at tile/widget } } }
schema.jsonJSON Schema — root has type: "object" + properties.attributes wrapper carrying lightning:type: "lightning__objectType" and the field properties
<widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml<UiWidgetBundle> element with <masterLabel>, <description>, and <widgetType>JSON</widgetType>

See references/widget-bundle-layout.md for the <pkgDir> resolution procedure and the exact <widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml shape.


Composition

A widget body is a UEM tree of blocks nested under contentBody.widgetBody. The root node is tile/widget. Every node — root and non-root — has the same shape: no type key; just definition, optional attributes, optional meta, and optional children. Block shape:

interface Block {
  definition: string  // {namespace}/{blockName} — root is "tile/widget"
  attributes?: Record<string, any>
  meta?: { // see references/widget-meta-directives.md
    forEach?: string
    forItem?: string
    if?: string
  }
  children?: Block[]
}

The first child of tile/widget.children SHOULD be a single tile/column (or a single tile/card). All widget content typically goes inside that first child for predictable vertical structure across surfaces.


Available Metadata Actions

discoverUiComponents

Purpose: Discover the palette of blocks available for composition.

Required parameters: actionName: "discoverUiComponents", metadataType: "FRAGMENT", parameters.pageType: "FRAGMENT". Optional: searchQuery to filter by name/description.

Returns: list of { definition, description, label, attributes? }.

getUiComponentSchemas

Purpose: Fetch JSON schemas (property types, required vs optional, validation) for selected blocks.

Required parameters: actionName: "getUiComponentSchemas", metadataType: "FRAGMENT", parameters.pageType: "FRAGMENT", parameters.componentDefinitions: ["namespace/definition", ...]. Optional: includeKnowledge (default true).

Returns: componentSchemas[] — success entries carry the JSON schema, failure entries carry an error message. Partial failures are supported.

Never pass tile/widget to getUiComponentSchemas — it is a fixed wrapper, not a queryable component.


Attribute Binding

  • Bind a block property to runtime data with {!$attrs.<attrName>}. <attrName> MUST match a property name in schema.json.
  • Inside a forEach, reference the loop variable instead — e.g. "text": "{!$item.name}". See references/widget-meta-directives.md.

Layout Best Practices

These conventions cover widget structure — how blocks are grouped and stacked.

PrimitivePurposeWhen to use
tile/columnVertical stack of childrenRoot wrapper, and any group of blocks that should stack
tile/rowHorizontal stack of childrenTwo or more blocks that belong on the same line
tile/cardVisually-boxed groupA bounded section that should read as one unit
tile/spacerWhitespace between blocksWhen extra space is needed between content groups
  • Sectioning: Separate major content groups with a fresh tile/card-bounded section. Do not nest cards inside cards.
  • Nesting: Prefer flat layouts. Only nest a tile/column inside a tile/row (or vice versa) when the visual orientation actually changes for that subgroup.
  • Authoritative palette: the table above lists typical layout primitives. Always confirm a block exists by inspecting discoverUiComponents output — do not assume a block name from this table without seeing it in the discovery response.

Styling Best Practices

Widgets express intent, not pixels. Each surface provides a default look and feel; brand/theme overrides apply automatically.

  • Style semantically. Use variant, size, and other enum-typed attributes (primary, destructive, success, warning). Do not pin literal colors or pixel values.
  • One primary action per visible group. At most one tile/button with variant: primary. Use secondary, outline, or ghost for additional actions.
  • One h1 per widget. Use h2/h3 for sub-section headings, body for prose, caption for helper text.
  • Use semantic state variants on state-bearing blocks (tile/alert, tile/badge, tile/callout, tile/chip).
  • Accept schema defaults for gap, padding, size unless there is a specific reason to override.
  • Don't pin width, height, maxWidth unless a content constraint requires it. For long text, use truncate: true.
  • Use the Lucide icon set. Pass the Lucide name ("check", "alert-circle"); other icon libraries are not supported.

Workflow

  1. Resolve the widget spec — an ordered list of { name, type, required }. Source depends on which input was provided (see Inputs):

    • If lightningTypeSchema was passed by the orchestrator → derive per references/schema-from-lightning-type.md.
    • Otherwise → infer the list directly from the user prompt (pasted JSON payload, enumerated field list, or descriptive prose).
  2. Discover blocks (REQUIRED — do NOT skip). Call the discoverUiComponents metadata action via execute_metadata_action. Use property types from the widget spec to seed searchQuery (text → "text", number → "number"). If discoverUiComponents returns success: false, an error, or an empty list, STOP and surface the error verbatim — do not improvise block names from memory, prior runs, or training data. Re-run discover with a different searchQuery only if the failure is search-query-specific.

  3. Select blocks. Choose one block per widget-spec property, plus structural primitives from Layout Best Practices.

  4. Get block schemas (REQUIRED — do NOT skip). Call the getUiComponentSchemas metadata action via execute_metadata_action for the selected blocks. Review property metadata. If componentSchemas returns all-failure or empty, STOP and surface the error — do not improvise from existing widgets in the project.

  5. Build the UEM tree (example reads REQUIRED — do NOT skip). First, identify which patterns match the widget spec and read each matching example file from this skill's own examples/ directory (<skill-root>/examples/):

    Pattern in the specExample to read
    Single object (no iteration)<skill-root>/examples/single-object.json
    Any list iteration (root-level array, nested list, or list embedded in a single-object widget)<skill-root>/examples/list-with-foreach.json
    Conditional rendering (if bound to a boolean)<skill-root>/examples/conditional.json

    A spec may match multiple patterns (e.g. a list of items where some items render conditionally reads both list-with-foreach.json and conditional.json). Read every matching example, and only those — do not skip the read because the pattern feels familiar.

    Then:

    • Map each widget-spec property to a block property; preserve spec order.
    • Decide root iteration: single object → properties directly under root tile/column. Collection → wrap repeating block in forEach/forItem. See references/widget-meta-directives.md.
    • Bind values with {!$attrs.X} (or {!$item.X} inside forEach).
    • For conditional blocks, add "if" on meta — only when the schema has a matching lightning__booleanType property.
  6. Author schema.json. Build the JSON Schema from the widget spec. Fields live one level deep under an attributes wrapper:

    {
      "title": "<Widget Display Name>",
      "description": "<one line about what the widget shows>",
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "attributes": {
          "lightning:type": "lightning__objectType",
          "properties": {
            "<propertyName>": {
              "title": "<label>",
              "description": "<short description>",
              "lightning:type": "<lightning__textType | lightning__numberType | ...>"
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
    

    Required root keys: title, type: "object", properties.attributes (with lightning:type: "lightning__objectType" and a nested properties map). See references/schema-from-lightning-type.md for full primitive type guidance.

  7. Author <widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml. See references/widget-bundle-layout.md for the exact shape.

  8. Resolve <pkgDir> and write the bundle. Follow the procedure in references/widget-bundle-layout.md (## Resolving <pkgDir>). A widget bundle is a three-file set — all three files must be written in the same step; a bundle with fewer than three files is incomplete and will not deploy.

    <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/<widgetName>.json               # widget envelope — UEM tree (primary artifact)
    <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/schema.json                     # attribute contract for the envelope
    <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/<widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml  # UiWidgetBundle registration
    

    Each file has a distinct role:

    • <widgetName>.json — the widget envelope with the tile/widget UEM tree. This is the primary artifact; schema.json is its companion contract, not a substitute.
    • schema.json — the JSON Schema for the attributes referenced by {!$attrs.X} bindings in the envelope.
    • <widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml — the UiWidgetBundle element that registers the bundle for source tracking and deployment.

    Write all three before proceeding to self-validation.

  9. Self-validate. Before reporting, confirm each check below and report each result individually (pass or fail (<reason>)). Do not summarize as a single "all passed" line — list every check so a reviewer can spot a silent skip.

    • schema-parses<pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/schema.json parses as JSON.
    • schema-root-keys — root has title (string), type: "object", and properties.attributes (object) — where properties.attributes carries lightning:type: "lightning__objectType" and a nested properties map. No unevaluatedProperties: false.
    • schema-leaf-types — every leaf under properties.attributes.properties carries a lightning:type. Singular nested inner-class fields appear as lightning__objectType; the nested shape is not redeclared.
    • bindings-resolve — every {!$attrs.X} (or {!$attrs.<outerField>.<innerField>} for nested objects) in <widgetName>.json resolves to a property under schema.json properties.attributes.properties, and every {!$item.X} resolves to a forItem loop variable defined upstream.
    • body-envelope<widgetName>.json root has type: "lightning__agentforceWidget" and a contentBody object whose widgetBody carries the UEM tree rooted at tile/widget. No node in the tree — root or non-root — carries a type key.
    • metaxml-wellformed<widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml parses as well-formed XML.
    • metaxml-elements<widgetName>.uiwidget-meta.xml has root <UiWidgetBundle> and contains <masterLabel> (non-empty), <description> (non-empty), and <widgetType>JSON</widgetType>.
    • files-present — all three files exist at the resolved <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/ path.

Rules / Constraints

ConstraintRationale
Block definitions follow {namespace}/{blockName} and must match discoverUiComponents outputRuntime resolves blocks by exact definition string
Never pass tile/widget to getUiComponentSchemasIt is a fixed wrapper, not a queryable component
Always supply parameters (with required keys) when calling execute_metadata_actionMissing parameters cause hard failure, not partial result
Every {!$attrs.X} in the body resolves to a property in the widget schema.jsonNo invented fields
No $(…), backticks, <(…), brace expansion {a,b,c}, or eval/exec in any Bash tool callVibes' safe-shell filter forces manual approval on these patterns even in Bypass mode. Emit separate commands (mkdir -p a && mkdir -p b) or print each value with its own command and reason about the output — do not capture into a shell variable

Gotchas

IssueResolution
getUiComponentSchemas returns a partial-failure entryPick a different block from discoverUiComponents; do not silently continue without a schema
Body references {!$attrs.foo} but foo is not under schema.json properties.attributes.propertiesAdd foo to schema.json properties.attributes.properties OR remove the body reference
Output written outside <pkgDir>/uiWidgets/<widgetName>/<pkgDir> = <packageDirectories[].path>/main/default (see references/widget-bundle-layout.md). Dropping the main/default/ segment is the common cause of widgets landing at force-app/uiWidgets/... instead of force-app/main/default/uiWidgets/...
if bound to a non-booleanUse if only when the schema has a lightning__booleanType property

Reference File Index

FileWhen to read
references/widget-meta-directives.mdFor forEach / forItem (iteration) and if (conditional rendering), including nested loops
references/schema-from-lightning-type.mdWhen lightningTypeSchema is provided; how to derive the widget schema.json from an Apex-backed Lightning Type
references/widget-bundle-layout.mdFolder layout, -meta.xml shape, <pkgDir> resolution rules
examples/single-object.jsonSingle-object pattern (root binding via {!$attrs.X}, no iteration)
examples/list-with-foreach.jsonAny list-iteration case — root-level collections, nested lists, and lists embedded inside a single-object widget (e.g. iterating a List<InnerClass> inside an outer Apex payload)
examples/conditional.jsonConditional pattern (if on meta, including if + forEach together)

Frequently asked questions about Widget Bundle Generator

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