ClaudeCode Harness Setup Assistant: Build a Complete Claude Code Toolchain in 9 Stages

ClaudeCode Harness Setup Assistant (internal code: harness-architect) is a meta tool plugin designed for Claude Code. It solves the pain point of repeated configuration for new projects by automating the building of a complete toolchain via a 9-stage workflow. Key features include auto project scanning, interactive interviews, generation of verified tool configurations (CLAUDE.md, settings, rules, agents, scripts, hooks), support for 3 execution modes, domain-specific research, specialized frontend design support, and safety mechanisms.

For developers using Claude Code, each new project requires re-answering questions like "What rules are needed?", "What permissions to set?", "Which hooks are required?", leading to significant time wasted on repetitive setup tasks. This plugin addresses this issue by streamlining toolchain creation.

In the Claude Code ecosystem, a "harness" refers to a full support system around core AI functions. It includes:

• CLAUDE.md: Document for Claude to understand the project
• .claude/settings.json: Permissions, environment variables, hooks, MCP config
• .claude/rules/: Persistent rules
• .claude/agents/: Agent definitions (for agent projects)
• .claude/skills/: Reusable skills
• docs/{request-name}/: Design outputs (reference) Unlike simple agent team configs, it covers project understanding to execution monitoring.

The plugin's core is a 9-stage workflow with clear inputs/outputs and agent responsibilities:

1. Phase0: Collect project path, generate request name, gather performance hints (orchestrator)
2. Phase1-2: Scan project + interactive interview + basic toolchain (phase-setup)
3. Phase2.5: Optional domain research (phase-domain-research: queries knowledge base + web search for standard workflows/roles/tools)
4. Phase3: Workflow design (phase-workflow)
5. Phase4: Pipeline design (phase-pipeline)
6. Phase5: Agent team orchestration + model level matrix allocation (phase-team)
7. Phase6: Skill/script writing (phase-skills)
8. Phase6+: Model confirmation gate (orchestrator)
9. Phase7-8: Hooks/MCP installation (phase-hooks)
10. Phase9: Final validation (phase-validate) Each phase has independent red-team review.

Execution modes:

• fresh-setup: Full 9-stage for new projects
• cursor-migration: Migrate Cursor IDE settings to Claude Code
• harness-audit: Diagnose existing setup

Additional features:

• Frontend support (React/Vue/Svelte + Tailwind): Dedicated agents, color rules (OKLCH, WCAG AA), 3-round review
• Strict 6-step coding workflow: Research → problem draft → design red-team → plan → implement → QA

Installation:

• GitHub marketplace: /plugin marketplace add leee880619-commits/ClaudeCode-Harness-Setup-Assistant /plugin install harness-architect@harness-architect-marketplace
• Local dev: Clone repo → cd into it → claude --plugin-dir .

Usage:

• In project dir: claude → /harness-architect:harness-setup (or pre-specify path)

Expected Time:

• Personal web app (light track):25-35 mins
• Personal web app (fast track):10-15 mins
• Team web app:20-45 mins
• Agent pipeline:30-40 mins

Audit: /harness-architect:ops-audit checks 5 dimensions (session continuity, recovery, etc.) with risk levels.

Safety:

• Project file protection (ownership-guard.sh intercepts modifications to plugin files)
• Dangerous command interception (e.g., sudo rm *)
• Key isolation (settings.local.json, gitignored)
• Meta leakage prevention (no plugin rules in generated files)

vs revfactory/harness:

Feature	harness-architect	revfactory/harness
Scope	Full toolchain (settings/rules/agents/scripts/hooks/MCP)	Agent/skill team focus
Input	Project scan + interview	User narrative
Workflow	9 stages + recovery	Single session (6 stages)
Design review	Red-team (per phase) + pipeline gates	None
Core mode	Agent-script separation	User-led design

Limitations:

• No auto-update (manual refresh/update needed)
• Resource-intensive (not for simple projects)
• Learning curve for 9-stage workflow

ClaudeCode Harness Setup Assistant marks the evolution of AI dev tools toward specialization and systematization. It reduces cognitive load for frequent Claude Code users, ensuring consistent, verified configurations.

Recommendations:

• Choose the right execution mode (e.g., --fast for quick projects)
• Learn the 9-stage workflow to leverage full benefits
• Run ops-audit post-setup for optimization
• Manually update the plugin regularly