Free SKILL.md scraped from GitHub. Clone the repo or copy the file directly into your Claude Code skills directory.
npx versuz@latest install dbos-golanggit clone https://github.com/sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills.gitcp -r antigravity-awesome-skills/skills/dbos-golang ~/.claude/skills/dbos-golang/---
name: dbos-golang
description: "Guide for building reliable, fault-tolerant Go applications with DBOS durable workflows. Use when adding DBOS to existing Go code, creating workflows and steps, or using queues for concurrency control."
risk: safe
source: "https://docs.dbos.dev/"
date_added: "2026-02-27"
---
# DBOS Go Best Practices
Guide for building reliable, fault-tolerant Go applications with DBOS durable workflows.
## When to Use
Reference these guidelines when:
- Adding DBOS to existing Go code
- Creating workflows and steps
- Using queues for concurrency control
- Implementing workflow communication (events, messages, streams)
- Configuring and launching DBOS applications
- Using the DBOS Client from external applications
- Testing DBOS applications
## Rule Categories by Priority
| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|----------|----------|--------|--------|
| 1 | Lifecycle | CRITICAL | `lifecycle-` |
| 2 | Workflow | CRITICAL | `workflow-` |
| 3 | Step | HIGH | `step-` |
| 4 | Queue | HIGH | `queue-` |
| 5 | Communication | MEDIUM | `comm-` |
| 6 | Pattern | MEDIUM | `pattern-` |
| 7 | Testing | LOW-MEDIUM | `test-` |
| 8 | Client | MEDIUM | `client-` |
| 9 | Advanced | LOW | `advanced-` |
## Critical Rules
### Installation
Install the DBOS Go module:
```bash
go get github.com/dbos-inc/dbos-transact-golang/dbos@latest
```
### DBOS Configuration and Launch
A DBOS application MUST create a context, register workflows, and launch before running any workflows:
```go
package main
import (
"context"
"log"
"os"
"time"
"github.com/dbos-inc/dbos-transact-golang/dbos"
)
func main() {
ctx, err := dbos.NewDBOSContext(context.Background(), dbos.Config{
AppName: "my-app",
DatabaseURL: os.Getenv("DBOS_SYSTEM_DATABASE_URL"),
})
if err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
defer dbos.Shutdown(ctx, 30*time.Second)
dbos.RegisterWorkflow(ctx, myWorkflow)
if err := dbos.Launch(ctx); err != nil {
log.Fatal(err)
}
}
```
### Workflow and Step Structure
Workflows are comprised of steps. Any function performing complex operations or accessing external services must be run as a step using `dbos.RunAsStep`:
```go
func fetchData(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
resp, err := http.Get("https://api.example.com/data")
if err != nil {
return "", err
}
defer resp.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
return string(body), nil
}
func myWorkflow(ctx dbos.DBOSContext, input string) (string, error) {
result, err := dbos.RunAsStep(ctx, fetchData, dbos.WithStepName("fetchData"))
if err != nil {
return "", err
}
return result, nil
}
```
### Key Constraints
- Do NOT start or enqueue workflows from within steps
- Do NOT use uncontrolled goroutines to start workflows - use `dbos.RunWorkflow` with queues or `dbos.Go`/`dbos.Select` for concurrent steps
- Workflows MUST be deterministic - non-deterministic operations go in steps
- Do NOT modify global variables from workflows or steps
- All workflows and queues MUST be registered before calling `Launch()`
## How to Use
Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and examples:
```
references/lifecycle-config.md
references/workflow-determinism.md
references/queue-concurrency.md
```
## References
- https://docs.dbos.dev/
- https://github.com/dbos-inc/dbos-transact-golang
## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.