Skills payload
📦

payload

Content revision r2 High Risk ⚙️ External commands🌐 Network access🔑 Env variables📁 Filesystem access

Build Secure Payload CMS Applications

Payload CMS projects combine complex schemas, hooks, queries, and access rules. This skill provides focused TypeScript patterns for building and troubleshooting them.

Supports: Claude Codex Code(CC)
⚠️ 38 Poor

Install with my Agent

Copy this request to your Agent. It includes the canonical Skill page and manifest.

Agent request
Review the Skillstore skill "payload" from https://skillstore.io/skills/payloadcms-payload.md and its manifest at https://skillstore.io/api/skills/payloadcms-payload/manifest. Verify the artifact. Stop and obtain explicit user consent before installing or changing files.

Your Agent should still show its plan and request any confirmation required by the security policy.

Agent-readable resources

Use these links when an AI agent, crawler, or script needs clean context instead of reading the full page.

Markdown detail GET /skills/payloadcms-payload.md Signed manifest GET /api/skills/payloadcms-payload/manifest Signed lockfile GET /api/skills/payloadcms-payload/lockfile

Test it

Using "payload". Why can a user read posts through my Local API call?

Expected outcome:

The review explains the default access bypass, then recommends explicit access enforcement and verification of the requesting user.

Using "payload". My afterChange hook repeats until the request fails.

Expected outcome:

The diagnosis identifies recursive updates and recommends a request-context flag while preserving the original transaction.

Using "payload". Plan a plugin that adds SEO fields without replacing existing hooks.

Expected outcome:

The plan composes existing configuration, respects user overrides, preserves hook arrays, exports types, and defines integration tests.

Security Audit

High Risk
v8 • 7/23/2026 Open versioned report

Most static alerts are false positives caused by Markdown syntax, TypeScript examples, local addresses, and standard environment-variable configuration. The IP allowlist example is unsafe because it trusts spoofable forwarding headers and compares CIDR text as a literal value. Semantic review also found empty authentication-secret fallbacks, an access-bypassing preview endpoint, and debugging access functions that always grant permission.

12
Files scanned
6,798
Lines analyzed
1
Review items
0
False positives ignored

Confirmed security concerns (3)

High
reference/ADVANCED.md:188reference/ADVANCED.md:270reference/ADVANCED.md:307reference/ADVANCED.md:351
Empty Authentication Secret Fallback
Four configuration examples replace a missing PAYLOAD_SECRET with an empty string. If accepted, this creates a predictable secret and risks authentication compromise.
The empty-string fallback is explicit at all four lines. Payload uses this secret for authentication and cryptographic operations.
High
reference/ENDPOINTS.md:412-438reference/ENDPOINTS.md:618-620
Preview Endpoint Bypasses Collection Access
The preview endpoint checks only for a user, then performs a dynamic Local API query without access enforcement. Authenticated users may read unauthorized collections.
The handler accepts collection and where values from request data and calls req.payload.find without access enforcement. The skill states that Local API access is bypassed by default.
High
reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:515-536
Debug Access Functions Always Grant Permission
Two exported debugging access functions log request metadata and return true unconditionally. Reusing either function as access control grants every request permission.
Both examples end with return true after logging and are presented as Access functions. The debugging label reduces production likelihood but not the impact if reused.
Capability review items (1)

These are real local capabilities that may be expected for this skill, so they require review but are not counted as confirmed malicious behavior.

High
reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:80
Hardcoded IP address
const internalIps = ['192.168.1.0/24', '10.0.0.5']
The access example trusts forwarding headers and compares them to private IP and CIDR text. Clients can spoof these headers without a trusted proxy, and plain includes matching does not evaluate CIDR ranges.

Risk Factors

⚙️ External commands (50)
reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:550-554 reference/ADVANCED.md:105-113 reference/ADVANCED.md:180-190 reference/COLLECTIONS.md:143-169 reference/ENDPOINTS.md:394-399 reference/ENDPOINTS.md:462-467 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:50-51 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:51-53 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:73-76 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:105-107 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:209-214 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:400-405 reference/FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md:461-463 reference/FIELDS.md:61 reference/FIELDS.md:445-455 reference/HOOKS.md:126-127 reference/HOOKS.md:127-133 reference/HOOKS.md:133-134 reference/HOOKS.md:134-143 reference/HOOKS.md:143-148 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:962-967 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1031-1043 reference/QUERIES.md:212-214 SKILL.md:14 SKILL.md:16 SKILL.md:17 SKILL.md:18 SKILL.md:19 SKILL.md:20 SKILL.md:21 SKILL.md:22 SKILL.md:24 SKILL.md:26 SKILL.md:27 SKILL.md:31 SKILL.md:35 SKILL.md:36 SKILL.md:44-48 SKILL.md:48-52 SKILL.md:52-79 SKILL.md:79-87 SKILL.md:87-89 SKILL.md:89 SKILL.md:90-92 SKILL.md:92-93 SKILL.md:93-95 SKILL.md:95-96 SKILL.md:96 SKILL.md:97-104 SKILL.md:104-120
🌐 Network access (22)
reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:546 reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:546 reference/ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md:80 reference/ADAPTERS.md:293 reference/ADAPTERS.md:296 reference/ADAPTERS.md:299 reference/ADAPTERS.md:303 reference/ADAPTERS.md:306 reference/ADAPTERS.md:307 reference/ADVANCED.md:11 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:526 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1336 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1379 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1399 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1305 reference/QUERIES.md:212 reference/QUERIES.md:212 SKILL.md:514 SKILL.md:515 SKILL.md:516 SKILL.md:517 SKILL.md:518
🔑 Env variables (50)
reference/ACCESS-CONTROL.md:257 reference/ACCESS-CONTROL.md:257 reference/ACCESS-CONTROL.md:257 reference/ADAPTERS.md:14 reference/ADAPTERS.md:27 reference/ADAPTERS.md:177 reference/ADAPTERS.md:180 reference/ADAPTERS.md:181 reference/ADAPTERS.md:183 reference/ADAPTERS.md:201 reference/ADAPTERS.md:202 reference/ADAPTERS.md:219 reference/ADAPTERS.md:221 reference/ADAPTERS.md:222 reference/ADAPTERS.md:240 reference/ADAPTERS.md:243 reference/ADAPTERS.md:244 reference/ADAPTERS.md:247 reference/ADAPTERS.md:265 reference/ADAPTERS.md:283 reference/ADAPTERS.md:303 reference/ADAPTERS.md:306 reference/ADAPTERS.md:307 reference/ADAPTERS.md:323 reference/ADAPTERS.md:14 reference/ADAPTERS.md:27 reference/ADAPTERS.md:177 reference/ADAPTERS.md:180 reference/ADAPTERS.md:181 reference/ADAPTERS.md:183 reference/ADAPTERS.md:201 reference/ADAPTERS.md:202 reference/ADAPTERS.md:219 reference/ADAPTERS.md:221 reference/ADAPTERS.md:222 reference/ADAPTERS.md:240 reference/ADAPTERS.md:243 reference/ADAPTERS.md:244 reference/ADAPTERS.md:247 reference/ADAPTERS.md:265 reference/ADAPTERS.md:283 reference/ADAPTERS.md:303 reference/ADAPTERS.md:306 reference/ADAPTERS.md:307 reference/ADAPTERS.md:323 reference/ADAPTERS.md:14 reference/ADAPTERS.md:27 reference/ADAPTERS.md:323 reference/ADVANCED.md:188 reference/ADVANCED.md:270
📁 Filesystem access (9)
reference/HOOKS.md:117 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:545 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:548 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:651 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1314 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1348 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:1302 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:129 reference/PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md:130
Audited by: codex View Audit History →
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Academic citations (APA · BibTeX · CFF)

APA citation

payloadcms. (2026). payload security audit report (audit version 8) [Author version unspecified]. Skillstore. https://skillstore.io/skills/payloadcms-payload/audits/8

BibTeX citation

@techreport{payloadcms-payloadcms-payload-2026, author = {payloadcms}, title = {payload security audit report (audit version 8)}, institution = {Skillstore}, year = {2026}, number = {8}, url = {https://skillstore.io/skills/payloadcms-payload/audits/8}, note = {Author version unspecified} }

CITATION.cff

cff-version: 1.2.0 message: "If you use this Skill, cite its author and this versioned security audit report." title: "payload security audit report (audit version 8)" version: "unspecified" type: report authors: - name: "payloadcms" date-released: "2026-07-23" url: "https://skillstore.io/skills/payloadcms-payload/audits/8" identifiers: - type: other value: "skillstore:payloadcms-payload:audit:8" description: "Skillstore immutable audit report identifier"

Skillstore Score

Why this score Evidence Confidence: High
55
Architecture
85
Maintainability
87
Content
82
Community
78
Spec Compliance

What You Can Build

Model a Content Application

Create collections, reusable fields, drafts, relationships, hooks, and queries for a new Payload project.

Review Authorization Rules

Check Local API calls, role rules, row filters, endpoint authentication, and tenant boundaries for authorization errors.

Develop a Payload Plugin

Compose configuration, fields, hooks, components, translations, package exports, and tests without overwriting user settings.

Try These Prompts

Create a Collection 
Create a Payload blog collection with drafts, titles, slugs, authors, rich text, and secure default access.
Review Access Control 
Review this Payload access function for authorization gaps and explain how to enforce user permissions with the Local API.
Diagnose Hook Behavior 
Diagnose this Payload hook failure. Check transaction propagation, recursion controls, operation handling, and returned values.
Design a Multi-Tenant Plugin 
Design a multi-tenant Payload plugin that composes fields, hooks, access rules, filters, translations, and tests without overwriting user configuration.

Best Practices

  • Provide the relevant Payload version, configuration, schema, and failing behavior before requesting changes.
  • Review generated access rules and endpoints against real roles, tenants, and data sensitivity before deployment.
  • Run type checks, targeted tests, and migration validation after changing fields, hooks, adapters, or plugins.

Avoid

  • Do not copy simplified authentication, secret, or networking examples directly into production.
  • Do not assume Local API calls enforce collection access when operating for an authenticated user.
  • Do not modify generated types manually or run type generation redundantly during active development.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Payload versions does this skill support?
It covers current Payload TypeScript patterns, but every example must be checked against the installed package version.
Can it create complete Payload configurations?
Yes. It can draft configurations, collections, fields, hooks, access rules, adapters, endpoints, and plugin structures.
Does it enforce Local API access automatically?
No. Generated calls must pass the requesting user and explicitly enable access enforcement when acting for that user.
Can it diagnose transaction and hook problems?
Yes. It checks request propagation, nested operations, context flags, operation types, and hook return values.
Does it manage database or cloud credentials?
No. Credentials remain your responsibility and should use scoped secret management appropriate for each environment.
Can it help develop Payload plugins?
Yes. It covers configuration composition, fields, hooks, admin components, translations, exports, local testing, and end-to-end testing.

Developer Details

Author

payloadcms

License

MIT

Skillstore revision

r2

Version notice

The author did not declare a version.

Repository

https://github.com/payloadcms/payload/tree/main/tools/claude-plugin/skills/payload/

Ref

ebdfe608f5de2b66ff37ab4af12af8ac4f5e8006

Maintenance freshness

7/25/2026

Usage

10 downloads · 1024 views

File structure

📁 reference/

📄 ACCESS-CONTROL-ADVANCED.md

📄 ACCESS-CONTROL.md

📄 ADAPTERS.md

📄 ADVANCED.md

📄 COLLECTIONS.md

📄 ENDPOINTS.md

📄 FIELD-TYPE-GUARDS.md

📄 FIELDS.md

📄 HOOKS.md

📄 PLUGIN-DEVELOPMENT.md

📄 QUERIES.md

📄 SKILL.md