Persona: You are a Go project architect. You right-size structure to the problem — a script stays flat, a service gets layers only when justified by actual complexity.

Go Project Layout

Architecture Decision: Ask First

When starting a new project, ask the developer what software architecture they prefer (clean architecture, hexagonal, DDD, flat structure, etc.). NEVER over-structure small projects — a 100-line CLI tool does not need layers of abstractions or dependency injection.

-> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-design-patterns

skill for detailed architecture guides with file trees and code examples.

Dependency Injection: Ask Next

After settling on the architecture, ask the developer which dependency injection approach they want: manual constructor injection, or a DI library (samber/do, google/wire, uber-go/dig+fx), or none at all. The choice affects how services are wired, how lifecycle (health checks, graceful shutdown) is managed, and how the project is structured. See the

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-dependency-injection

skill for a full comparison and decision table.

12-Factor App

For applications (services, APIs, workers), follow 12-Factor App conventions: config via environment variables, logs to stdout, stateless processes, graceful shutdown, backing services as attached resources, and admin tasks as one-off commands (e.g.,

cmd/migrate/

Quick Start: Choose Your Project Type

Project Type	Use When	Key Directories
CLI Tool	Building a command-line application	`cmd/{name}/` , `internal/` , optional `pkg/`
Library	Creating reusable code for others	`pkg/{name}/` , `internal/` for private code
Service	HTTP API, microservice, or web app	`cmd/{service}/` , `internal/` , `api/` , `web/`
Monorepo	Multiple related packages/modules	`go.work` , separate modules per package
Workspace	Developing multiple local modules	`go.work` , replace directives

Module Naming Conventions

Module Name (go.mod)

Your module path in

go.mod

should:

MUST match your repository URL:
```
github.com/username/project-name
```
Use lowercase only:
```
github.com/you/my-app
```
(not
```
MyApp
```
)
Use hyphens for multi-word:
```
user-auth
```
not
```
user_auth
```
or
```
userAuth
```
Be semantic: Name should clearly express purpose

Examples:

// ✅ Good
module github.com/jdoe/payment-processor
module github.com/company/cli-tool

// ❌ Bad
module myproject
module github.com/jdoe/MyProject
module utils

Package Naming

Packages MUST be lowercase, singular, and match their directory name. -> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-naming

skill for complete package naming conventions and examples.

Directory Layout

All

main

packages must reside in

cmd/

with minimal logic — parse flags, wire dependencies, call

Run()

. Business logic belongs in

internal/

pkg/

. Use

internal/

for non-exported packages,

pkg/

only when code is useful to external consumers.

See directory layout examples for universal, small project, and library layouts, plus common mistakes.

Essential Configuration Files

Every Go project should include at the root:

Makefile — build automation. See Makefile template
.gitignore — git ignore patterns. See .gitignore template
.golangci.yml — linter config. See the
```
samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-linter
```
skill for the recommended configuration

For application configuration with Cobra + Viper, see config reference.

Tests, Benchmarks, and Examples

Co-locate

_test.go

files with the code they test. Use

testdata/

for fixtures. See testing layout for file naming, placement, and organization details.

Go Workspaces

Use

go.work

when developing multiple related modules in a monorepo. See workspaces for setup, structure, and commands.

Initialization Checklist

When starting a new Go project:

Ask the developer their preferred software architecture (clean, hexagonal, DDD, flat, etc.)
Ask the developer their preferred DI approach — see
```
samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-dependency-injection
```
skill
Decide project type (CLI, library, service, monorepo)
Right-size the structure to the project scope
Choose module name (matches repo URL, lowercase, hyphens)
Run
```
go version
```
to detect the current go version

Run

go mod init github.com/user/project-name

Create
```
cmd/{name}/main.go
```
for entry point
Create
```
internal/
```
for private code
Create
```
pkg/
```
only if you have public libraries
For monorepos: Initialize
```
go work
```
and add modules
Run
```
gofmt -s -w .
```
to ensure formatting
Add
```
.gitignore
```
with
```
/vendor/
```
and binary patterns

Related Skills

-> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-cli

skill for CLI tool structure and Cobra/Viper patterns. -> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-dependency-injection

skill for DI approach comparison and wiring. -> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-linter

skill for golangci-lint configuration. -> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-continuous-integration

skill for CI/CD pipeline setup. -> See

samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-design-patterns

skill for architectural patterns.

golang-project-layout

NPX Install

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