create-frontend-controller_skill

Overview

This skill creates a frontend controller action for Magento 2 storefronts. It explains routing, controller class patterns, and returning Page, JSON, Redirect, or Raw results so you can build custom pages, AJAX endpoints, form handlers, or API-like endpoints for JavaScript.

How this skill works

It adds a route in etc/frontend/routes.xml and a controller class under Controller/{ControllerName}/{ActionName}. The controller implements HttpGetActionInterface and/or HttpPostActionInterface, injects dependencies via constructor, and returns a Result object created by a result factory (PageFactory, JsonFactory, RedirectFactory, or RawFactory). The skill includes common patterns for collection-based AJAX, form submission handling, authentication checks, and layout/template wiring for full-page responses.

When to use it

• Create custom AJAX endpoints consumed by frontend JavaScript
• Build a storefront page or custom action accessible to customers
• Handle form submissions with CSRF and redirect flows
• Expose simple API-like endpoints for Alpine.js or fetch() calls
• Return JSON, full HTML pages, or redirects from the storefront controller

Best practices

• Implement HttpGetActionInterface and/or HttpPostActionInterface according to allowed HTTP methods
• Declare strict types (declare(strict_types=1)) at the top of controller files
• Use dependency injection; never call ObjectManager directly
• Return proper Result objects via result factories (JsonFactory, PageFactory, RedirectFactory, RawFactory)
• Validate request method and use Magento messageManager and redirects for form handlers
• Follow PSR-12, namespace-to-directory mapping, and clear caches after changes

Example use cases

• AJAX search endpoint that filters a collection and returns paginated JSON results
• Custom storefront page that renders a template via PageFactory and layout XML
• Form submission handler that checks POST, processes data, sets success/error messages, and redirects
• Redirect controller that sends users to customer/account or other routes
• Endpoint for Alpine.js using fetch() to call a JsonFactory response