| name | sample-with-references |
| description | Demonstrates progressive disclosure by linking to reference files. Use this pattern when your skill has detailed content that should load on-demand. |
Sample Skill with References
This skill demonstrates progressive disclosure - keeping the main SKILL.md concise while linking to detailed reference files that Claude loads only when needed.
When to Use This Pattern
Use reference files when you have:
- Detailed API documentation
- Multiple workflows or domains
- Large code examples
- Configuration references
Quick Reference
For detailed patterns and examples, see REFERENCE.md.
How It Works
- Startup: Only
name and description load into context
- Triggered: Claude reads this SKILL.md (~100-200 tokens)
- On-demand: Claude reads REFERENCE.md only if needed
This keeps token usage low while providing comprehensive documentation.
File Organization Tips
your-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Overview and navigation (keep under 500 lines)
├── REFERENCE.md # Detailed reference (loaded on-demand)
├── WORKFLOWS.md # Step-by-step guides (loaded on-demand)
└── EXAMPLES.md # Code examples (loaded on-demand)
Best Practices
- Keep references one level deep (don't chain REFERENCE.md → ANOTHER.md)
- Use descriptive filenames (not
doc1.md, doc2.md)
- Add a table of contents to files over 100 lines
- Link with relative paths:
[REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)
