| name | sylph-create-skill |
| description | Create a new skill from scratch. Generates the SKILL.md, registers it in AGENTS.md, and sets up the content folder structure. |
Create Skill
When to use
Run /sylph-create-skill <name> when the CAO wants to add a new skill that doesn't exist yet.
Usage
/sylph-create-skill social-listening
/sylph-create-skill competitor-analysis
Step 1: Understand the skill
Ask the CAO ONE question:
What should [skill-name] do? (2-3 sentences is enough)
From her answer, derive:
- Purpose: what problem does it solve?
- Domain: which area does it belong to? (content, sales, product, brand, finance, hr, legal, ops, events, writing, agents)
- Trigger: when would someone invoke it? (on-demand, daily, event-triggered)
- Inputs: what does it need to run? (a topic, a file, a customer name, nothing)
- Outputs: what does it produce? (a draft, a report, an issue, a Slack message)
- MCP connectors: which external tools does it need?
Step 2: Create the skill file
Create .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md with this structure:
---
name: <skill-name>
description: <one line - what it does and when to use it>
---
# <Skill Title>
## MCP connectors
| Connector | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| [tool] | [what it's used for] |
## Context loading
1. Read [relevant files] for context
2. Read `_insights.md` for the domain (if exists)
3. Read `_examples/` for quality reference (if exists)
## Arguments
| Argument | What it does |
|----------|-------------|
| [arg] | [description] |
## Execution
1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]
## Guardrails
- [Safety rule 1]
- [Safety rule 2]
- **Never publish or send directly** - always save to `_drafts/`
## Self-improvement
After the CAO reviews and approves the output:
1. Move the final version from `_drafts/` to `_published/`
2. Diff what was drafted vs what the CAO kept - identify patterns in her edits
3. Update `_insights.md` with what worked, what she changed, and why
4. If her edits reveal a recurring pattern or new rule, add it to this skill file
5. If the output was a top performer, promote it to `_examples/`
Skill file rules
- Flat path:
.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md - one level only, no subdirectories
- YAML frontmatter required:
name and description fields
- MCP connectors table: always include, even if empty ("None required")
- Guardrails section: always include - every skill must define what it does NOT do
- No em dashes: use
- or :
Step 3: Create the content folder (if applicable)
If the skill produces content, create the folder structure:
<domain>/<channel>/
_drafts/ # where new content goes
_published/ # approved content archive
_examples/ # best-performing pieces (few-shot reference)
_insights.md # channel learnings (create empty with header)
Not all skills need a content folder. Agent skills, ops skills, and tool skills may just use agents/<name>/_logs/.
Step 4: Register the skill
Add the skill to the index table in AGENTS.md (section 8):
| <skill-name> | <domain> | `.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` |
Insert in alphabetical order within the domain group.
Step 5: Create the setup guide (optional)
If the skill needs configuration (MCP connections, examples, voice derivation), create a setup guide at .claude/skills/sylph-setup-skill/setup-<skill-name>.md and add it to the dispatch table in sylph-setup-skill/SKILL.md.
Only create a setup guide if the skill requires initial configuration. Simple on-demand skills don't need one.
Step 6: Add the self-improvement loop (mandatory)
Every skill MUST have a ## Self-improvement section as its last section. This is what makes Sylph a self-improving system instead of a static prompt library.
Add this section to the skill file you created in Step 2:
## Self-improvement
After the CAO reviews and approves the output:
1. Move the final version from `_drafts/` to `_published/`
2. Diff what was drafted vs what the CAO kept - identify patterns in her edits
3. Update the relevant `_insights.md` with what worked, what she changed, and why
4. If her edits reveal a recurring pattern or new rule, add it to this skill file
5. If the output was a top performer, promote it to `_examples/` with annotated frontmatter
Adapt the wording to fit the skill's output type:
- Content skills (posts, emails, articles): focus on voice, structure, and tone patterns
- Agent/routine skills (CoS, CSM, EA): focus on format, scope, and prioritization patterns
- Analysis skills (reports, screening, reviews): focus on depth, framing, and what the CAO found useful vs noise
- Ops skills (CRM, docs updates): focus on process efficiency and what the CAO corrected
The key principle: the skill improves because the CAO's edits are signal. Capture what she changed and why, then bake that into the skill's rules and the domain's insights.
Step 7: Test
Generate one piece of output using the new skill. Ask the CAO to review. Capture any corrections in the skill file or _insights.md.
Checklist
Before finishing, verify:
