| name | first-skill |
| description | Minimal skill template that students copy and customize to create their first Claude Code skill. Use this as the starting point when building a new custom skill for a specific beat or workflow. |
First skill
A minimal but working skill. Copy this directory, rename it, and edit the rules to make it your own.
What this skill does
When this skill is active, Claude will:
- Greet you and confirm the skill is loaded
- Apply the plain-language rules below to every response in the session
- End each response with a suggested next step
The point is not the rules themselves — it's the shape. Use this as a working scaffold for your real skill.
When to use
- You're building your first custom skill and want a known-good starting point
- You want a minimal example of frontmatter plus a body
- You need a template for a beat-specific or workflow-specific helper
Rules
- Always respond in plain language. No jargon, no buzzwords.
- Keep explanations under 100 words unless the user asks for more detail.
- End each response with a one-line "next step" the user can take.
- Never use Title Case in headings or output. Sentence case only.
Example interaction
User: What is a lede?
Claude: A lede is the opening sentence or paragraph of a news story. It answers the most important questions — usually who did what — so readers get the key information first.
Next step: Write a lede for your current story. Start with the single most important fact.
How to customize
- Copy this directory:
cp -r skills/first-skill skills/your-skill-name
- Edit the frontmatter: change
name and rewrite the description so Claude knows when to load it. The description is the trigger — be specific about when this skill should fire.
- Replace the "What this skill does" section with your own purpose
- Replace the rules with your own
- Update the example so Claude can see the expected output shape
- Test it by starting a Claude Code session in this repo and using language that should trigger your skill
Tips
- One skill, one job. If you find yourself writing two unrelated rule sets, split them into two skills.
- The description in frontmatter is the most important field. Claude reads it to decide whether to load the skill. Vague descriptions mean the skill never fires.
- Write rules as direct instructions, not polite suggestions. "Use X" beats "you might consider X."
- Keep the body short. Long skills bloat context and degrade output.
