skill-lifecycle-management

name	skill-lifecycle-management
description	Manage skill versioning, freshness tracking, deprecation, changelog generation, and maintenance workflows for skill repository maintainers.
version	1.0.0
last-updated	2026-04-17
model_tested	claude-sonnet-4-6
category	governance
platforms	["claude-code","codex","gemini-cli","cursor","copilot","windsurf","cline"]
language	en
geo_relevance	["global"]
priority	medium
dependencies	{"mcp":[],"skills":[],"apis":[],"data":[]}
license	MIT

Skill Lifecycle Management

When to Use

• Publishing a new skill to a registry
• Updating a skill after regulatory or API changes
• Deciding whether to deprecate or archive a skill
• Setting up freshness monitoring
• Reviewing skill quality over time

Lifecycle Stages

Draft → Review → Published → Maintained → Stale → Deprecated → Archived

Stage	Duration	Actions
Draft	Days	Write, test locally, self-review
Review	Days	PR review, CI lint, security scan
Published	Indefinite	Available for installation
Maintained	Ongoing	Respond to issues, update for changes
Stale	>90 days no update	Flag [STALE], prioritize review
Deprecated	Announced	Mark deprecated, point to replacement
Archived	Final	Read-only, no longer maintained

Versioning (SemVer)

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

MAJOR: Breaking changes (renamed fields, removed sections, new required dependencies)
MINOR: New content (added steps, new references, expanded coverage)
PATCH: Fixes (typos, URL updates, date corrections)

Examples:

• 1.0.0 → 1.0.1: Fixed broken URL in references
• 1.0.1 → 1.1.0: Added new section on DORA RTS
• 1.1.0 → 2.0.0: Restructured skill, changed frontmatter fields

Freshness Rules

Age	Status	Action
< 30 days	Fresh	No action
30-60 days	OK	Review if regulatory
60-90 days	Review needed	Check update_sources
> 90 days	[STALE]	Mandatory review before use

Regulatory skills: Review whenever source legislation changes, regardless of age.

Changelog Format

## [1.1.0] - 2026-04-17
### Added
- Section on DORA RTS Level 2 requirements
- Reference to new EDPB DPIA template (April 2026)

### Changed
- Updated e-invoicing timeline (September 2026 confirmed)

### Fixed
- Corrected NIS2 transposition deadline

Deprecation Process

1. Announce: Add deprecated: true to frontmatter + reason
2. Point: Reference replacement skill in description
3. Grace period: Keep available for 90 days
4. Archive: Move to skills/_archived/ directory

Quality Metrics

Metric	Good	Watch	Bad
Last updated	< 60 days	60-90 days	> 90 days
Open issues	0	1-2	3+
Token size	< 1500	1500-3000	> 3000
Broken URLs	0	—	Any
Missing fields	0	—	Any

What This Skill Does NOT Do

• Does not auto-update skills (flags for human review)
• Does not manage skill registry publishing
• Does not enforce versioning (guides the process)
• Does not handle skill discovery (see find-skills)