create-skill

name	create-skill
description	Interactively create a new Grok skill (SKILL.md + optional scripts/references). Use when the user wants to create a skill, scaffold a skill, or runs /create-skill.
metadata	{"short-description":"Create a new Grok skill"}

Create Skill

Interactively gather requirements from the user and create a fully working Grok skill on disk.

Step 1: Gather information

Ask the user the following questions one at a time as regular conversation questions (do NOT use structured option prompts for free-text inputs):

1. Skill name - ask the user to type a name. Lowercase letters (a-z), digits (0-9), and hyphens (-) only. Must start and end with a letter or digit. Must be 2-64 characters long (e.g. deploy-k8s). Validate the name before proceeding.
2. Scope - present the user with two options:
   • Project (Recommended): <repo-root>/.grok/skills/<name>/SKILL.md - available only in this repo, shareable with teammates
   • User: ~/.grok/skills/<name>/SKILL.md - available in all projects
   • Default to Project if inside a git repo, otherwise User.
3. What it should do - ask the user to describe the workflow, paste an example prompt they keep repeating, or explain the task the skill should automate.

Step 2: Draft the description

Write a description frontmatter value that includes:

• What the skill does (1-2 sentences)
• Trigger phrases and keywords so Grok knows when to auto-invoke it
• The slash command name (e.g. "Use when the user runs /deploy-k8s")

Show the drafted description to the user and let them approve or edit it.

Step 3: Create the directory

Run this bash command to create the skill directory:

mkdir -p <SKILL_DIR>

Where <SKILL_DIR> is:

• User scope: ~/.grok/skills/<name>
• Project scope: <repo-root>/.grok/skills/<name>

If the skill needs helper scripts, also create <SKILL_DIR>/scripts/. If the skill needs reference docs, also create <SKILL_DIR>/references/.

Step 4: Write SKILL.md

Use search_replace with an empty old_string to create the file at <SKILL_DIR>/SKILL.md.

The file MUST follow this exact format:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <the description from Step 2>
---
<markdown body with instructions, steps, code blocks>

Also write any supporting files (scripts, references) using the same create method.

Step 5: Verify and confirm

1. Run cat <SKILL_DIR>/SKILL.md to verify the file was written correctly.
2. Tell the user the skill is ready and how to use it:
   • Slash command: /<skill-name>
   • TUI menu: /skills <skill-name>
   • Automatic: Grok will invoke it when the description matches user intent
3. Tell the user the skill should appear in the slash menu within a few seconds (skills auto-reload when files change on disk).

Guidelines

• Keep the SKILL.md body focused and actionable. It is a prompt for the agent, not documentation.
• The description field is critical. It controls auto-invocation. Be specific with trigger words.
• Prefer referencing existing CLI tools over writing custom scripts.
• Do NOT skip creating the directory. The file will fail to save without it.
• Always use absolute paths when creating files to avoid writing to the wrong location.

Skill Writing Best Practices (adapted from Codex skill-creator)

Follow these to produce low-token, high-effectiveness skills:

Frontmatter: Only name and description. The description must include precise "use when..." triggers so the agent auto-invokes correctly.

Progressive Disclosure (critical for context window):

• Metadata (name + description) always loaded (~100 words).
• SKILL.md body loaded only when skill triggers — keep under ~500 lines.
• references/ : detailed docs, schemas, examples loaded on-demand only. Link from SKILL.md with "read X when Y".
• scripts/ : deterministic code (Python/bash) that can be executed without loading full content into context.
• assets/ : templates, boilerplate, images — never for agent reading.

Structure recommendation:

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md          # lean instructions + navigation
├── scripts/          # executable helpers (test them!)
├── references/       # long-form docs (TOC if >100 lines)
└── assets/           # output artifacts / templates

Writing style:

• Imperative/infinitive ("Extract text with...", "Run the build with...").
• Concrete before/after examples for any rule or pattern.
• Decision tables or checklists for complex choices.
• Challenge every paragraph: "Does Grok need this, or can it figure it out?"

Validation:

• After writing, run the skill on real tasks.
• Use a fresh subagent with minimal context for forward-testing.
• Run quick_validate.py style checks manually (frontmatter, naming, required files).

See also the global ~/.grok/AGENTS.md (harness rules) and ~/.grok/docs/user-guide/08-skills.md.