skill-creator

name	skill-creator
description	Guide for how to create a new agent skill in VS Code

Skill Instructions

How to Create a skill

Skills are stored in directories with a SKILL.md file that defines the skill's behavior. VS Code supports two types of skills:

• Project skills, stored in your repository: .github/skills/ (recommended) or .claude/skills/ (legacy, for backward compatibility)
• Personal skills, stored in your user profile: ~/.copilot/skills/ (recommended) or ~/.claude/skills/ (legacy, for backward compatibility)

To create a skill:

1. Create a .github/skills directory in your workspace.

2. Create a subdirectory for your skill. Each skill should have its own directory (for example, .github/skills/webapp-testing).

3. Create a SKILL.md file in the skill directory with the following structure: Markdown

   ---
   name: skill-name
   description: Description of what the skill does and when to use it
   ---
   
   # Skill Instructions
   
   Your detailed instructions, guidelines, and examples go here...
   

4. Optionally, add scripts, examples, or other resources to your skill's directory. For example, a skill for testing web applications might include:

   • SKILL.md - Instructions for running tests
   • test-template.js - A template test file
   • examples/ - Example test scenarios

SKILL.md file format

The SKILL.md file is a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter that defines the skill's metadata and behavior.

Header (required)

The header is formatted as YAML frontmatter with the following fields:

Field	Required	Description
name	Yes	A unique identifier for the skill. Must be lowercase, using hyphens for spaces (for example,webapp-testing). Maximum 64 characters.
description	Yes	A description of what the skill doesand when to use it . Be specific about both capabilities and use cases to help Copilot decide when to load the skill. Maximum 1024 characters.

Body

The skill body contains the instructions, guidelines, and examples that Copilot should follow when using this skill. Write clear, specific instructions that describe:

• What the skill helps accomplish
• When to use the skill
• Step-by-step procedures to follow
• Examples of the expected input and output
• References to any included scripts or resources

You can reference files within the skill directory using relative paths. For example, to reference a script in your skill directory, use [test script](./test-template.js).

Example skills

The examples skills are stored at C:\Codes\KMK_Chatbot.github\skills\skill-creator\examples

Related resources

• Customize AI responses overview
• Create custom instructions
• Create reusable prompt files
• Create custom agents
• Agent Skills specification
• Reference skills repository