| name | claude-desktop-routines |
| description | Help the user turn a recurring academic chore into a reusable, reliable routine (a saved Skill): clarify the task and what good output looks like, draft a SKILL.md with clear trigger conditions and step-by-step instructions, then tighten it against a real example. Use when the user wants to automate or standardize a repetitive task — emails, summaries, letter outlines, meeting-notes-to-action-items, feedback synthesis — instead of re-prompting. |
Build a reusable routine (Skill)
Goal
Convert a task the user repeats into a named, saved routine that produces consistent, high-quality output every time — so they (and colleagues) stop re-explaining it.
What makes a good routine
- A clear trigger — when should this run? Describe the situation, not just the keyword.
- A definition of "good" — a concrete example of excellent output to aim at.
- Steps, not vibes — an explicit sequence the model follows.
- Edge cases — what to do when inputs are missing, messy, or ambiguous.
- It improves over time — every miss gets folded back into the instructions.
Workflow
- Interview the user briefly:
- What's the task, and what triggers it?
- What does the input look like? The ideal output?
- What has gone wrong before (so we can prevent it)?
- Draft a
SKILL.md with frontmatter (name, description with when to use) and a body of steps + examples.
- Dry-run on one real example the user provides.
- Tighten — fix whatever the dry-run missed; add an edge-case note.
- Save to
.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md.
SKILL.md template
---
name: <short-kebab-name>
description: >-
<What it does> Use when <specific trigger conditions>.
---
# <Human title>
## Goal
<One or two sentences.>
## Steps
1. ...
2. ...
## Good output looks like
<Concrete example or criteria.>
## Edge cases
- If <missing input>, then <do this>.
Good candidate tasks
- Bullet notes → polished email
- Batch of student responses → themed summary
- Meeting transcript → decisions + owners + dates
- Recommendation-letter outline from a CV + prompt
Anti-patterns
- A routine that's just a vague prompt ("write it nicely").
- No definition of good output — the model can't hit an unstated target.
- Never updating it after a miss.
