| name | stnl - Standalone Skill Design |
| description | Guides the design of a skill that works independently with no dependencies on other skills. Ensures the skill is self-contained, well-scoped, and useful in isolation. |
| output | {"format":"prose"} |
Standalone Skill Design
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Step 1: Define the Skill's Purpose
State clearly what the skill does in one sentence.
SKILL NAME: [short lowercase abbreviation]
PURPOSE: [what it does — one sentence]
TRIGGER: [when a user would reach for this skill]
Gut-check: If someone used ONLY this skill and nothing else, would they get value? If no, this isn't a standalone skill.
Step 2: Define Input/Output Contract
Specify exactly what goes in and what comes out.
INPUT:
- Required: [what the user must provide]
- Optional: [what improves results but isn't necessary]
- Format: [free text / structured / list / etc.]
OUTPUT:
- Delivers: [what the user gets back]
- Format: [how it's structured]
- Actionable: [yes/no — can the user act on the output directly?]
SKIP: If input is simply free text and output is analysis, state that in one line.
Step 3: Ensure Self-Containment
Check that the skill embeds all necessary context.
DEPENDENCY CHECK:
- Requires domain knowledge? [yes/no — if yes, embed it]
- Requires prior skill output? [yes/no — if yes, this isn't standalone]
- Requires external data? [yes/no — if yes, specify what]
- Requires user to know other skills? [no — must be usable cold]
Rule: A standalone skill must be the first skill someone uses. No prerequisites.
Step 4: Build the Steps
Design 4-7 steps that move from input to output.
For each step:
- What does it do?
- What does it produce?
- Can it be skipped? (add SKIP condition if so)
STEPS:
1. [Step name]: [what it does] → produces [output]
SKIP: [condition, if any]
2. [Step name]: [what it does] → produces [output]
...
Rules:
- Each step should be completable without referencing another skill
- Steps should build on each other linearly
- The final step should produce the promised output
Step 5: Test in Isolation
Verify the skill works without any context from other skills.
ISOLATION TEST:
- Cold start: Can a user invoke this with zero prior context? [yes/no]
- Self-explanatory: Does the skill explain its own terms? [yes/no]
- Complete: Does the user need to invoke another skill after? [no]
- Valuable: Is the output useful on its own? [yes/no]
If any answer is wrong, go back and fix the design.
Step 6: Write the Skill File
Produce the complete SKILL.md content.
SKILL FILE:
---
name: "[abbreviation] - [Full Name]"
description: [one-sentence description]
---
# [Full Name]
**Input**: $ARGUMENTS
---
[Steps from Step 4, fully written out with formatting,
skip conditions, and output blocks]
---
## Integration
Use with:
- [skill 1] -> [how it connects]
- [skill 2] -> [how it connects]
Note: Integration section lists optional companions, not requirements.
Integration
Use with:
/chns -> If the skill should also work in chains, design chain points after/injc -> If the skill could double as an injectable step/sp -> Steelman the skill's prompt structure before finalizing
