make-skill-template

name	make-skill-template
description	Create new Agent Skills for GitHub Copilot from prompts or by duplicating this template. Use when asked to "create a skill", "make a new skill", "scaffold a skill", or when building specialized AI capabilities with bundled resources. Generates SKILL.md files with proper frontmatter, directory structure, and optional scripts/references/assets folders.

Make Skill Template

A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills specification.

When to Use This Skill

• User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"
• User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
• User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
• User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point

Prerequisites

• Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
• A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
• Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Create the Skill Directory

Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:

skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md          # Required

Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter

Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with name and description:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: '<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>.'
---

Frontmatter Field Requirements

Field	Required	Constraints
name	Yes	1-64 chars, lowercase letters/numbers/hyphens only, must match folder name
description	Yes	1-1024 chars, must describe WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it
license	No	License name or reference to bundled LICENSE.txt
compatibility	No	1-500 chars, environment requirements if needed
metadata	No	Key-value pairs for additional properties
allowed-tools	No	Space-delimited list of pre-approved tools (experimental)

Description Best Practices

CRITICAL: The description is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:

1. WHAT the skill does (capabilities)
2. WHEN to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)
3. Keywords users might mention in prompts

Good example:

description: 'Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit.'

Poor example:

description: 'Web testing helpers'

Step 3: Write the Skill Body

After the frontmatter, add markdown instructions. Recommended sections:

Section	Purpose
# Title	Brief overview
## When to Use This Skill	Reinforces description triggers
## Prerequisites	Required tools, dependencies
## Step-by-Step Workflows	Numbered steps for tasks
## Troubleshooting	Common issues and solutions
## References	Links to bundled docs

Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)

Folder	Purpose	When to Use
scripts/	Executable code (Python, Bash, JS)	Automation that performs operations
references/	Documentation agent reads	API references, schemas, guides
assets/	Static files used AS-IS	Images, fonts, templates
templates/	Starter code agent modifies	Scaffolds to extend

Step 5: Remove References from Existing Documentation (CRITICAL)

When creating a skill from existing documentation, you MUST systematically remove all references to that documentation from the rest of the codebase. Skills are auto-discovered via frontmatter - duplication wastes context.

Why This Matters

• Context Efficiency: Skills load ONLY when needed via auto-discovery. Documentation references pre-load content unnecessarily.
• Single Source of Truth: All instructions for a capability should live in the skill, not scattered across docs.
• Cleaner Agent Context: Agents work more efficiently with lean, focused documentation.

Systematic Cleanup Process

1. Search for ALL References

Use workspace-wide search (NOT directory-limited) for:

• Original documentation filename (e.g., API_CLIENT_GENERATION.md)
• Topic keywords (e.g., "API client generation", "regenerate TypeScript client")
• Links to original docs or skill paths
• Instructional phrases (e.g., "run pnpm generate:api-client")

2. Remove from Core Documentation

Clean these files completely:

• docs/*.md - All main documentation files
• CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md - Agent instruction files
• .github/copilot-instructions.md - Copilot configuration
• .github/chatmodes/*.chatmode.md - All chat mode files

3. What to Remove

✅ Remove entirely:

• Instructional content (how-to steps, commands)
• Links to original documentation or skill paths
• Detailed explanations covered by the skill
• Duplicate examples/workflows

✅ Keep (these are OK):

• Brief architectural mentions (e.g., "Generated API client exists")
• Configuration references (e.g., package.json scripts needed for execution)
• Historical project documentation (docs/projects/, docs/features/)

4. Create Redirect File (Optional)

If the original documentation file had many external links, consider leaving a redirect:

# [Original Topic Name]

**This documentation has moved to a specialized skill.**

See: `.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`

This skill is auto-discovered by agents when needed.

5. Use Subagents for Large Cleanups

For comprehensive cleanup:

1. Recon subagent: Catalog ALL references (files, lines, context)
2. Cleanup subagents: Parallel cleanup of different file categories
3. Verification subagent: Final sweep to confirm completeness

Example Cleanup Checklist:

• Searched entire workspace (not just specific folders)
• Removed references from /docs/*.md
• Removed references from CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md
• Removed references from .github/copilot-instructions.md
• Removed references from all .chatmode.md files
• Verified configuration files still work (e.g., package.json scripts)
• Preserved historical project docs (docs/projects/, docs/features/)
• Created redirect file if needed (optional)
• Tested that skill is auto-discovered correctly

Lessons from API Client Generation Skill Migration

What worked well:

• Using multiple subagents for parallel cleanup
• Creating comprehensive inventory before making changes
• Preserving historical project documentation for archival integrity
• Creating redirect file for backward compatibility

What to avoid:

• Directory-limited searches (use workspace-wide instead)
• Updating links instead of removing (links still waste context)
• Leaving "see skill for details" references (redundant - auto-discovery handles it)
• Touching historical project docs (breaks archival integrity)

Example: Complete Skill Structure

my-awesome-skill/
├── SKILL.md                    # Required instructions
├── LICENSE.txt                 # Optional license file
├── scripts/
│   └── helper.py               # Executable automation
├── references/
│   ├── api-reference.md        # Detailed docs
│   └── examples.md             # Usage examples
├── assets/
│   └── diagram.png             # Static resources
└── templates/
    └── starter.ts              # Code scaffold

⚠️ Do NOT Wrap SKILL.md in Code Fences

The examples in this file show skill content inside ```skill code fences for documentation display purposes only. Actual SKILL.md files must be plain Markdown — do not wrap the file content in any code fence. The frontmatter must start at line 1 with ---.

Quick Start: Duplicate This Template

1. Copy the make-skill-template/ folder
2. Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
3. Update SKILL.md:
   • Change name: to match folder name
   • Write a keyword-rich description:
   • Replace body content with your instructions
4. Add bundled resources as needed
5. Validate with npm run skill:validate

Validation Checklist

• Folder name is lowercase with hyphens
• name field matches folder name exactly
• description is 10-1024 characters
• description explains WHAT and WHEN
• description is wrapped in single quotes
• Body content is under 500 lines
• Bundled assets are under 5MB each

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Skill not discovered	Improve description with more keywords and triggers
Validation fails on name	Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder
Description too short	Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords
Assets not found	Use relative paths from skill root

References

• Agent Skills official spec: https://agentskills.io/specification