skill-creator

name	skill-creator
description	Complete workflow for creating Agent Skills following the open standard. Use when building new capabilities, setting up skill directories, or designing progressive loading workflows for VSCode Copilot customization.

Agent Skills Creation Workflow

Create comprehensive Agent Skills that follow the open standard and integrate with the Agent Builder Framework.

When to Use This Skill

• Setting up new Agent Skills from scratch
• Creating skill directory structures with bundled resources
• Designing skills with progressive loading principles
• Ensuring quality and consistency across skill implementations
• Building educational or workflow-specific capabilities for Copilot

Complete Skill Creation Process

Step 1: Planning and Design

1. Define the skill purpose:

   • What specific capability or workflow will this skill provide?
   • When should Copilot load this skill automatically?
   • What level of complexity is needed (simple instructions vs. complex with resources)?

2. Choose skill name:

   • Use lowercase with hyphens format: category-purpose
   • Examples: python-testing, web-deployment, code-review-workflow
   • Maximum 64 characters, must be unique

3. Design progressive loading strategy:

   • Level 1 (Discovery): Craft specific description for skill discovery
   • Level 2 (Instructions): Plan step-by-step workflow content
   • Level 3 (Resources): Identify scripts, templates, or data needed

Step 2: Directory Structure Creation

Use the directory creation script to set up the standard layout:

.github/skills/{skill-name}/
├── SKILL.md              # Main skill definition (required)
├── templates/            # Code templates and examples
├── scripts/              # Executable automation scripts
├── examples/             # Usage demonstrations
└── docs/                 # Additional documentation

Step 3: SKILL.md File Creation

Create the main skill file using the SKILL.md template:

1. YAML Frontmatter:

   • name: Your chosen skill identifier
   • description: Specific description including capabilities AND use cases

2. Instructions Body:

   • Purpose statement and when to use
   • Step-by-step procedures
   • Input/output examples
   • Resource references with relative paths

3. Quality Validation:

   • Use the validation checklist
   • Ensure project-agnostic design
   • Test progressive loading behavior

Step 4: Resource Bundle Creation

Depending on skill complexity, add appropriate bundled resources:

For Simple Skills (Instructions Only):

• Focus on clear, comprehensive SKILL.md content
• Include examples within the main file
• Reference external documentation when needed

For Complex Skills (With Resources):

• Create templates using template examples
• Add automation scripts following script guidelines
• Include usage examples and documentation
• Ensure all resources use relative path references

Step 5: Integration and Testing

1. Framework Integration:

   • Ensure alignment with Agent Builder Framework principles
   • Follow project-agnostic design patterns
   • Reference existing framework assets when appropriate

2. Testing Workflow:

   • Test skill discovery by triggering relevant prompts
   • Verify progressive loading behavior
   • Validate resource access and relative path references
   • Ensure portability across different project types

3. Quality Assurance:

   • Review against quality standards
   • Check compliance with skills.instructions.md guidelines
   • Validate YAML frontmatter syntax and field requirements

Examples and Templates

Simple Skill Example

See commit-standards example for a basic instructions-only skill.

Complex Skill Example

See python-testing example for a skill with bundled templates and scripts.

Common Skill Patterns

Reference skill patterns guide for proven approaches to different types of capabilities.

Resource Files Reference

• create-skill-structure.sh: Automated directory creation
• skill-template.md: SKILL.md file template
• validation-checklist.md: Quality assurance checklist
• quality-standards.md: Detailed quality requirements
• script-guidelines.md: Best practices for bundled scripts

Agent Builder Framework Integration

This skill creation workflow follows the Agent Builder Framework's core principles:

• Project-agnostic design: Skills work across any technology stack
• Educational approach: Teaches concepts while providing tools
• Reusability focus: Created skills can be shared and adapted
• Quality standards: Maintains consistency across all framework assets
• Progressive disclosure: Supports efficient loading and discovery

Remember: Great skills solve specific problems while remaining flexible enough to adapt across different projects and development environments.