workflow-to-skill

name	workflow-to-skill
description	Use when a task, artifact, prompt, analysis process, or plugin workflow has produced a good result and should be converted into a reusable Codex skill. Also use when improving an existing skill after a better output pattern appears.

Workflow To Skill

Use this when the user says some version of: "That was good, make it reusable."

Capture Pattern

1. Identify the successful output.
2. Reverse-engineer the workflow that produced it.
3. Separate stable method from one-off context.
4. Write a focused SKILL.md with strong trigger metadata.
5. Add only essential instructions.
6. Install into ~/.codex/skills if the user wants it active now.
7. Commit the source copy to SuperStack.

Skill Shape

Every skill should include:

• Clear name.
• Trigger-rich description.
• Short workflow.
• Output standard.
• Guardrails.
• Source notes if it came from a transcript, repo, or repeated task.

Avoid:

• Long transcripts.
• Marketing filler.
• Huge lists that will not change behavior.
• Secrets or account-specific credentials.
• Overlapping skills when one router would do.

Improve Existing Skills

When a better pattern appears during use:

1. Ask what specifically should become default.
2. Patch the relevant skill.
3. Keep the change narrow.
4. Reinstall the patched skill globally.
5. Commit the update.

Test Prompt

After creating a skill, test mentally or with a quick dry run:

• Would its description trigger at the right time?
• Would the body change the agent's behavior?
• Is it smaller than the workflow it replaces?
• Does it avoid brittle project-specific assumptions?

Source Notes

Distilled from the Codex capabilities transcript: iterate until the output is good, then turn the successful workflow into a reusable skill.