skill-creator

name	skill-creator
description	Create new custom skills by writing SKILL.md playbooks

Skill Creator Skill

Trigger

This skill activates when the user wants to create a new custom skill for {{portalName}}.

Output Location

All skills are stored at ~/.jinn/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md. Each skill lives in its own directory named with kebab-case.

Behavior by Engine

Claude Code (claude engine)

Claude Code has native skill creation capabilities. Defer to the engine's built-in skill/memory system when available. The engine knows how to create well-structured instruction files. Simply ensure the output file lands at the correct path: ~/.jinn/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.

Codex (codex engine)

Create the SKILL.md file manually following the conventions below. Write the file directly to ~/.jinn/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.

Steps

1. Ask the user what the skill should do. Get a clear description of the capability.
2. Ask for a name (kebab-case). Suggest one if the user does not provide it.
3. Create the directory ~/.jinn/skills/<skill-name>/ if it does not exist.
4. Generate the SKILL.md content following the conventions below.
5. Write the file to ~/.jinn/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
6. Confirm the skill was created and summarize what it does.

Conventions for Writing Good SKILL.md Files

Every SKILL.md should follow these conventions:

1. Clear Trigger Description

Start with a ## Trigger section that explains exactly when this skill should activate. Be specific about the keywords, phrases, or situations that should invoke this skill.

Good: "This skill activates when the user asks to generate a weekly report from their GitHub repositories." Bad: "This skill does reporting stuff."

2. Step-by-Step Instructions

Provide numbered steps that an AI engine can follow without ambiguity. Each step should be a concrete action, not a vague directive.

Good: "1. Read the file at ~/.jinn/data/repos.json. 2. For each repository, fetch the latest commits from the past 7 days." Bad: "1. Get the data. 2. Process it."

3. Data File References

Specify exact file paths for any data the skill reads or writes. Use ~/.jinn/ as the base directory. Define the expected schema for any JSON or YAML files.

4. Error Handling Guidance

Include a section on what to do when things go wrong: missing files, malformed data, unavailable services. Provide fallback behavior.

5. Keep Skills Focused

Each skill should do one thing well. If a skill is trying to do too many things, suggest splitting it into multiple skills.

6. Use Concrete Examples

Include example inputs, outputs, file contents, and commands wherever possible. Examples remove ambiguity.

Template

Use this template as a starting point. YAML frontmatter is required - both Claude Code and Codex CLIs discover skills by reading frontmatter from SKILL.md files. Without it, the skill won't be recognized by engines.

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <One-line description of what this skill does>
---

# <Skill Name>

## Trigger

This skill activates when <specific trigger description>.

## Data Files

- `~/.jinn/<path>` - <description of the file and its format>

## Steps

1. <First concrete action>
2. <Second concrete action>
3. ...

## Examples

<Example input and expected behavior>

## Error Handling

- If <error condition>, then <fallback behavior>.

Auto-Sync

The gateway automatically creates symlinks in ~/.jinn/.claude/skills/ and ~/.jinn/.agents/skills/ pointing to each skill directory. This happens on startup and whenever the skills/ directory changes. You do not need to manage symlinks manually.

Error Handling

• If a skill with the same name already exists, ask the user whether to overwrite or choose a different name.
• Validate that the skill name is valid kebab-case (lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only).
• If the user's description is too vague, ask clarifying questions before generating the skill.