skill-author

name	skill-author
description	Author, update, or remove a Claude Code skill inside the template (template/.claude/skills/), following meta/skill-guide.md as the design rubric, and keep the meta/skill-list.md index table in sync. Use when asked to create a new template skill, write a skill, add a skill to the template, update or rename an existing template skill, or regenerate the template skill list. Do NOT use to author authoring-repo skills under the root .claude/skills/ (those are not part of the template product).
metadata	{"author":"ai-landscape","version":"1.0.0","category":"authoring"}

Skill: Skill Author

Use this skill to create, update, or remove a skill that ships inside the template (template/.claude/skills/), and to keep the meta/skill-list.md index in sync afterward.

Scope

This is an authoring-repo skill. It produces and maintains skills that are part of the template product.

• In scope: skills under template/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
• Out of scope: authoring-repo skills under the root .claude/skills/ (e.g. ingest-link, this skill). Those are tooling for maintaining the authoring repo, not part of the shipped template.

The template also bundles its own meta skill, which captures learnings from within a downstream project. This skill-author skill is different: it authors template skills from the authoring repo and owns the meta/skill-list.md index.

Required Reading

Before drafting or editing any skill, read meta/skill-guide.md. It is the authoritative rubric. Pay particular attention to:

• Mastering the Description Field — what + when + how, with diverse trigger phrases.
• Writing the SKILL.md File — structure, being specific and actionable, not over-explaining.
• YAML Frontmatter Reference — required and optional fields.
• Progressive Disclosure — keep SKILL.md lean; push detail to references/.
• Quick Checklists — use the during-development and testing checklists.

Workflow

Step 1: Confirm the Skill Belongs in the Template

Ask:

1. Is this a reusable workflow that downstream projects benefit from?
2. Is it general-purpose, not specific to this authoring repo?

If it is authoring-repo tooling, stop — it does not belong under template/.

Step 2: Decide Create vs. Update

1. List existing template skills: read template/.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md.
2. If the new guidance fits an existing skill's scope, update that skill rather than creating a near-duplicate.
3. Create a new skill only when the scope is clearly distinct and can be described with its own trigger phrases.

Step 3: Gather Requirements

Clarify before writing:

• Name: kebab-case, no claude/anthropic, matches the folder name.
• Purpose: one sentence on what the skill does.
• Triggers: the diverse phrases a user would say to invoke it.
• Workflow: the ordered steps, decision points, and validation gates.
• Guardrails: what the skill must never do.

If any answer is unclear, ask before writing files.

Step 4: Write the SKILL.md

Create template/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md with valid YAML frontmatter and a body that follows meta/skill-guide.md. Match the conventions of the existing template skills:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: >
  [What it does]. Use when [diverse trigger phrases].
metadata:
  author: ai-landscape
  version: 1.0.0
  category: workflow
---

Body essentials: a short overview, an ordered workflow, concrete examples, a troubleshooting section, and a guardrails section. Use relative forward-slash paths for any cross-references. Move long detail into references/ rather than bloating SKILL.md.

Step 5: Refine Against the Guide

Launch a subagent to review the new or updated skill against meta/skill-guide.md. Provide:

• The path of the skill you changed.
• Whether it is new or an update.
• The instruction to use meta/skill-guide.md as the rubric.
• A request to critique the description, trigger phrases, structure, examples, and troubleshooting.

Apply the resulting improvements.

Step 6: Update meta/skill-list.md

Regenerate the table in meta/skill-list.md so it reflects the current contents of template/.claude/skills/:

1. Enumerate every template/.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md.
2. For each, take the skill name from the folder and a one-line description distilled from its description frontmatter.
3. Rewrite the table with one row per skill, alphabetically by name.
4. Remove rows for skills that no longer exist; add rows for new ones.

The index must always match the directory exactly — no missing, stale, or extra rows.

Step 7: Keep the Template's AGENTS.md in Sync

Template skills are also listed in template/AGENTS.md. If a skill was added, removed, or renamed, update that table too (or delegate to the template's agents-md-sync agent at template/.claude/agents/agents-md-sync.md). meta/skill-list.md is the authoring-repo index; template/AGENTS.md is the in-template map. Both must stay consistent.

Step 8: Validate

• SKILL.md exists at the skill folder root, spelled exactly.
• Frontmatter is valid YAML with name and description; name matches the folder.
• No XML tags in frontmatter; name has no claude/anthropic.
• Description states what + when with multiple trigger phrases.
• meta/skill-list.md matches the skill directory exactly.
• template/AGENTS.md skill references resolve and are current.

Examples

Example 1: Create a new template skill

User says: "Add a release-notes skill to the template that drafts release notes from merged PRs."

Actions:

1. Confirm it is general-purpose template content.
2. Verify no existing skill covers it.
3. Write template/.claude/skills/release-notes/SKILL.md per the guide.
4. Run a subagent refinement pass against meta/skill-guide.md.
5. Add the release-notes row to meta/skill-list.md and update template/AGENTS.md.

Result: a new, guide-compliant template skill with both indexes in sync.

Example 2: Update an existing skill and resync the index

User says: "Tighten the bug-fix skill's triggers and update the skill list."

Actions:

1. Edit template/.claude/skills/bug-fix/SKILL.md.
2. Refine against meta/skill-guide.md.
3. Regenerate the bug-fix row in meta/skill-list.md from its new description.

Result: the skill and its index entry agree.

Troubleshooting

Question: Should this skill go in the template or the authoring repo?

If downstream projects use it, it belongs under template/.claude/skills/. If it only maintains this authoring repo, it belongs under the root .claude/skills/ and is out of scope for this skill.

Question: The skill list and the directory disagree.

The directory is the source of truth. Regenerate meta/skill-list.md from the actual template/.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md files; never invent rows.

Question: Create a new skill or extend an existing one?

Extend when the guidance fits an existing scope. Create only when the scope is distinct enough to warrant its own trigger phrases.

Guardrails

• Do not author template skills outside template/.claude/skills/.
• Do not skip reading meta/skill-guide.md before writing.
• Do not skip the subagent refinement pass.
• Do not leave meta/skill-list.md out of sync with the skill directory.
• Prefer updating an existing skill over creating a duplicate.

See Also

• meta/skill-guide.md — the design rubric.
• meta/skill-list.md — the index this skill maintains.
• template/.claude/skills/ — the template skills.
• template/AGENTS.md — the in-template skill map.
• template/.claude/agents/agents-md-sync.md — agent that reconciles template/AGENTS.md with the file tree.