make-skill-template

name	make-skill-template
description	Create new GitHub Copilot agent skills for this repository. Use when asked to create a skill, scaffold a new skill, add a reusable agent workflow, or define SKILL.md frontmatter, structure, and optional bundled resources.
license	Apache-2.0

Make Skill Template

Create a new agent skill for this repository.

Use this skill when a user wants a reusable Copilot workflow packaged as a skill folder with a SKILL.md file and, if needed, bundled supporting files.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• The user asks to create or scaffold a new skill
• The user wants a reusable workflow for GitHub Copilot
• A task would benefit from a dedicated slash-command style skill
• The user needs help structuring SKILL.md frontmatter and instructions

Skill Structure Rules

Create project skills under .github/skills/<skill-name>/.

Each skill must have:

• A lowercase, hyphenated folder name
• A SKILL.md file
• A name field that matches the folder name exactly
• A description field that explains both WHAT the skill does and WHEN it should be used

Optional subfolders may be added when useful:

• references/ for longer documentation
• templates/ for starter content the agent can adapt
• assets/ for static files used as-is
• scripts/ for helper automation

Step-by-Step Workflow

1. Define the skill scope

Identify:

• The single main purpose of the skill
• The user triggers and keywords that should activate it
• Any repository-specific constraints or conventions
• Whether supporting files are needed

Prefer one focused purpose per skill.

2. Choose the skill name

The skill name must:

• be lowercase
• use hyphens instead of spaces
• be short, descriptive, and action-oriented
• match the folder name exactly

Good examples:

• publish
• make-skill-template
• generate-report

Avoid vague names like:

• helper
• tools
• misc

3. Create SKILL.md

Use this structure:

---
name: 'skill-name'
description: 'What this skill does. Use when the user asks for X, Y, or Z, or when the task involves A and B.'
license: 'Apache-2.0'
---

# Skill Title

One short paragraph describing the skill.

## When to Use This Skill

- Trigger 1
- Trigger 2
- Trigger 3

## Requirements

- Important constraint 1
- Important constraint 2

## Step-by-Step Workflow

### 1. First step

What to do.

### 2. Second step

What to do.

## Gotchas

- Common mistake 1
- Common mistake 2

## References

- `references/example.md`

4. Write a strong description

The description is the main discovery signal.

It should include:

1. What the skill does
2. When to use it
3. Likely trigger words the user may say

Good description pattern:

• Create release notes for this repository. Use when asked to summarize commits, prepare changelog text, or draft GitHub release notes.

Weak description pattern:

• Release helper.

Requirements

When creating a new skill:

• Keep instructions specific and actionable
• Prefer repository-specific guidance over generic advice
• Keep the skill focused on one repeatable workflow
• Keep changes minimal when scaffolding files
• Reference bundled files with relative paths if they exist
• Do not add optional directories unless they provide real value

Gotchas

• Do not let the name differ from the folder name
• Do not use a vague description; weak discovery makes the skill hard to trigger
• Do not duplicate long reference content in SKILL.md; place it in references/ instead
• Do not create oversized or unnecessary bundled assets
• Do not make the skill task-specific if it should be reusable

Validation Checklist

Before finishing, confirm that:

• Folder name is lowercase and hyphenated
• SKILL.md exists in the skill folder
• name matches the folder name exactly
• description clearly explains WHAT and WHEN
• Body instructions are concise and reusable
• Any referenced bundled files actually exist

Example Output

For a skill named draft-changelog, the result should look like:

.github/skills/draft-changelog/
└── SKILL.md

With frontmatter like:

name: 'draft-changelog'
description: 'Draft changelog entries for this repository. Use when asked to summarize recent changes, prepare release notes, or group commits into user-facing sections.'

References

• Agent skills in this repository live under .github/skills/
• Use existing skills in this repository as style references when relevant