skill-search

name	skill-search
description	Dynamic skill discovery: search available skills by keyword instead of loading all skill definitions into the system prompt

Skill Search

Search the installed skill registry by keyword and return a summarized list of matching skills. This prevents context window bloat by loading skill definitions on demand rather than dumping every skill into the system prompt.

When to Use

Invoke this skill whenever you need to find a specific capability but do not already know which skill provides it. Use keyword-based search to narrow down the right skill, then load only that skill's SKILL.md for the duration of the task.

Do not load all skills at once. Use this skill to discover what you need, then read the specific SKILL.md file into context.

Inputs

• keyword: (Required) A search term or phrase describing the capability needed. Examples: "test", "review", "lock", "build", "plan", "safety".

Output

A summarized table of matching skills with:

• Skill name (directory name)
• One-line description (from YAML frontmatter description field)
• File path for on-demand loading

Script

Both PowerShell and Bash equivalents are provided for cross-platform compatibility. Use whichever matches the runtime environment.

search (.ps1 / .sh)

Scans all SKILL.md files under .github/skills/ and returns matches where the keyword appears in the skill name or its YAML frontmatter description.

PowerShell: scripts/search.ps1 <keyword>
Bash:       scripts/search.sh <keyword>

Output format:

SKILL                        DESCRIPTION                                                          PATH
-----                        -----------                                                          ----
build-feature                Execute a harness loop — iteratively run tests...                    .github/skills/build-feature/SKILL.md
harness-architect            Scaffolds compilable but failing test harnesses...                   .github/skills/harness-architect/SKILL.md

Lazy Loading Protocol

Once you identify the right skill via search.ps1 / search.sh:

1. Read the specific SKILL.md file into context:
   • PowerShell: Get-Content .github/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md
   • Bash: cat .github/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md
2. Follow the skill's instructions for the duration of the current task.
3. Do not retain the skill content after the task completes — let it leave the context window naturally.

This keeps the active context focused on the current task rather than carrying every skill's instructions simultaneously.

Fallback

If search.ps1 / search.sh returns no results:

1. Try broader or alternative keywords.
2. List all available skills:
   • PowerShell: Get-ChildItem .github/skills/ -Directory | Select-Object Name
   • Bash: ls -d .github/skills/*/
3. If the capability truly does not exist, report it to the operator rather than improvising.

Installed Scripts Registry

All scripts installed by autoharness live in {workspace}/scripts/. This table is the central reference for what exists and where it comes from.

Script	Source Skill	Platform	Purpose
acquire_lock.ps1	file-lock	PowerShell	Acquire advisory file lock
acquire_lock.sh	file-lock	Bash	Acquire advisory file lock
release_lock.ps1	file-lock	PowerShell	Release advisory file lock
release_lock.sh	file-lock	Bash	Release advisory file lock
search.ps1	skill-search	PowerShell	Search skills by keyword
search.sh	skill-search	Bash	Search skills by keyword

Scripts are installed conditionally based on selected primitives (Primitive 5 for file-lock, Primitive 6 for skill-search). Not all scripts may be present in every workspace.