// Guide for creating, iterating, and distributing effective skills. Use when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations. Also handles skill export (download as ZIP) and publishing to Wegent system.
Ask the user questions or present choices via an interactive form. Use when you need to gather preferences, clarify ambiguous instructions, get decisions on implementation choices, or present a list of options for the user to select from. Never write options or questions as plain text — always use this tool.
Create and manage scheduled subscription tasks. Use when the user wants to set up recurring reminders, periodic reports, scheduled checks, or any automated tasks that run on a schedule. Supports cron expressions, fixed intervals, and one-time executions.
Convert the current conversation into a reusable system prompt draft with strict structure and quality checks.
Complete real user web tasks end-to-end via browser-tool, navigate, interact, wait for page state, extract results, and provide evidence when needed.
| name | skill-creator |
| description | Guide for creating, iterating, and distributing effective skills. Use when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations. Also handles skill export (download as ZIP) and publishing to Wegent system. |
| license | Complete terms in LICENSE.txt |
This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills and tools for distributing them.
Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend Claude's capabilities by providing specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific domains or tasks—they transform Claude from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.
The context window is a public good. Skills share the context window with everything else Claude needs: system prompt, conversation history, other Skills' metadata, and the actual user request.
Default assumption: Claude is already very smart. Only add context Claude doesn't already have. Challenge each piece of information: "Does Claude really need this explanation?" and "Does this paragraph justify its token cost?"
Prefer concise examples over verbose explanations.
Match the level of specificity to the task's fragility and variability:
High freedom (text-based instructions): Use when multiple approaches are valid, decisions depend on context, or heuristics guide the approach.
Medium freedom (pseudocode or scripts with parameters): Use when a preferred pattern exists, some variation is acceptable, or configuration affects behavior.
Low freedom (specific scripts, few parameters): Use when operations are fragile and error-prone, consistency is critical, or a specific sequence must be followed.
Think of Claude as exploring a path: a narrow bridge with cliffs needs specific guardrails (low freedom), while an open field allows many routes (high freedom).
Every skill consists of a required SKILL.md file and optional bundled resources:
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│ ├── YAML frontmatter metadata (required)
│ │ ├── name: (required)
│ │ └── description: (required)
│ └── Markdown instructions (required)
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
├── scripts/ - Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.)
├── references/ - Documentation intended to be loaded into context as needed
└── assets/ - Files used in output (templates, icons, fonts, etc.)
Every SKILL.md consists of:
name and description fields. These are the only fields that Claude reads to determine when the skill gets used, thus it is very important to be clear and comprehensive in describing what the skill is, and when it should be used.scripts/)Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.) for tasks that require deterministic reliability or are repeatedly rewritten.
scripts/rotate_pdf.py for PDF rotation tasksreferences/)Documentation and reference material intended to be loaded as needed into context to inform Claude's process and thinking.
references/finance.md for financial schemas, references/mnda.md for company NDA template, references/policies.md for company policies, references/api_docs.md for API specificationsassets/)Files not intended to be loaded into context, but rather used within the output Claude produces.
assets/logo.png for brand assets, assets/slides.pptx for PowerPoint templates, assets/frontend-template/ for HTML/React boilerplate, assets/font.ttf for typographyA skill should only contain essential files that directly support its functionality. Do NOT create extraneous documentation or auxiliary files, including:
The skill should only contain the information needed for an AI agent to do the job at hand. It should not contain auxilary context about the process that went into creating it, setup and testing procedures, user-facing documentation, etc. Creating additional documentation files just adds clutter and confusion.
Skills use a three-level loading system to manage context efficiently:
Keep SKILL.md body to the essentials and under 500 lines to minimize context bloat. Split content into separate files when approaching this limit. When splitting out content into other files, it is very important to reference them from SKILL.md and describe clearly when to read them, to ensure the reader of the skill knows they exist and when to use them.
Key principle: When a skill supports multiple variations, frameworks, or options, keep only the core workflow and selection guidance in SKILL.md. Move variant-specific details (patterns, examples, configuration) into separate reference files.
Pattern 1: High-level guide with references
# PDF Processing
## Quick start
Extract text with pdfplumber:
[code example]
## Advanced features
- **Form filling**: See [FORMS.md](FORMS.md) for complete guide
- **API reference**: See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md) for all methods
- **Examples**: See [EXAMPLES.md](EXAMPLES.md) for common patterns
Claude loads FORMS.md, REFERENCE.md, or EXAMPLES.md only when needed.
Pattern 2: Domain-specific organization
For Skills with multiple domains, organize content by domain to avoid loading irrelevant context:
bigquery-skill/
├── SKILL.md (overview and navigation)
└── reference/
├── finance.md (revenue, billing metrics)
├── sales.md (opportunities, pipeline)
├── product.md (API usage, features)
└── marketing.md (campaigns, attribution)
When a user asks about sales metrics, Claude only reads sales.md.
Similarly, for skills supporting multiple frameworks or variants, organize by variant:
cloud-deploy/
├── SKILL.md (workflow + provider selection)
└── references/
├── aws.md (AWS deployment patterns)
├── gcp.md (GCP deployment patterns)
└── azure.md (Azure deployment patterns)
When the user chooses AWS, Claude only reads aws.md.
Pattern 3: Conditional details
Show basic content, link to advanced content:
# DOCX Processing
## Creating documents
Use docx-js for new documents. See [DOCX-JS.md](DOCX-JS.md).
## Editing documents
For simple edits, modify the XML directly.
**For tracked changes**: See [REDLINING.md](REDLINING.md)
**For OOXML details**: See [OOXML.md](OOXML.md)
Claude reads REDLINING.md or OOXML.md only when the user needs those features.
Important guidelines:
Skill creation involves these steps:
Follow these steps in order, skipping only if there is a clear reason why they are not applicable.
Skip this step only when the skill's usage patterns are already clearly understood. It remains valuable even when working with an existing skill.
To create an effective skill, clearly understand concrete examples of how the skill will be used. This understanding can come from either direct user examples or generated examples that are validated with user feedback.
For example, when building an image-editor skill, relevant questions include:
To avoid overwhelming users, avoid asking too many questions in a single message. Start with the most important questions and follow up as needed for better effectiveness.
Conclude this step when there is a clear sense of the functionality the skill should support.
To turn concrete examples into an effective skill, analyze each example by:
Example: When building a pdf-editor skill to handle queries like "Help me rotate this PDF," the analysis shows:
scripts/rotate_pdf.py script would be helpful to store in the skillExample: When designing a frontend-webapp-builder skill for queries like "Build me a todo app" or "Build me a dashboard to track my steps," the analysis shows:
assets/hello-world/ template containing the boilerplate HTML/React project files would be helpful to store in the skillExample: When building a big-query skill to handle queries like "How many users have logged in today?" the analysis shows:
references/schema.md file documenting the table schemas would be helpful to store in the skillTo establish the skill's contents, analyze each concrete example to create a list of the reusable resources to include: scripts, references, and assets.
At this point, it is time to actually create the skill.
Skip this step only if the skill being developed already exists, and iteration or packaging is needed. In this case, continue to the next step.
When creating a new skill from scratch, always run the init_skill.py script. The script conveniently generates a new template skill directory that automatically includes everything a skill requires, making the skill creation process much more efficient and reliable.
Usage:
scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-directory>
The script:
scripts/, references/, and assets/After initialization, customize or remove the generated SKILL.md and example files as needed.
When editing the (newly-generated or existing) skill, remember that the skill is being created for another instance of Claude to use. Include information that would be beneficial and non-obvious to Claude. Consider what procedural knowledge, domain-specific details, or reusable assets would help another Claude instance execute these tasks more effectively.
Consult these helpful guides based on your skill's needs:
These files contain established best practices for effective skill design.
To begin implementation, start with the reusable resources identified above: scripts/, references/, and assets/ files. Note that this step may require user input. For example, when implementing a brand-guidelines skill, the user may need to provide brand assets or templates to store in assets/, or documentation to store in references/.
Added scripts must be tested by actually running them to ensure there are no bugs and that the output matches what is expected. If there are many similar scripts, only a representative sample needs to be tested to ensure confidence that they all work while balancing time to completion.
Any example files and directories not needed for the skill should be deleted. The initialization script creates example files in scripts/, references/, and assets/ to demonstrate structure, but most skills won't need all of them.
Writing Guidelines: Always use imperative/infinitive form.
Write the YAML frontmatter with name and description:
name: The skill namedescription: This is the primary triggering mechanism for your skill, and helps Claude understand when to use the skill.
docx skill: "Comprehensive document creation, editing, and analysis with support for tracked changes, comments, formatting preservation, and text extraction. Use when Claude needs to work with professional documents (.docx files) for: (1) Creating new documents, (2) Modifying or editing content, (3) Working with tracked changes, (4) Adding comments, or any other document tasks"Do not include any other fields in YAML frontmatter.
Write instructions for using the skill and its bundled resources.
Once development of the skill is complete, it must be packaged into a distributable .skill file that gets shared with the user. The packaging process automatically validates the skill first to ensure it meets all requirements:
scripts/package_skill.py <path/to/skill-folder>
Optional output directory specification:
scripts/package_skill.py <path/to/skill-folder> ./dist
The packaging script will:
Validate the skill automatically, checking:
Package the skill if validation passes, creating a .skill file named after the skill (e.g., my-skill.skill) that includes all files and maintains the proper directory structure for distribution. The .skill file is a zip file with a .skill extension.
If validation fails, the script will report the errors and exit without creating a package. Fix any validation errors and run the packaging command again.
After testing the skill, users may request improvements. Often this happens right after using the skill, with fresh context of how the skill performed.
Iteration workflow:
Once the skill is ready for distribution, ask the user how they want to distribute it:
⚠️ Important: If the user hasn't specified their preference, always ask:
"Your skill is ready! Would you like to:
- Publish it to your Wegent account (available immediately for creating Agents)
- Download it as a ZIP file (for sharing or uploading elsewhere)"
Export a Skill directory as a ZIP file and provide a download link.
Usage:
bash scripts/export_skill.sh <skill_path> [output_name]
Parameters:
skill_path (required): Path to the Skill directory (must contain SKILL.md)output_name (optional): Name for the exported ZIP file (without .zip extension). Defaults to directory name.Example:
# Export a skill named "my-review-skill"
bash scripts/export_skill.sh /home/user/my-review-skill
# Export with custom name
bash scripts/export_skill.sh /home/user/my-skill code-reviewer
Output: Returns a download link that the user can click to download the ZIP file.
Publish a Skill directly to the user's Wegent Skill library.
Usage:
bash scripts/publish_skill.sh <skill_path> <skill_name> [namespace] [--overwrite]
Parameters:
skill_path (required): Path to the Skill directory (must contain SKILL.md)skill_name (required): Name for the Skill in Wegent (used as unique identifier)namespace (optional): Namespace for the Skill. Defaults to "default" (personal).--overwrite (optional): If a Skill with the same name exists, overwrite it.Example:
# Publish a skill to personal namespace
bash scripts/publish_skill.sh /home/user/my-skill code-reviewer
# Publish to a specific namespace (group)
bash scripts/publish_skill.sh /home/user/my-skill code-reviewer my-team
# Overwrite existing skill
bash scripts/publish_skill.sh /home/user/my-skill code-reviewer default --overwrite
Output: Returns the Skill ID and confirmation message.
User: "Help me create a skill for code review"
AI: [Follows Steps 1-6 to create the skill]
AI: "Your skill is ready! Would you like to:
1. **Publish** it to your Wegent account (available immediately for creating Agents)
2. **Download** it as a ZIP file (for sharing or uploading elsewhere)"
User: "Publish it"
AI: I'll publish the skill to your Wegent account.
> bash scripts/publish_skill.sh /home/user/code-review-skill code-reviewer
✅ Skill published successfully!
📦 **code-reviewer**
- Skill ID: 456
- Namespace: default (Personal)
- Status: Created
You can now use this Skill when creating Agents in Wegent Settings.
User: "Export my-review-skill so I can download it"
AI: I'll export the skill for you.
> bash scripts/export_skill.sh /home/user/my-review-skill
✅ Skill exported successfully!
📦 **my-review-skill.zip** (12.3 KB)
[Click to Download](/api/attachments/123/download)
You can save this file locally and:
- Share it with other users
- Upload it to another Wegent account via Settings > Skills
User: "Publish this skill to my Wegent account as 'code-reviewer'"
AI: I'll publish the skill to your Wegent account.
> bash scripts/publish_skill.sh /home/user/my-skill code-reviewer
✅ Skill published successfully!
📦 **code-reviewer**
- Skill ID: 456
- Namespace: default (Personal)
- Status: Created
You can now use this Skill when creating Agents in Wegent Settings.
These environment variables are automatically available in the executor container:
TASK_INFO: JSON object containing task context including auth_tokenTASK_API_DOMAIN: Backend API domain (e.g., http://wegent-backend:8000)A valid Skill directory must contain a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter:
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Required: Skill metadata and prompt
├── scripts/ # Optional: Helper scripts
├── references/ # Optional: Reference documentation
├── assets/ # Optional: Templates and resources
└── other-files/ # Optional: Additional resources
SKILL.md Format:
---
name: my-skill-name
description: "Brief description of what this skill does and when to use it"
---
# Skill Title
Your skill prompt and instructions here...
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "SKILL.md not found" | Directory doesn't contain SKILL.md | Create SKILL.md with valid frontmatter |
| "Skill already exists" | Same name exists in namespace | Use --overwrite flag or choose different name |
| "Invalid SKILL.md format" | Missing required frontmatter fields | Add name and description fields to frontmatter |
| "Authentication failed" | Invalid or expired token | Ensure task is running in valid session |