claude-expert

name	claude-expert
description	Expert in Claude prompting, skill creation, hooks management, MCP configuration, sub-agents, memory management, and Claude Desktop app features. Use when writing prompts, creating Claude Code skills, configuring hooks, setting up MCP servers, creating custom sub-agents, managing memory (auto memory, CLAUDE.md, rules), asking about Claude Code architecture, or discussing Claude Desktop features (scheduled tasks, cowork, etc.).
user-invokable	true
argument-hint	["self-update"]
model	opus

Claude Expert Skill

Expert guidance for Claude prompting techniques, Claude Code extensibility, and agent architecture.

Quick Reference

Topic	File	Use When
Prompting	PROMPTING.md	Writing effective prompts, XML tags, CoT, few-shot
Skills	SKILLS.md	Creating or editing Claude Code skills
Workflows	WORKFLOWS.md	Building multi-step workflow prompts
Commands	COMMANDS.md	Creating /commands for quick invocation
Hooks	HOOKS.md	Setting up PreToolUse, validation, notifications
MCP	MCP.md	Adding MCP servers, tools, resources
Sub-agents & Teams	SUBAGENTS.md	Custom agents, Task tool, agent teams, orchestration
Memory	MEMORY.md	Auto memory, CLAUDE.md hierarchy, rules, agent memory
Status Lines	STATUS-LINES.md	Custom terminal status displays, context bars
Output Styles	OUTPUT-STYLES.md	Response formatting, GenUI, custom styles
Desktop	DESKTOP.md	Claude Desktop app features, scheduled tasks, cowork

Argument Routing

If $ARGUMENTS is "self-update": Read and execute cookbook/self-update.md

Otherwise: Continue with normal skill guidance below.

Core Principles

Prompting

• Use XML tags for structure (<context>, <instructions>, <constraints>)
• Be explicit rather than implicit
• Specify format to get formatted output
• Provide examples for complex tasks

Skills

• Skills = markdown files that extend Claude's capabilities
• Description is critical for auto-discovery
• Keep SKILL.md < 500 lines, split into reference files
• Use semantic XML tags in content
• MANDATORY: Every skill with external resources must include a self-update cookbook (see SKILLS.md Self-Update Pattern)

Hooks

• 22+ hook events covering the full lifecycle (Setup, SessionStart, UserPromptSubmit, PreToolUse, PostToolUse, StopFailure, CwdChanged, FileChanged, Elicitation, etc.)
• Setup hook (claude --init) for repo initialization and dependency installation
• Can block, allow, or ask for confirmation
• Exit codes: 0=allow, 2=block, JSON output for decisions
• CLAUDE_ENV_FILE for persisting env vars (Setup/SessionStart)

MCP

• Servers defined in ~/.claude.json, .mcp.json, or managed-mcp.json
• Provide external tools and resources
• Use stdio, SSE, or HTTP transport

Memory

• Auto memory: Claude automatically saves learnings to ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/
• MEMORY.md: First 200 lines loaded at startup; topic files loaded on-demand
• CLAUDE.md hierarchy: managed policy > project > user > local (more specific wins)
• Rules: .claude/rules/*.md with optional path-scoped frontmatter
• Agent memory: memory: user|project|local in agent frontmatter
• Toggle with /memory command or autoMemoryEnabled setting

Sub-agents & Agent Teams

• Sub-agents: Task tool, isolated context, report back to parent
• Agent teams (experimental): multiple independent sessions, shared task list, direct messaging
• Default to single agents; use multi-agent only for context protection, parallelization, or specialization
• Custom agents in .claude/agents/ or ~/.claude/agents/

Workflows

• Variables at top for constants
• Instructions for rules/constraints
• Step-by-step workflow section
• Report template at end

Commands

• Quick-access prompts in .claude/commands/
• Can restrict tools and specify model
• Support argument passing

When to Read Reference Files

Read PROMPTING.md when:

• User asks to write a prompt or system message
• Optimizing an existing prompt
• Structuring complex instructions

Read SKILLS.md when:

• Creating a new skill
• Editing skill YAML frontmatter
• Debugging skill discovery
• Understanding cookbook/prompts patterns

Read WORKFLOWS.md when:

• Building multi-step workflow prompts
• Defining variables and instructions
• Creating orchestrated workflows
• Handling parallel execution

Read COMMANDS.md when:

• Creating /command shortcuts
• Setting up prime or install commands
• Understanding command vs skill differences

Read HOOKS.md when:

• Setting up security validation
• Adding notifications or logging
• Configuring PreToolUse patterns
• Setting up claude --init (Setup hook)
• Configuring SessionStart context injection
• Understanding hook-specific flow control and blocking

Read MCP.md when:

• Adding external tool servers
• Configuring MCP resources
• Troubleshooting MCP connections

Read MEMORY.md when:

• Setting up auto memory or CLAUDE.md files
• Configuring memory hierarchy (managed, project, user, local)
• Creating path-specific rules in .claude/rules/
• Enabling agent memory for custom agents
• Understanding CLAUDE.md import syntax
• Disabling or configuring auto memory settings

Read SUBAGENTS.md when:

• Creating custom agents
• Configuring agent tools/permissions
• Understanding Task tool options
• Setting up parallel agent execution
• Managing multi-agent safety
• Using agent teams (multi-session orchestration)
• Deciding between subagents vs agent teams
• Understanding multi-agent orchestration principles
• Building team-based validation (builder/validator pattern)
• Understanding the meta-agent pattern

Read STATUS-LINES.md when:

• Creating custom terminal status displays
• Showing context window usage, cost, tokens
• Integrating session data into status lines
• Adding agent naming or custom metadata

Read DESKTOP.md when:

• User asks about Claude Desktop app features
• Discussing scheduled tasks, cowork mode, or Desktop-specific capabilities
• Comparing Claude Desktop vs Claude Code features
• Troubleshooting the Desktop app

Read OUTPUT-STYLES.md when:

• Creating custom response formatting
• Setting up GenUI (HTML generation) style
• Understanding output style configuration
• Building domain-specific output formats