skill-authoring

name	skill-authoring
description	Use this skill when an agent wants to codify a recurring delegation pattern as a named, reusable skill and assign it to their own role.
catalog	{"skill_name":"skill.authoring","implied_tools":["skill.list","skill.register","skill.assign"],"validation_state":"validated","skill_markers":["governed","self_directed"],"field_sources":{"required_fields":["skill_name","description","subagent_kind","goal"],"optional_fields":["allowed_tools","allowed_classes"],"repo_skill_path":"skills/skill-authoring/SKILL.md","workflow":"skill.list → skill.register → skill.assign"}}

Skill Authoring

Use this skill when you have identified a recurring delegation pattern in your work and want to register it as a named, reusable skill that you can assign to your roles.

When to create a skill

• You have delegated the same kind of task 3 or more times
• The task has a clear goal template with predictable inputs
• The subagent needs a specific, bounded tool surface to do the work
• You want the pattern to persist across sessions as part of your delegation vocabulary

Do not create a skill for a one-off task. Skills are for patterns.

Workflow

1. Call skill.list to check if a similar skill already exists
2. Draft the skill payload (see fields below)
3. Call skill.register with the full payload
4. Call skill.assign with the role_name of the role that should have access to the skill

Required skill.register fields

Field	Required	Notes
skill_name	Yes	Lowercase, hyphens/underscores only, max 64 chars. Stable identifier.
description	Yes	What the skill does and when to use it. 1-3 sentences.
subagent_kind	Yes	The worker role that executes this skill (almost always philote-worker).
goal	Yes	The goal template injected into the subagent at invocation. May include {{placeholder}} variables.
allowed_tools	No	Explicit tool IDs the subagent may use. If omitted, falls back to class allowances.
allowed_classes	No	Tool class names allowed (e.g. workspace, utility, shell).

Minimal example

{
  "skill_name": "file-summarizer",
  "description": "Summarize a workspace file into bullet points for quick review.",
  "subagent_kind": "philote-worker",
  "goal": "Read the file at {{file_path}} and return a structured bullet-point summary of its key content."
}

Full example

{
  "skill_name": "deep-search",
  "description": "Delegate a multi-source research task to a focused subagent. Use when a topic requires reading multiple workspace files or documents before synthesizing an answer.",
  "subagent_kind": "philote-worker",
  "goal": "Research {{topic}} thoroughly. Read all relevant files in the workspace. Return a structured summary with: key findings, open questions, and recommended next steps.",
  "allowed_tools": ["workspace.read", "workspace.list"],
  "allowed_classes": ["workspace", "utility"]
}

Assigning after registration

After skill.register succeeds, assign the skill to your current role:

{
  "role_name": "orchestrator",
  "skill_name": "deep-search"
}

skill.assign is scoped to your own agent — you cannot assign skills to other agents' roles.

Guardrails

• Do not create skills that require shell access unless you have operator approval for bash.exec in your role
• Prefer narrow allowed_tools lists — subagents should not have more authority than the task requires
• Name skills for what they accomplish, not how they work: code-reviewer not reads-files-and-gives-feedback
• Skills are permanent once registered — choose names deliberately