skill-creator

name	skill-creator
description	Guide for creating effective skills. Use when creating a new skill or updating an existing skill that extends AI capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations.

Skill Creator

Create modular, self-contained packages that extend AI capabilities with specialized knowledge and workflows across different hosts.

Core Principles

Concise is Key

Challenge each piece: "Does the AI really need this?" Prefer concise examples over verbose explanations.

Progressive Disclosure

1. Metadata (~100 words) - Always loaded
2. SKILL.md body (<500 lines) - When triggered
3. Bundled resources - As needed

Skill Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description)
│   └── Markdown instructions
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/      - Executable code
    ├── references/   - Documentation
    └── assets/       - Templates, icons

SKILL.md Format

---
name: my-skill
description: What it does AND when to use it (critical for triggering)
---

# Title

[Core instructions - imperative form]

## Sections as needed

Best Practices

Do	Don't
Clear, comprehensive description	Vague one-liner
Imperative form ("Create", "Run")	Passive voice
Concise examples	Verbose explanations
Reference files for details	Everything in SKILL.md
Test scripts by running them	Assume they work
Use host-agnostic paths and wording	Hard-code one assistant's directory layout

Portability Rules

• Write the skill in English unless a translated artifact is explicitly required
• Keep the main workflow independent from any single IDE, editor, CLI, or chat app
• Use placeholders such as <skill-root>, <workspace>, and <output-dir> in examples
• Put vendor-specific notes in a short compatibility section instead of the core flow
• Mention a specific assistant only when the skill itself is about that assistant

What NOT to Include

• README.md, CHANGELOG.md, INSTALLATION.md
• User-facing documentation
• Setup/testing procedures

Creation Process

1. Understand - Get concrete usage examples
2. Plan - Identify reusable scripts/references/assets
3. Initialize - Create skill directory with SKILL.md
4. Edit - Implement resources, write instructions
5. Test - Verify with real usage
6. Iterate - Refine based on feedback

Overview

Use this skill for the capability described in this document.

When to Use

Use this skill when the request matches the capability, constraints, and activation cues described below.

Core Workflow

Follow the primary workflow, commands, and decision points documented in the sections below.

Examples

Use the examples and snippets already present in this document whenever they apply to the task.

References

Use any linked scripts, assets, reference files, and companion resources mentioned in this document.