using-loopkit

name	using-loopkit
description	Use when starting any conversation in a loopkit-enabled project — establishes how to find and use loopkit's skills, requiring skill invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions.

Using Loopkit

If you think there is even a 1% chance a loopkit skill applies to what you are doing, INVOKE it.

IF A SKILL APPLIES, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.

This overrides "just answer quickly" instincts. Not negotiable.

The Rule

Invoke relevant skills BEFORE any response or action — including clarifying questions, exploring the codebase, or reading files. If it turns out wrong for the situation, drop it.

Then announce "Using [skill] to [purpose]" and follow the skill exactly. If it has a checklist, create a todo per item.

Where the skills live

Skills are files at .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md. Each has YAML frontmatter with name and description (the description is a trigger phrase, not a summary). Load a skill by reading its SKILL.md when its trigger matches your task.

Claude built-in skills (like frontend-design:frontend-design) are invoked directly — no SKILL.md in the repo.

Skill routing (30 repo skills + built-ins)

Task shape	First skill
"Fix this bug" / test failing / crash	systematic-debugging, then read-the-trace
"It broke between two commits"	bisect-regression
"Flaky test"	flaky-hunter
"Add a feature" / write anything new	spec-first, then write-failing-test-first
"Refactor" / dead code / deep nesting	kill-dead-code, simplify, reduce-nesting
About to claim done / commit / open PR	adversarial-verify + verification-before-completion + self-eval-bias
Review a diff / PR description	adversarial-verify, pr-from-diff
REvoDesign domain skills:
Qt/PyMOL/threading/UI loading/i18n	qt-pymol-guardrails
Rosetta/sidechain solver/scoring/design	rosetta-infrastructure
ConfigBus/widgets/shortcuts/menus/tests	ui-config-patterns
Server (./server/) skills:
Web UI / templates / dashboard design	design-system, loading-empty-error-states, frontend-design:frontend-design
Security / auth / API hardening	owasp-review, authz-check, input-validation, secret-scan
Database / SQL / schema / migrations	sql-review, migration-writer, schema-diff
General skills:
Docs / changelog	changelog-from-diff
Git ops	clean-commits, pr-from-diff
Running out of context	context-budget, tool-restraint

Full list: ls .claude/skills/.

Red Flags — STOP and check for a skill

Thought	Reality
"This is just a simple question"	Questions are tasks. Check first.
"Let me explore the codebase first"	Skills tell you HOW to explore. Check first.
"I remember this skill"	Skills evolve. Read the current SKILL.md.
"The skill is overkill"	Simple things become complex. Use it.
"I'll just do this one thing first"	Check BEFORE doing anything.
"Tests pass, we're good"	verification-before-completion says: run the exact command, read the output, then claim.
"I'll do both features while I'm in here"	One feature per session. Never two.
"The reviewer will let this slide"	self-eval-bias says: assume it will confidently praise. Calibrate first.

Priority when multiple skills apply

Process first → domain guardrails → implementation → finishers:

1. Process: spec-first, systematic-debugging, bisect-regression
2. Domain guardrails: qt-pymol-guardrails, rosetta-infrastructure, ui-config-patterns
3. Implementation: design-system, sql-review, migration-writer, etc.
4. Finishers: adversarial-verify, verification-before-completion, self-eval-bias, clean-commits

• "Let's build X" → spec-first → domain skills → implementation → adversarial-verify.
• "Fix bug Y" → systematic-debugging → read-the-trace → fix → verification-before-completion.
• "Qt or PyMOL work" → qt-pymol-guardrails first.
• "Rosetta or scoring work" → rosetta-infrastructure first.
• "Config or UI work" → ui-config-patterns first.
• "Server endpoint / template / DB" → relevant server skill first.

User instructions win

CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, and direct user requests override loopkit skills. Only skip a skill workflow when the user has explicitly said to.