// Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends GitLab Duo's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations.
| name | packmind-create-skill |
| description | Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends GitLab Duo's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations. |
| license | Complete terms in LICENSE.txt |
| metadata | {"packmind-cli-version":"< 0.25.0"} |
This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills.
Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend GitLab Duo's capabilities by providing specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific domains or tasks—they transform GitLab Duo from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.
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.)
Metadata Quality: The name and description in YAML frontmatter determine when GitLab Duo will use the skill. Be specific about what the skill does and when to use it. Use the third-person (e.g. "This skill should be used when..." instead of "Use this skill when...").
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 GitLab Duo'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 GitLab Duo produces.
assets/logo.png for brand assets, assets/slides.pptx for PowerPoint templates, assets/frontend-template/ for HTML/React boilerplate, assets/font.ttf for typographySkills use a three-level loading system to manage context efficiently:
*Unlimited because scripts can be executed without reading into context window.
Before running any skill scripts, verify that the required tools are available:
Check if Python 3 is installed:
python3 --version
If not available, install it:
brew install python3sudo apt-get install python3winget install Python.Python.3Check if packmind-cli is installed:
packmind-cli --version
If not available, install it:
npm install -g packmind-cli
To create a skill, follow the "Skill Creation Process" in order, skipping steps 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.
Before running the script, verify that python3 and packmind-cli are available (see Prerequisites section). If not installed, install them first.
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:
python3 scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-directory>
IMPORTANT: The --path argument must be the parent directory where the skill folder will be created, not the skill directory itself. The script automatically creates a subdirectory named after the skill.
python3 scripts/init_skill.py my-skill --path .claude/skills → creates .claude/skills/my-skill/python3 scripts/init_skill.py my-skill --path .claude/skills/my-skill → creates .claude/skills/my-skill/my-skill/ (nested!)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 GitLab Duo to use. Focus on including information that would be beneficial and non-obvious to GitLab Duo. Consider what procedural knowledge, domain-specific details, or reusable assets would help another GitLab Duo instance execute these tasks more effectively.
File Placement Rule: Always create files directly in their target subdirectory. Never create a file at the skill root and move it later.
references/filename.mdscripts/filename.pyassets/filename.extSKILL.md, README.md, and LICENSE.txt belong at the skill root.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/.
Also, delete any example files and directories not needed for the skill. The initialization script creates example files in scripts/, references/, and assets/ to demonstrate structure, but most skills won't need all of them.
Writing Style: Write the entire skill using imperative/infinitive form (verb-first instructions), not second person. Use objective, instructional language (e.g., "To accomplish X, do Y" rather than "You should do X" or "If you need to do X"). This maintains consistency and clarity for AI consumption.
To complete SKILL.md, answer the following questions:
Before distributing, validate the skill to ensure it meets all requirements.
Before running the script, verify that python3 is available (see Prerequisites section). If not installed, install it first.
python3 scripts/quick_validate.py <path/to/skill-folder>
The validation script checks:
If validation fails, fix the reported errors and run the validation 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:
After successful validation, always run the distribution command to register the skill with Packmind. Do not skip this step.
Before running the command, verify that packmind-cli is available (see Prerequisites section). If not installed, install it first.
Run the following command with the actual skill path:
packmind-cli skills add <path/to/skill-folder>
This registers the skill with Packmind, making it available for deployment to target repositories and AI coding agents.
After successful distribution, check if the skill fits an existing package:
packmind-cli install --list to get available packages<package-slug> package."<package-slug>packmind-cli packages add --to <package-slug> --skill <skill-slug>packmind-cli install to sync the changes?"packmind-cli installCheck whether newer stable versions of Node.js (24.x line), Nx, or Vite are available and, if so, generate a detailed upgrade plan markdown file at the repo root. Use this skill whenever the user asks to "check for runtime upgrades", "upgrade Node/NX/Vite", "is our Node version current", "plan a Node 24 upgrade", "refresh our runtime stack", "monthly stack check", or anything along those lines — even if they don't name a specific tool. Also use it when the user wants a recurring/cadence check of build-toolchain currency. Output is a plan only — does NOT mutate package.json, Dockerfiles, lockfiles, or any other repo file. CI/CD wrappers can invoke this skill to keep the runtime stack fresh.
Reference for Packmind CLI listing commands. This skill should be used when an agent needs to discover available standards, commands, or skills in the Packmind organization.
Guide for creating reusable commands via the Packmind CLI. This skill should be used when users want to create a new command that captures multi-step workflows, recipes, or task automation for distribution to GitLab Duo.
Guide for creating Packmind packages via the CLI. This skill should be used when users want to create a new package to organize standards, commands, and skills for distribution.
Guide for creating coding standards via the Packmind CLI. This skill should be used when users want to create a new coding standard (or add rules to an existing standard) that captures team conventions, best practices, or coding guidelines for distribution to GitLab Duo.
Complete automated onboarding: analyzes codebase, creates package, and generates standards & commands via CLI. Automatic package creation when none exist, user selection when packages are available.