Skill Creator
Create new Claude Code skills following the official format and best practices.
Quick Reference
- •Structure Guide - Directory format and file organization
- •Naming Rules - Skill naming requirements
- •Description Guide - Writing effective descriptions
- •Templates - Process, knowledge, and tool skill templates
- •Examples - Complete skill creation walkthroughs
- •Validation - Commands to validate new skills
When to Use
- •Creating a new reusable knowledge module
- •Adding specialized guidance for specific tasks
- •Building domain-specific expertise into Claude Code
- •Need to ensure proper skill format and structure
Required SKILL.md Format
Every skill requires a SKILL.md file with two parts:
- •YAML frontmatter (metadata between
---markers on line 1) - •Markdown instructions (guidance for Claude)
markdown
--- name: skill-name description: Brief description of what this skill does and when to use it --- # Skill Title ## Instructions Step-by-step guidance for Claude...
YAML Frontmatter Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | Yes | Lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens only (max 64 chars). Must match directory name. |
description | Yes | What the skill does and when to use it (max 1024 chars). Claude uses this to match requests. |
allowed-tools | No | Tools Claude can use without permission |
model | No | Specific model to use |
context | No | Set to fork for isolated sub-agent context |
File Structure
code
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md # Required - overview and navigation
├── reference.md # Detailed docs - loaded when needed
├── examples.md # Usage examples - loaded when needed
└── scripts/
└── helper.sh # Utility script - executed, not loaded
Best Practices
- •Keep SKILL.md under 250 lines - Use progressive disclosure
- •Write specific descriptions - Include trigger terms users would naturally use
- •Link supporting files - From SKILL.md using markdown links
- •Validate structure - Check YAML syntax and file organization
See naming.md for naming conventions and templates.md for ready-to-use templates.