Make Skill Template
A meta-skill for creating, optimizing, updating, or analyzing Agent Skills.
CRITICAL INSTRUCTION: If provided with a skill file to "analyze", "review", or "audit", DO NOT summarize or describe the content. You must maintain your role as a generator/auditor and output a Technical Action Plan (roadmap) to improve, fix, or validate that skill.
When to Use This Skill
- •User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", "scaffold a skill", or "update a skill"
- •User veut mettre à jour, optimiser, améliorer, ou analyser une skill existante
- •User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
- •User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
- •User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point
- •User asks to "analyze a skill", "review a skill", or requests a skill audit
Prerequisites
- •Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
- •A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
- •Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)
Core Behavior Rules
- •No Meta-Analysis: Do not summarize the provided skill. Focus exclusively on actionable tasks.
- •Action-Oriented: Always use a phased approach with checkboxes
[ ]. - •Imperative Mood: Use verbs like "Refactor", "Update", "Validate".
Creating or Updating a Skill
Step 1: Create or Locate the Skill Directory
Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:
skills/<skill-name>/ └── SKILL.md # Required
Step 2: Generate or Update SKILL.md with Frontmatter
Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with name and description. When updating, ensure these fields are current and reflect any new capabilities or triggers:
--- name: <skill-name> description: "<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>." ---
Frontmatter Field Requirements
| Field | Required | Constraints |
|---|---|---|
name | Yes | 1-64 chars, lowercase letters/numbers/hyphens only, must match folder name |
description | Yes | 1-1024 chars, must describe WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it |
license | No | License name or reference to bundled LICENSE.txt |
compatibility | No | 1-500 chars, environment requirements if needed |
metadata | No | Key-value pairs for additional properties |
allowed-tools | No | Space-delimited list of pre-approved tools (experimental) |
Description Best Practices
CRITICAL: The description is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:
- •WHAT the skill does (capabilities)
- •WHEN to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)
- •Keywords users might mention in prompts
Good example:
description: 'Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs.'
Step 3: Write or Update the Skill Body
After the frontmatter, add or update markdown instructions. Recommended sections:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
# Title | Brief overview |
## When to Use This Skill | Reinforces description triggers |
## Step-by-Step Workflows | Numbered steps for tasks |
## Troubleshooting | Common issues and solutions |
Step 4: Add or Update Optional Directories (If Needed)
| Folder | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
scripts/ | Executable code (Python, Bash, JS) | Automation that performs operations |
references/ | Documentation agent reads | API references, schemas, guides |
assets/ | Static files used AS-IS | Images, fonts, templates |
Quick Start: Duplicate or Update This Template
- •To create: Copy the
make-skill-template/folder - •Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
- •Update
SKILL.md:
- •Change
name:to match folder name - •Write a keyword-rich
description:
- •To update: Edit the existing
SKILL.mdto reflect new capabilities.
Validation Checklist (Mandatory for Audits)
- • Folder name and
namefield match exactly (lowercase-hyphenated). - •
descriptionis 10-1024 characters and wrapped in single quotes. - • Logic includes specific edge cases and avoids conversational fluff.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Skill not discovered | Improve description with more keywords and triggers |
| Validation fails on name | Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |
| Skill summarizes itself | Verify the "Zero Meta-Description" rule in the body |
References
- •Agent Skills official spec: https://agentskills.io/specification