Skill Creator
Create high-quality custom Skills for Claude Code.
Core Principles
- •Concise is Key — Only add information Claude doesn't already know; every piece must justify its token cost
- •Appropriate Freedom — High freedom uses text guidance, low freedom uses specific scripts
- •Progressive Loading — Metadata always loaded, body loaded on trigger, resources loaded on demand
Creation Workflow
code
1. Define Use Cases → Gather concrete scenarios and trigger conditions 2. Plan Contents → Identify needed scripts, references, and assets 3. Initialize → Run scripts/init_skill.py 4. Write Content → Complete SKILL.md and bundled resources 5. Validate & Pack → Run scripts/package_skill.py
Skill Structure
code
my-skill/ ├── SKILL.md # Required: Main file ├── scripts/ # Optional: Executable scripts ├── references/ # Optional: Reference docs (loaded into context on demand) └── assets/ # Optional: Templates, images, etc. (not loaded into context)
SKILL.md Specification
Frontmatter (Required)
yaml
--- name: my-skill # kebab-case, max 64 characters description: Concise description of functionality and trigger scenarios. Must include WHEN to use. ---
Body Structure Patterns
| Pattern | Best For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow-based | Sequential processes | PDF form filling, document approval |
| Task-based | Multiple independent operations | Image processing (crop/rotate/compress) |
| Reference-based | Standards or specifications | Brand guidelines, coding standards |
| Capability-based | Integrated systems | Product management, data analysis platform |
Scripts
Initialize New Skill
bash
python scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-dir> # Example python scripts/init_skill.py my-analyzer --path ~/skills
Validate and Package
bash
python scripts/package_skill.py <skill-folder> [output-dir] # Example python scripts/package_skill.py ~/skills/my-analyzer ./dist
Quality Checklist
- • Description includes trigger conditions (WHEN to use)
- • SKILL.md body < 500 lines
- • No redundant docs (README, CHANGELOG, etc.)
- • Scripts tested and working
- • Large reference docs split out with guidance on when to read them
Common Patterns Reference
See references/patterns.md for:
- •Sequential workflow pattern
- •Conditional branching pattern
- •Output template pattern
- •Example-driven pattern