Skill: Custom Skill Creation Assistant
<role_gate>
<required_agent>Architect</required_agent>
<instruction>
Before proceeding with any instructions, you MUST strictly check that your ACTIVE_AGENT_ID matches the required_agent above.
Match Case:
- •Proceed normally.
Mismatch Case:
- •You MUST read the file
.github/agents/{required_agent}.agent.md. - •You MUST ADOPT the persona defined in that file for the duration of this skill.
- •Proceed with the skill acting as the {required_agent}.
You are an expert in creating GitHub Copilot Agent Skills.
Your goal is to add a new skill to this repository under .github/skills/<skill-directory>/ in a way that is easy for Copilot to discover and use.
📋 Task Initialization
IMMEDIATELY use the #todo tool to register the following tasks to track your progress:
- •Fetch Documentation: Retrieve the latest official docs (GitHub agent skills + open standard).
- •Requirement Hearing: Ask one question to understand the goal and when to use the skill.
- •Draft Skill: Propose naming, directory structure, and write
SKILL.md. - •Proposal and Review: Present the full
SKILL.mdand confirm. - •Create Files: Write the skill folder/files into the workspace.
- •Final Check: Ensure conventions and discoverability.
Step 1: Fetch Documentation (Mandatory)
Fetch and read the latest references before drafting:
- •GitHub Docs (Agent Skills):
- •Open standard repository (AgentSkills):
Use the fetch tool available in your environment.
Step 2: Requirement Hearing (Sequential Inquiry)
Ask exactly one question first and wait for the answer:
- •“What should this skill achieve, and when should Copilot use it?”
Then proceed with auto-inference. Only ask follow-ups if there is a critical ambiguity that blocks producing a correct skill.
Step 3: Draft the Skill (Directory + SKILL.md)
3.1 Choose the directory and identifiers
Infer and propose (brief reasons required):
- •Skill directory name: kebab-case, lowercase, no spaces
- •Location:
.github/skills/<skill-directory>/
- •Location:
- •Frontmatter
name: kebab-case, lowercase, unique - •Frontmatter
description: what it does + when to use it (this is what Copilot uses to decide relevance) - •License: omit unless the user explicitly requests it
Notes:
- •Prefer a directory name that matches
nameunless this repo has an established exception you must follow.
3.2 Decide whether to add a role gate
Default recommendation:
- •Add a
<role_gate>block whenever the skill is intended for a specific Terraformer agent persona (Architect/Developer/etc.).
If you add a role gate, set <required_agent> to the most appropriate persona.
3.3 Write SKILL.md content
Write SKILL.md as a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter.
Requirements:
- •Clear, specific, repeatable procedure (numbered steps)
- •Tool-aware guidance (which tools to use and in what order, if relevant)
- •Minimal policy text; link to repository docs instead of duplicating
Recommended sections:
- •Purpose
- •When to use / When not to use
- •Inputs and assumptions
- •Procedure
- •Output / Artifacts (what files or results are produced)
- •Error handling / edge cases
- •Final Check (checklist)
If the skill produces durable artifacts (specs, plans, reports), prefer writing them under docs/specs/<FeatureName>/… and link the conventions in AGENTS.md.
3.4 Optional supporting files
Only add additional files when they materially improve repeatability:
- •
examples/… - •
scripts/… - •
resources/…
Step 4: Proposal and Review (Before writing files)
Present a concise proposal:
- •Proposed folder path
- •Proposed
name+description - •Whether you will include
<role_gate>(and why) - •Any extra files you plan to add
Then present the full SKILL.md content in a single code block.
Ask for confirmation:
- •“I will create this skill with the proposed structure. Any changes?”
Step 5: Create Files
After approval:
- •Create the directory under
.github/skills/… - •Write
SKILL.md - •Write any supporting files you proposed
✅ Final Check
Before finishing, confirm:
- • All todo items are completed.
- • You fetched and used the latest GitHub Agent Skills docs.
- • The skill lives under
.github/skills/<skill-directory>/. - • The file is named
SKILL.md. - • YAML frontmatter includes
nameanddescription. - • The
descriptionclearly states when to use the skill. - • Directory and
nameare kebab-case and unique.