Skill Creator

This skill provides guidance for creating Claude Code skills.

Quick Start

1. •Create directory: .claude/skills/<skill-name>/
2. •Create SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter and markdown body
3. •Optionally add references/, examples/, or scripts/ subdirectories

Skill Location

• •User-level: ~/.claude/skills/ (available across all projects)
• •Project-level: <project>/.claude/skills/ (project-specific)

Directory Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md           # Required: metadata + core instructions
├── references/        # Optional: detailed documentation
├── examples/          # Optional: working examples
└── scripts/           # Optional: utility scripts

SKILL.md Structure

YAML Frontmatter (Required)

---
name: Skill Name
description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "phrase 1", "phrase 2", "phrase 3", or needs guidance on specific-topic.
---

Constraints:

• •name: Max 64 characters, title case
• •description: Max 1024 characters, third-person, include specific trigger phrases

Markdown Body (Required)

Write in imperative/infinitive form:

# Correct
Create the directory structure first.
Validate the frontmatter before deployment.

# Incorrect (avoid second person)
You should create the directory structure first.
You need to validate the frontmatter.

Skill Creation Workflow

Step 1: Define Purpose and Triggers

Answer before creating:

• •What tasks will this skill help with?
• •What phrases would trigger this skill? (3-5 examples)
• •What resources (scripts, references, examples) would be helpful?

Step 2: Create Directory Structure

mkdir -p .claude/skills/<skill-name>

Create subdirectories only as needed.

Step 3: Write SKILL.md

1. •Frontmatter: Name and description with trigger phrases
2. •Overview: 1-2 sentences on skill purpose
3. •Core workflow: Essential steps and procedures
4. •Resource references: Pointers to bundled files

Target length: 1,500-2,000 words for the body. Move detailed content to references/ if exceeding.

Step 4: Test

Test with queries that should trigger the skill:

• •"Help me create a [skill-topic]"
• •"How do I [skill-action]?"

Best Practices

DO:

• •Use third-person in description ("This skill should be used when...")
• •Include 3-5 specific trigger phrases in quotes
• •Keep SKILL.md lean (1,500-2,000 words)
• •Write body in imperative form
• •Reference supporting files explicitly

DON'T:

• •Use second person ("You should...")
• •Have vague trigger conditions
• •Put everything in SKILL.md (use references/)
• •Leave resources unreferenced

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed guidance, consult:

• •references/validation-checklist.md - Complete validation checklist, common mistakes, skill types
• •references/progressive-disclosure.md - When to split content, directory patterns, word count guidelines

Example Skills

Working examples in examples/:

• •minimal-skill/ - Knowledge-only skill (~150 words)
• •standard-skill/ - Skill with references (~300 words + references)

Comprehensive Reference

For extensive guidance including complete skill anatomy, advanced patterns, and script best practices, invoke the plugin skill:

/plugin-dev:skill-development