Skill Creator

Overview

This skill helps you create well-structured Claude Agent Skills. A skill is a modular capability that extends Claude's functionality with domain-specific expertise, workflows, and best practices.

Skill Structure Requirements

Every skill must have:

• •SKILL.md: Main instruction file with YAML frontmatter (required)
• •Optional files: Additional markdown files, scripts, templates, or resources

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Define the Skill

1. •

   Name:

   • •Maximum 64 characters
   • •Only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
   • •No XML tags
   • •Cannot contain "anthropic" or "claude"
   • •Example: pdf-processor, api-documenter, code-reviewer
2. •

   Description:

   • •Maximum 1024 characters
   • •Must describe what the skill does AND when Claude should use it
   • •No XML tags
   • •Be specific about triggers (e.g., "Use when working with PDF files")

Step 2: Create SKILL.md Template

---
name: [skill-name]
description: [What it does and when to use it]
---

# [Skill Name]

## Overview
[Brief description of the skill's purpose]

## Quick Start
[Simple example showing basic usage]

## Detailed Instructions
[Step-by-step guidance]

## Examples
[Concrete examples with code or workflows]

## Advanced Usage
[Optional: advanced patterns and edge cases]

## References
[Optional: links to additional resources]

Step 3: Organize Additional Files

Structure additional files logically:

• •Use subdirectories for scripts, templates, or resources
• •Reference external files in SKILL.md using relative paths
• •Keep files focused and purposeful

Best Practices

Writing Effective Descriptions

• •Start with what the skill does (verb phrase)
• •Include triggers: "Use when..."
• •Be specific about use cases
• •Mention key capabilities

Good examples:

• •"Create presentations, edit slides, analyze presentation content. Use when working with PowerPoint files or when the user mentions presentations, slides, or PPTX files."
• •"Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents. Use when working with PDF files or when the user mentions PDFs, forms, or document extraction."

Progressive Disclosure

• •Level 1 (Metadata): Keep descriptions concise (~100 tokens)
• •Level 2 (SKILL.md): Main instructions (~5k tokens)
• •Level 3 (Resources): Bundle comprehensive guides and scripts

Instruction Writing

• •Use clear, actionable language
• •Provide step-by-step workflows
• •Include code examples when relevant
• •Reference additional files for complex topics
• •Use markdown for formatting (code blocks, lists, headers)

Code and Scripts

• •Store reusable code in .py, .js, or .sh files
• •Keep scripts focused and executable
• •Document script parameters and usage
• •Reference scripts in SKILL.md instructions

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Single-Purpose Skill

my-skill/
└── SKILL.md

Pattern 2: Skill with Additional Resources

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── ADVANCED.md
└── REFERENCE.md

Pattern 3: Skill with Scripts

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
└── scripts/
    ├── process.py
    └── validate.sh

Pattern 4: Comprehensive Skill

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── GETTING_STARTED.md
├── EXAMPLES.md
├── REFERENCE.md
├── scripts/
│   ├── helper.py
│   └── utilities.sh
└── templates/
    └── template.json

Validation Checklist

Before finalizing a skill, verify:

• • SKILL.md has valid YAML frontmatter with name and description
• • Name follows naming conventions (lowercase, hyphens, < 64 chars)
• • Description clearly states what it does and when to use it
• • Description is < 1024 characters and contains no XML tags
• • Instructions are clear and actionable
• • Examples are included
• • Additional files are properly referenced in SKILL.md
• • Scripts are executable and documented

Examples of Skill Creation

Example 1: Simple Skill

When creating a simple skill for formatting code:

1. •Create directory: code-formatter/
2. •Create SKILL.md with name, description, and formatting instructions
3. •That's it! Simple skills may only need SKILL.md

Example 2: Complex Skill

When creating a skill with multiple components:

1. •Create directory: api-tester/
2. •Create SKILL.md with main instructions
3. •Add SCRIPTS.md for script documentation
4. •Add scripts in scripts/ directory
5. •Reference scripts in SKILL.md

When to Use This Skill

• •User wants to create a new Claude skill
• •User needs help structuring a skill directory
• •User wants templates or examples
• •User needs guidance on skill best practices
• •User is validating or reviewing an existing skill