---

name: skill-creator description: Creates new skills with proper structure and validation. Use when creating a skill, initializing a new skill, scaffolding skill directories, or packaging skills for distribution. Provides templates, validation, and best practices for skill development. allowed-tools:

• Write
• Read
• Glob
• Bash(*)
• Edit

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Skill Creator

Guide for creating effective skills that extend Claude's capabilities.

About Skills

Skills are modular, self-contained packages providing:

1. Specialized workflows - Multi-step procedures for specific domains
2. Tool integrations - Instructions for file formats or APIs
3. Domain expertise - Schemas, business logic, policies
4. Bundled resources - Scripts, references, and assets

Core Principles

Conciseness

The context window is a public good. Only add context Claude doesn't already have.

Degrees of Freedom

• High freedom: Multiple approaches valid, heuristics guide
• Medium freedom: Preferred pattern exists, some variation OK
• Low freedom: Fragile operations, specific sequence required

Skill Anatomy

Copyskill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description)
│   └── Markdown instructions
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/     - Executable code
    ├── references/  - Documentation for context
    └── assets/      - Files used in output

Creation Process

Step 1: Initialize

Run the init script:

Copypython .claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/init_skill.py <name> --path .claude/skills

Step 2: Edit SKILL.md

Frontmatter requirements:

• name: Hyphen-case identifier (max 40 chars)
• description: What it does AND when to use it (max 1024 chars)

Body patterns:

• Workflow-based: Sequential steps
• Task-based: Different operations
• Reference: Standards or specs
• Capabilities: Interrelated features

Step 3: Add Resources

• scripts/: Python/Bash for automation
• references/: Docs loaded into context as needed
• assets/: Templates, images, fonts for output

Step 4: Validate

Copypython .claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/quick_validate.py .claude/skills/<name>

Step 5: Package (optional)

Copypython .claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py .claude/skills/<name>

Creates a distributable .skill file.

Progressive Disclosure

1. Metadata - Always in context (~100 words)
2. SKILL.md body - When triggered (<5k words)
3. References - As needed (unlimited)

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Split into references when larger.

Design Patterns

See references/workflows.md for sequential and conditional workflows. See references/output-patterns.md for templates and examples.

Delegation

This skill is invoked by meta-skill when creating new skills for unfamiliar technologies.