Skill Creator Skill

Overview

This skill guides the creation of new Claude Code skills. Skills are specialized instruction sets that enhance Claude's capabilities for specific domains, tasks, or workflows.

Quick Start

• Define scope - Answer: What problem? Who uses it? What outputs?

• Create structure - .claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md

• Write frontmatter - Name, description, version, category

• Add content - Overview, Instructions, Examples, Best Practices

• Test - Verify skill triggers correctly

Create skill directory

mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-new-skill

Create SKILL.md with template

cat > .claude/skills/my-new-skill/SKILL.md << 'EOF'

name: my-new-skill description: Action-oriented description. Use for X, Y, and Z. version: 1.0.0 category: [builders|tools|content-design|communication|meta]

My New Skill

Overview

[1-2 sentences explaining purpose]

Instructions

[Step-by-step guidance]

Examples

[Concrete examples] EOF

When to Use

• Building custom skills for specific domains

• Creating reusable workflow templates

• Standardizing organizational processes

• Extending Claude Code capabilities

• Documenting specialized knowledge

Skill Anatomy

File Structure

.claude/skills/ └── skill-name/ ├── SKILL.md # Required: Main skill definition └── resources/ # Optional: Supporting files ├── templates/ ├── examples/ └── data/

SKILL.md Structure

name: skill-name description: One-line description of what this skill does and when to use it. version: 1.0.0 category: builders last_updated: 2026-01-02 related_skills:

• related-skill-1
• related-skill-2

Skill Title

Overview

Brief explanation of the skill's purpose and capabilities.

Quick Start

Fastest path to value.

When to Use

• Scenario 1
• Scenario 2
• Scenario 3

Instructions

Detailed instructions for how to apply the skill.

Examples

Concrete examples of the skill in action.

Best Practices

Guidelines for effective use.

Error Handling

Common issues and solutions.

Metrics

How to measure success.

Related Skills

Links to complementary skills.

Version History

• 1.0.0 (YYYY-MM-DD): Initial release

Skill Design Principles

1. Clear Triggering

The description field is crucial--it determines when the skill activates:

Good descriptions:

description: Create professional presentations with python-pptx. Use for slide decks, pitch presentations, and visual reports.

Bad descriptions:

description: A skill for presentations. # Too vague description: This skill helps you... # Starts with filler

Tips for descriptions:

• Start with an action verb

• Include specific use cases

• Mention key technologies/tools

• Keep under 200 characters

2. Progressive Disclosure

Structure content from general to specific:

Overview

High-level purpose (always loaded)

Quick Start

Fastest path to value

Detailed Instructions

Comprehensive guidance

Advanced Usage

Edge cases and optimization

Reference

Complete API/options reference

3. Actionable Content

Every section should guide action:

Bad: Conceptual only

CSS is a styling language for web pages.

Good: Actionable

To style a button with hover effects: ```css .button { background: #007bff; transition: background 0.2s; } .button:hover { background: #0056b3; } ```

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Define the Skill Scope

Answer these questions:

• What specific problem does this skill solve?

• Who is the target user?

• What inputs does it expect?

• What outputs does it produce?

• What tools/technologies does it use?

Step 2: Write the Frontmatter

name: lowercase-kebab-case description: Action-oriented description with use cases. Use for X, Y, and Z. version: 1.0.0 category: builders last_updated: 2026-01-02 related_skills:

• related-skill-1

Naming conventions:

• Use lowercase with hyphens: api-testing , data-viz

• Be descriptive but concise

• Avoid generic names like helper or utils

Step 3: Structure the Content

Overview Section

Overview

[1-2 sentences explaining what this skill enables]

Key Capabilities:

• Capability 1
• Capability 2
• Capability 3

Instructions Section

Instructions

[Task Category 1]

[Step-by-step instructions]

```language // Code example ```

[Task Category 2]

[More instructions with examples]

Examples Section

Examples

Example 1: [Scenario Name]

Input: [What user provides]

Process: [What skill does]

Output: [What user receives]

``` // Complete working example ```

Step 4: Add Supporting Materials

If needed, create resources:

skill-name/ ├── SKILL.md └── resources/ ├── templates/ │ └── starter.template ├── examples/ │ └── complete-example.py └── config/ └── defaults.yaml

Reference them in SKILL.md:

See starter template for a quick start.

Skill Templates

Technical Skill Template

name: tech-skill-name description: Technical capability description. Use for specific technical tasks. version: 1.0.0 category: builders

Technical Skill Name

Overview

This skill provides [capability] using [technology/tool].

Prerequisites

• Dependency 1
• Dependency 2

Installation

```bash

Installation commands

```

Quick Start

```language // Minimal working example ```

Core Operations

Operation 1

```language // Code ```

Operation 2

```language // Code ```

Configuration Options

Error Handling

Common Errors

Error: [Error Name]

• Cause: [Why it happens]
• Solution: [How to fix]

Best Practices

1. Practice 1
2. Practice 2
3. Practice 3

Process Skill Template

name: process-skill-name description: Process/workflow description. Use for organizational tasks. version: 1.0.0 category: communication

Process Skill Name

Overview

This skill guides [process type] for [outcome].

When to Use

• Situation 1
• Situation 2
• Situation 3

Process Steps

Step 1: [Name]

[Instructions]

Checklist:

• Item 1
• Item 2

Step 2: [Name]

[Instructions]

Template: ``` [Template content] ```

Step 3: [Name]

[Instructions]

Templates

[Template Name]

``` [Full template] ```

Examples

[Scenario]

[Complete worked example]

Tips

• Tip 1
• Tip 2
• Tip 3

Creative Skill Template

name: creative-skill-name description: Creative capability description. Use for design/content creation. version: 1.0.0 category: content-design

Creative Skill Name

Overview

This skill enables creation of [output type] with [characteristics].

Design Principles

Principle 1: [Name]

[Explanation]

Principle 2: [Name]

[Explanation]

Styles & Variations

Style 1: [Name]

[Description and examples]

Style 2: [Name]

[Description and examples]

Creation Process

Phase 1: [Name]

[Instructions]

Phase 2: [Name]

[Instructions]

Technical Implementation

```language // Code for creating the output ```

Quality Checklist

• Criterion 1
• Criterion 2
• Criterion 3

Inspiration & Examples

[Gallery of examples with explanations]

Execution Checklist

Before creating a skill:

• Scope clearly defined (problem, users, inputs, outputs)

• Name follows kebab-case convention

• Description is action-oriented with use cases

During creation:

• Frontmatter complete (name, description, version, category)

• Overview explains value in 2-3 sentences

• Quick Start provides immediate value

• Instructions are actionable, not conceptual

• Examples are complete and runnable

After creation:

• Skill triggers correctly when invoked

• Code examples tested and working

• Related skills referenced in new skill's frontmatter

• Existing related skills updated — search for skills that overlap or compose with this one; add this skill to their related_skills: frontmatter (bidirectional linking is mandatory)

• Version history added

Skill Quality Checklist

Content Quality

• Description clearly states purpose and trigger conditions

• Overview explains value proposition in 2-3 sentences

• Instructions are actionable, not just conceptual

• Examples are complete and runnable

• Best practices are specific and justified

Structure Quality

• Follows progressive disclosure (general -> specific)

• Uses consistent heading hierarchy

• Code blocks have language tags

• Tables are properly formatted

• Lists are parallel in structure

Usability

• Can be used without reading entire document

• Quick start enables immediate value

• Error scenarios are addressed

• Edge cases are documented

• Related skills are referenced

Technical Accuracy

• Code examples are tested and work

• Dependencies are listed

• Version requirements are specified

• Installation steps are complete

Error Handling

Common Errors

Error: Skill not triggering

• Cause: Description too vague or doesn't match user intent

• Solution: Rewrite description with specific use cases and action verbs

Error: Skill content too large

• Cause: Too much content in single SKILL.md

• Solution: Move large examples to resources/ folder, keep SKILL.md under 500 lines

Error: Circular skill references

• Cause: Skills reference each other in loops

• Solution: Review related_skills, ensure DAG structure

Error: Outdated code examples

• Cause: Dependencies or APIs changed

• Solution: Test examples regularly, update version history

Skill Maintenance

Versioning

Track significant changes:

<!-- At end of SKILL.md -->

Version History

• 1.2.0 (2025-01-15): Added new feature X
• 1.1.0 (2024-12-01): Updated examples for tool v2
• 1.0.0 (2024-10-15): Initial release

Deprecation

When retiring a skill:

name: old-skill-name description: DEPRECATED - Use new-skill-name instead. [Original description] deprecated: true deprecated_date: 2026-01-02 replacement: new-skill-name

Metrics

Track skill effectiveness:

Metric Target How to Measure

Trigger accuracy

90% Skill activates when intended

Completion rate

85% Users complete skill workflow

Error rate <10% Failed executions / total

Update frequency Monthly Last update within 30 days

User satisfaction

4/5 Feedback ratings

Integration with Claude Code

Skill Discovery

Skills are discovered from:

• .claude/skills/ in project directory

• ~/.claude/skills/ for user-level skills

Skill Loading

• Metadata: Always loaded (name, description)

• Body: Loaded when skill is triggered

• Resources: Loaded on demand

Best Practices for Performance

• Keep SKILL.md focused (under 500 lines ideal)

• Move large examples to resources/

• Reference external documentation for comprehensive APIs

• Use code blocks sparingly--quality over quantity

Related Skills

• session-start-routine - Skill library maintenance

• sparc-workflow - Development methodology

• mcp-builder - MCP server creation

Version History

• 2.0.0 (2026-01-02): Upgraded to v2 template - added Quick Start, When to Use, Execution Checklist, Error Handling, Metrics sections; enhanced frontmatter with version, category, related_skills

• 1.0.0 (2024-10-15): Initial release with skill anatomy, design principles, templates, quality checklist