skill-management

model_tier: inherit name: skill-management description: "Use when condensing, decondenseing, refactoring, or improving existing skills. Covers the full skill lifecycle from verbose → sharp → maintained." source: project domain: process execution: type: assisted handler: internal allowed_tools: [] workspaces: - agent-config-maintainer packs: - meta

skill-management

When to use

Use this skill when:

• Condenseing a verbose skill into a sharper version
• Expanding a condensed skill into a maintainable source-of-truth
• Refactoring a skill to fix structure, scope, or quality issues
• Migrating skills to new standards

Do not use when:

• Creating a new skill from scratch (use skill-writing)
• Reviewing/validating a skill (use skill-reviewer)

Procedure: Manage a skill

Mode: Condense

Trigger: "condense skill", "shorten skill", "make skill sharper"

1. Inspect — what is the core job? Which lines are redundant?
2. Preserve critical skeleton: When to use, Procedure, Output format, Gotchas, Do NOT
3. Condense trigger — rewrite description for fast matching
4. Condense decision logic — explanations → direct choices
5. Condense procedure — each step short and executable
6. Remove obvious content — keep only what model forgets or misuses
7. Validate — condensed version must be: easier to scan, easier to trigger, at least as safe

Iron rule: Condensation must NOT weaken validation or remove decision hints that prevent mistakes. Linter gate: After condensation, run python3 scripts/skill_linter.py on the file — must be 0 FAIL.

Mode: Decondense

Trigger: "expand skill", "decondense skill", "make skill clearer"

1. Inspect — which parts are unclear or too condensed?
2. Restore full structure (all required sections)
3. Expand trigger — make "When to use" clearer
4. Expand procedure — turn terse steps into clear actions
5. Strengthen validation — make checks explicit and testable
6. Add minimal explanations only where they improve execution
7. Validate — expanded version must be: clearer, still executable, not noisy

Iron rule: Expansion must NOT turn skills into documentation. Add context, not prose. Linter gate: After expansion, run python3 scripts/skill_linter.py on the file — must be 0 FAIL.

Mode: Refactor

Trigger: "refactor skill", "improve skill", "fix skill structure"

1. Inspect — identify missing sections, weak areas, anti-patterns
2. Clean structure — ensure required sections exist
3. Improve procedure — make steps concrete, add validation
4. Remove noise — delete obvious/redundant content, merge duplicate bullets
5. Refine scope — ensure single responsibility, split if multiple workflows
6. Compare before/after — must be clearer, at least as executable, not broader

Linter gate: After refactoring, run python3 scripts/skill_linter.py on the file — must be 0 FAIL.

Independence check: After refactoring, verify the skill is still executable without opening any guideline. If the refactor introduced guideline delegations ("see guideline X"), ensure the Procedure still works standalone.

Decision hints:

• Too long → condense or split
• Too generic → narrow scope
• Missing validation → add it
• Too dependent on guidelines → inline essential steps
• Multiple workflows → split into separate skills

Common anti-patterns

• Same idea repeated in Goal, Core rules, and Gotchas
• Long paragraphs where one bullet would do
• Vague procedure steps ("think about X")
• Condensation that deletes safety-critical checks
• Over-expansion that turns skills into documentation
• Refactoring scope instead of structure
• Removing gotchas because they "look verbose"

Output format

1. Updated skill file(s) passing linter with 0 FAIL
2. Before/after line count comparison

Gotchas

• Over-condensation removes important nuance
• Some examples look verbose but are load-bearing
• Shorter is not better if trigger quality drops
• Changing intent instead of improving structure
• Condensed versions must be derived from uncondensed source, not the other way around
• Validation steps are non-negotiable — every Procedure must end with a concrete verify/confirm step. Skills without validation pass the linter today but cause failures when the linter is tightened.
• Renaming headings to "Procedure:" without adding steps creates false structure — the linter now requires ordered steps or sub-headings inside Procedure blocks.

Do NOT

• Do NOT remove validation steps
• Do NOT condense away decision hints that prevent mistakes
• Do NOT change the skill's core intent
• Do NOT merge unrelated workflows to save space
• Do NOT expand everything blindly — only where it helps execution
• Do NOT rewrite without understanding original intent
• Do NOT skip the preservation-guard rule checklist before completing any transformation

Auto-trigger keywords

• condense skill
• decondense skill
• refactor skill
• improve skill
• shorten skill
• expand skill
• telegraph condense
• make skill sharper