make-skill-template

name: make-skill-template description: Scaffolds new GitHub Copilot Agent Skills from prompts or templates, generating SKILL.md frontmatter, folder structure, and optional bundled resources.

Make Skill Template

A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills specification.

When to Use This Skill

• User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"
• User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
• User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
• User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point

Prerequisites

• Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
• A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
• Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Create the Skill Directory

Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:

skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md          # Required

Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter

Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with name and description:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: "<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>."
---

Frontmatter Field Requirements

Description Best Practices

CRITICAL: The description is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:

1. WHAT the skill does (capabilities)
2. WHEN to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)
3. Keywords users might mention in prompts

Good example — single-line inline string (required):

description: "Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit."

Poor examples — NEVER use these:

# ❌ YAML block scalar — breaks Copilot skill discovery
description: >
  Toolkit for testing local web applications...

# ❌ Too short — not enough context for skill routing
description: "Web testing helpers"

Rule: description MUST be a single-line inline string. YAML block scalars (> or |) cause the runtime to receive a literal ">" instead of your text, silently disabling skill auto-discovery.

Step 3: Write the Skill Body

After the frontmatter, add markdown instructions. Recommended sections:

Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)

Example: Complete Skill Structure

my-awesome-skill/
├── SKILL.md                    # Required instructions
├── LICENSE.txt                 # Optional license file
├── scripts/
│   └── helper.py               # Executable automation
├── references/
│   ├── api-reference.md        # Detailed docs
│   └── examples.md             # Usage examples
├── assets/
│   └── diagram.png             # Static resources
└── templates/
    └── starter.ts              # Code scaffold

Quick Start: Duplicate This Template

1. Copy the make-skill-template/ folder
2. Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
3. Update SKILL.md:
   • Change name: to match folder name
   • Write a keyword-rich description:
   • Replace body content with your instructions
4. Add bundled resources as needed
5. Validate with npm run skill:validate

Validation Checklist

• Folder name is lowercase with hyphens
• name field matches folder name exactly
• description is 10-1024 characters
• description explains WHAT and WHEN
• description is wrapped in single quotes
• Body content is under 500 lines
• Bundled assets are under 5MB each

Golden Principles Alignment

Every new skill should align with the 10 golden operating principles (.github/skills/golden-principles/SKILL.md). Before finalizing, verify:

• Map, not manual — skill points to deeper sources instead of duplicating content
• Context is scarce — skill stays focused; doesn't dump unrelated information
• Progressive disclosure — starts with essentials, links to details when needed
• Mechanical enforcement — if any rule in the skill could be a linter check, note it
• Repository is the system of record — all knowledge lives in-repo, not external

Troubleshooting

Project-Specific Scaffold Templates

When creating skills for this project, use one of these skeletons that match the conventions already established in the repository.

Azure Knowledge Skill Skeleton

For skills that teach agents about Azure patterns, conventions, or diagnostics:

---
name: azure-{topic}
description: {What it does including Azure context}. Use when {triggers and keywords}.
compatibility: Requires Azure CLI with Bicep extension
---

# Azure {Topic} Skill

One-sentence overview of what this skill provides.

---

## Quick Reference

| Pattern / Capability | When to Use |
| -------------------- | ----------- |
| ...                  | ...         |

---

## {Pattern/Section Name}

Explanation and code example:

\```bicep
// example
\```

---

## Learn More

| Topic | How to Find                          |
| ----- | ------------------------------------ |
| ...   | `microsoft_docs_search(query="...")` |

Integration Skill Skeleton

For skills that wrap external tools, MCP servers, or CLIs:

---
name: {tool-name}
description: {What it does}. Use when {triggers}.
compatibility: Requires {tool/dependency}
---

# {Tool Name} Skill

Overview of the integration.

---

## Quick Reference

| Tool / Command | Purpose |
| -------------- | ------- |
| ...            | ...     |

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: ...

### Step 2: ...

---

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution |
| ----- | -------- |
| ...   | ...      |

Checklist: Before Committing a New Skill

• Folder uses lowercase-hyphenated name matching name: field
• description is a single-line inline string (no YAML block scalars)
• description includes WHAT, WHEN, and keywords
• Body uses --- horizontal rules between major sections
• Tables used for structured data instead of prose lists
• Code examples are project-relevant (Bicep, KQL, Azure CLI)
• ## Learn More section references microsoft_docs_search() where applicable
• Added to .github/skills/README.md under the correct category
• Added to .github/copilot-instructions.md skills table
• Wired into consuming agents via mandatory read list

References

• Agent Skills official spec: https://agentskills.io/specification