skill-creator

name: skill-creator description: "Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations."

Skill Creator

This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills.

About Skills

Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend Claude's capabilities by providing specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific domains or tasks—they transform Claude from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.

What Skills Provide

1. Specialized workflows - Multi-step procedures for specific domains
2. Tool integrations - Instructions for working with specific file formats or APIs
3. Domain expertise - Company-specific knowledge, schemas, business logic
4. Bundled resources - Scripts, references, and assets for complex and repetitive tasks

Anatomy of a Skill

Every skill consists of a required SKILL.md file and optional bundled resources:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter metadata (required)
│   │   ├── name: (required)
│   │   └── description: (required)
│   └── Markdown instructions (required)
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/          - Executable code
    ├── references/       - Documentation intended to be loaded into context as needed
    └── assets/           - Files used in output (templates, icons, fonts, etc.)

SKILL.md (required)

Metadata Quality: The name and description in YAML frontmatter determine when Claude will use the skill. Be specific about what the skill does and when to use it. Use the third-person (e.g. "This skill should be used when..." instead of "Use this skill when...").

Bundled Resources (optional)

Scripts (scripts/)

Executable code for tasks that require deterministic reliability or are repeatedly rewritten.

• When to include: When the same code is being rewritten repeatedly or deterministic reliability is needed
• Benefits: Token efficient, deterministic, may be executed without loading into context

References (references/)

Documentation and reference material intended to be loaded as needed into context to inform Claude's process and thinking.

• When to include: For documentation that Claude should reference while working
• Use cases: API documentation, domain knowledge, company policies, detailed workflow guides
• Benefits: Keeps SKILL.md lean, loaded only when Claude determines it's needed
• Best practice: If files are large (>10k words), include grep search patterns in SKILL.md

Assets (assets/)

Files not intended to be loaded into context, but rather used within the output Claude produces.

• When to include: When the skill needs files that will be used in the final output
• Use cases: Templates, images, icons, boilerplate code, fonts, sample documents
• Benefits: Separates output resources from documentation

Skill Creation Process

Step 1: Understanding the Skill with Concrete Examples

To create an effective skill, clearly understand concrete examples of how the skill will be used. Ask questions like:

• "What functionality should this skill support?"
• "Can you give some examples of how this skill would be used?"
• "What would a user say that should trigger this skill?"

Step 2: Planning the Reusable Skill Contents

Analyze each example to identify what scripts, references, and assets would be helpful when executing these workflows repeatedly.

Step 3: Create the Skill Directory

Create the skill directory with the required structure:

.claude/skills/skill-name/
├── SKILL.md
├── scripts/     (optional)
├── references/  (optional)
└── assets/      (optional)

Step 4: Edit the Skill

Writing Style: Write the entire skill using imperative/infinitive form (verb-first instructions). Use objective, instructional language.

To complete SKILL.md, answer:

1. What is the purpose of the skill, in a few sentences?
2. When should the skill be used?
3. In practice, how should Claude use the skill?

Step 5: Iterate

After testing the skill, improve based on real usage:

1. Use the skill on real tasks
2. Notice struggles or inefficiencies
3. Identify how SKILL.md or bundled resources should be updated
4. Implement changes and test again