Skill Chain Prompts

Orchestrate complex workflows by chaining multiple skills together. Define sequences, track progress, and use pre-built chains for common development patterns.

Concept

A chain is a sequence of skills that work together to accomplish a larger goal. Each step invokes a skill, passes context forward, and tracks completion. Chains work through Claude's sequential processing—no external engine required.

Quick Reference

Chain Format

chain:
  name: "my-workflow"
  description: "What this chain accomplishes"

steps:
  - id: first
    skill: skill-name
    description: "What this step does"
    outputs: [artifact1, artifact2]

  - id: second
    skill: another-skill
    depends_on: [first]
    checkpoint: true  # Pause for review

  - id: third
    skill: final-skill
    depends_on: [second]
    optional: true  # Can be skipped

Commands

Command	Purpose
/skill-chain-prompts run <chain>	Execute a named chain
/skill-chain-prompts list	Show available chains
/skill-chain-prompts status	Display current progress
/skill-chain-prompts resume	Continue from checkpoint
/skill-chain-prompts skip	Skip current optional step

Pre-Built Chains

Development Workflows

api-development — Full API from design to deployment

api-design-patterns → tdd-workflow → backend-implementation-patterns → verification-loop → deployment-cicd

fullstack-feature — Complete feature implementation

product-requirements-designer → api-design-patterns → backend-implementation-patterns → frontend-design-systems → testing-patterns → verification-loop

mcp-development — MCP server creation

mcp-builder → testing-patterns → verification-loop → mcp-server-orchestrator

Professional Workflows

career-preparation — Job search readiness

cv-resume-builder → portfolio-presentation → interview-preparation → networking-outreach

documentation — Project documentation

doc-coauthoring → github-repository-standards → github-profile-architect

Usage Examples

Run a Pre-Built Chain

User: /skill-chain-prompts run api-development

Claude: Starting chain: api-development
        "Full API development from design to deployment"

        Step 1/5: design (api-design-patterns)
        Invoking /api-design-patterns...

Check Progress

User: /skill-chain-prompts status

Claude: ## Chain Progress: api-development

        | Step | Skill | Status | Notes |
        |------|-------|--------|-------|
        | design | api-design-patterns | ● Done | OpenAPI spec created |
        | test-first | tdd-workflow | ◐ Active | Writing endpoint tests |
        | implement | backend-implementation-patterns | ○ Pending | |
        | verify | verification-loop | ○ Pending | |
        | deploy | deployment-cicd | ⊖ Optional | |

        **Progress**: 2/5 steps (40%)
        **Current**: test-first

Create Custom Chain

User: I need a chain for building a CLI tool

Claude: Creating custom chain...

        chain:
          name: "cli-tool"
          description: "Build a CLI application"

        steps:
          - id: design
            skill: api-design-patterns
            description: "Design CLI interface and commands"

          - id: implement
            skill: backend-implementation-patterns
            depends_on: [design]

          - id: test
            skill: testing-patterns
            depends_on: [implement]

          - id: docs
            skill: doc-coauthoring
            depends_on: [implement]
            optional: true

        Ready to execute?

State Tracking

Progress is tracked in the conversation using markdown tables:

## Chain Progress: fullstack-feature

| Step | Skill | Status | Notes |
|------|-------|--------|-------|
| requirements | product-requirements-designer | ● Done | PRD complete |
| api | api-design-patterns | ● Done | 12 endpoints |
| backend | backend-implementation-patterns | ◐ Active | 8/12 endpoints |
| frontend | frontend-design-systems | ○ Pending | |
| testing | testing-patterns | ○ Pending | |
| verify | verification-loop | ○ Pending | |

**Progress**: 2.5/6 steps (42%)
**Checkpoint**: After verify

Status Icons

Icon	Meaning
○	Pending
◐	In Progress
●	Complete
⊖	Optional/Skipped
✕	Failed

Checkpoints

Checkpoints pause the chain for review:

- id: verify
  skill: verification-loop
  depends_on: [implement]
  checkpoint: true  # Chain pauses here

At a checkpoint:

1. Chain pauses and shows summary
2. User reviews artifacts and progress
3. /skill-chain-prompts resume continues
4. Or user can modify, redo, or abort

Best Practices

1. Start with pre-built chains — Customize as needed
2. Use checkpoints — Add after critical steps for review
3. Mark optional steps — Deployment, documentation often optional
4. Keep chains focused — 3-7 steps is ideal
5. Pass context forward — Reference outputs from prior steps

References

• references/chain-format.md — Complete YAML specification
• references/execution-model.md — How chains are processed
• references/state-tracking.md — Progress visualization formats
• references/built-in-chains.md — All pre-built chains documented

Chain Templates

Pre-built chain files in assets/chains/:

• api-development.yaml
• fullstack-feature.yaml
• career-preparation.yaml
• mcp-development.yaml
• custom-chain.yaml — Blank template