Naming Plugins and Atoms

Brainstorm and validate names for plugins and their components (atoms = skills/agents/commands).

The Core Convention

Verb Form by Type

Type	Grammatical Form	Meaning	Suffix Pattern
Skill	Gerund (-ing)	"the activity of..."	-ing
Agent	Agent noun	"one who does..."	-er, -or, role noun
Command	Imperative	"do this"	base verb

The Golden Rule

Plugin name = Common prefix of all atoms = Neutral noun

✅ GOOD prefix (noun):
   skillsmith-    → skillsmith-authoring, skillsmith-tester, /skillsmith-create
   codeforge-     → codeforge-reviewing, codeforge-reviewer, /codeforge-review
   datakit-       → datakit-processing, datakit-processor, /datakit-process

❌ BAD prefix (already verb-formed):
   skill-authoring-  → skill-authoring-??? (prefix is already -ing!)
   code-review-      → code-review-??? (prefix looks like imperative!)

No Type Postfixes

✅ GOOD: metaskill-authoring, metaskill-tester
❌ BAD:  metaskill-authoring-skill, metaskill-tester-agent

The directory structure already indicates the type.

Brainstorming Process

Step 1: Identify the Domain

What is this plugin about? Write 3-5 words describing the core activity:

"creating skills for Claude Code"
"reviewing code for security"
"managing database migrations"

Step 2: Find Neutral Noun Candidates

Transform the domain into neutral noun forms:

Domain	Noun Candidates
creating skills	skillsmith, skillforge, skillcraft, skillkit
reviewing code	codeforge, codescan, codeguard, codewatch
managing databases	datakit, dataforge, dbsmith, migrator

Naming patterns that work:

-smith: One who forges (skillsmith, codesmith)
-forge: Place where things are made (skillforge, codeforge)
-craft: The craft of making (skillcraft, codecraft)
-kit: Toolkit for (skillkit, datakit)
-bench: Workbench for (skillbench, codebench)
-works: Workshop (skillworks, dataworks)
meta-: Meta-level tools (metaskill, metadata)
-guard/-watch: Protective monitoring (codeguard, datawatch)

Step 3: Generate Atom Names

For each candidate prefix, generate the full set:

Prefix: skillsmith
├── Skills (-ing):
│   ├── skillsmith-authoring
│   ├── skillsmith-triggering
│   └── skillsmith-packaging
├── Agents (role noun):
│   ├── skillsmith-trigger-tester
│   └── skillsmith-quality-checker
└── Commands (imperative):
    ├── /skillsmith-create
    └── /skillsmith-test

Step 4: Validate Names

Check each name against:

Prefix is neutral noun - not a verb form
Skills end in -ing - gerund form
Agents end in role noun - -er/-or or natural role
Commands end in imperative - base verb
No type postfixes - no -skill, -agent, -command
Pronounceable - can say it out loud
Memorable - distinctive enough to remember
No conflicts - doesn't clash with existing plugins

Step 5: Test with Full Table

Prefix	Skill	Agent	Command
skillsmith	skillsmith-authoring	skillsmith-author	/skillsmith-author
	skillsmith-triggering	skillsmith-trigger-tester	/skillsmith-trigger
	skillsmith-grouping	skillsmith-group-designer	/skillsmith-group

Does the table look consistent? Do the names feel natural?

Example: This Plugin

Domain: "meta-tooling for creating Claude Code skills"

Brainstorming:

skillsmith, skillforge, skillcraft → good but generic
metaskill → captures "meta" aspect, clear noun
skillet → fun but might confuse with cooking

Chosen: metaskill

Type	Name	Follows Convention?
Plugin	metaskill	✓ Neutral noun
Skill	metaskill-authoring	✓ Ends in -ing
Skill	metaskill-triggering	✓ Ends in -ing
Skill	metaskill-grouping	✓ Ends in -ing
Skill	metaskill-packaging	✓ Ends in -ing
Skill	metaskill-naming	✓ Ends in -ing
Agent	metaskill-trigger-tester	✓ Ends in role noun

Common Pitfalls

1. Verb-Form Prefix

❌ skill-authoring-trigger    # "skill-authoring" is already -ing
✅ metaskill-triggering       # "metaskill" is noun, "-triggering" is -ing

2. Awkward -ing Forms

When -ing sounds unnatural, rephrase the activity:

❌ metaskill-trigger          # Missing -ing
❌ metaskill-triggering       # Could mean "firing events"
✅ metaskill-triggering       # Context: "configuring triggers" (acceptable)
✅ metaskill-trigger-tuning   # Alternative: explicit "tuning"

3. Conflicting Meanings

Test if the name could mean something else:

"triggering" → firing events? or configuring triggers?
Context usually disambiguates, but consider alternatives if confusing

Quick Reference Card

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    NAMING CONVENTION                            │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Plugin Name = Common Prefix = NEUTRAL NOUN                     │
│                                                                 │
│  ┌──────────┬────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┐   │
│  │   Type   │   Suffix Form      │   Example               │   │
│  ├──────────┼────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤   │
│  │ Skill    │ -ing (gerund)      │ metaskill-authoring     │   │
│  │ Agent    │ -er/-or (role)     │ metaskill-trigger-tester│   │
│  │ Command  │ imperative verb    │ /metaskill-create       │   │
│  └──────────┴────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                 │
│  ❌ NO type postfixes: -skill, -agent, -command                 │
│  ❌ NO verb-form prefixes: reviewing-, authoring-               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Related Skills

For skill structure and writing, see /metaskill-authoring
For trigger optimization, see /metaskill-triggering
For skill group patterns, see /metaskill-grouping
For plugin packaging, see /metaskill-packaging

metaskill-naming