skill-creator

SKILL.md

Skill Creator

Generate production-ready Claude Code skills following established conventions.

Core Workflow

  1. Define skill purpose: Clear name, description, and use cases
  2. Determine category: Place in correct folder (foundation, frontend, backend, etc.)
  3. Create SKILL.md: Main skill file with frontmatter and content
  4. Add references: Optional templates.md, conventions.md, or patterns.md
  5. Include examples: Production-ready code samples
  6. Write checklist: Output verification checklist

Skill Categories

Category Path Purpose
Foundation foundation/ Project setup, dev environment, git, docs
Frontend frontend/ React, Vue, UI components, styling, UX
Backend backend/ APIs, auth, server logic, services
AI Engineering ai-engineering/ LLMs, RAG, agents, prompts
Architecture architecture/ System design, ADRs, tech decisions
CI/CD ci-cd/ Automation, deployments, pipelines
Database database-management/ Migrations, queries, data engineering
Testing testing/ Unit tests, integration, e2e, mocks
Security security/ Vulnerabilities, auth, hardening
Performance performance/ Observability, monitoring, optimization

SKILL.md Template

---
name: skill-name-in-kebab-case
description: One-line description of what the skill does and when to use it. Include trigger phrases like "use when users request X, Y, or Z".
---

# Skill Title

Brief tagline explaining the skill's value proposition.

## Core Workflow

1. **Step one**: Description
2. **Step two**: Description
3. **Step three**: Description
   ...

## [Main Content Sections]

### Section with Code Examples

\`\`\`typescript
// Production-ready code example
\`\`\`

### Patterns / Templates

Document reusable patterns with examples.

## Best Practices

- Practice one
- Practice two
- Practice three

## Output Checklist

Every output should include:

- [ ] Item one
- [ ] Item two
- [ ] Item three

Reference Files Structure

When skills need supplementary documentation:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # Main skill file (required)
└── references/            # Optional reference materials
    ├── templates.md       # Code/file templates
    ├── conventions.md     # Standards and conventions
    └── patterns.md        # Reusable patterns

Frontmatter Requirements

---
name: kebab-case-skill-name # Must match folder name
description: >
  Clear description including:
  - What the skill does
  - When to use it
  - Trigger phrases ("use when X", "create Y", "generate Z")
---

Content Guidelines

Code Examples

  • Must be production-ready, not pseudocode
  • Include TypeScript types where applicable
  • Show complete, working examples
  • Use modern syntax and best practices

Sections to Include

  1. Core Workflow: Numbered steps for using the skill
  2. Main Content: Patterns, templates, examples
  3. Best Practices: Industry-proven recommendations
  4. Output Checklist: Verification items

Writing Style

  • Active voice, imperative mood
  • Concise, scannable formatting
  • Tables for structured comparisons
  • Code blocks for all technical content

Skill Quality Criteria

Completeness

  • Solves a specific, well-defined problem
  • Includes working code examples
  • Has clear trigger phrases in description
  • Provides output verification checklist

Consistency

  • Follows naming conventions (kebab-case)
  • Uses standard section headings
  • Matches existing skill format
  • Placed in correct category folder

Usefulness

  • Examples are copy-paste ready
  • Covers common use cases
  • Anticipates edge cases
  • References external docs where helpful

Example: Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Define the Skill

Name: api-rate-limiter
Category: backend
Purpose: Implement rate limiting for APIs
Triggers: "add rate limiting", "protect API", "throttle requests"

Step 2: Create Folder Structure

mkdir -p backend/api-rate-limiter
touch "backend/api-rate-limiter/SKILL.md"

Step 3: Write SKILL.md

---
name: api-rate-limiter
description: Implements rate limiting for APIs using token bucket, sliding window, or fixed window algorithms. Use when users request "add rate limiting", "protect API from abuse", or "throttle requests".
---

# API Rate Limiter

Protect your APIs from abuse with production-ready rate limiting.

## Core Workflow

...

Step 4: Add References (if needed)

mkdir -p backend/api-rate-limiter/references
touch backend/api-rate-limiter/references/algorithms.md

Output Checklist

When creating a new skill:

  • Skill name is kebab-case
  • Description includes trigger phrases
  • Placed in correct category folder
  • SKILL.md follows template structure
  • Code examples are production-ready
  • Includes Core Workflow section
  • Has Output Checklist section
  • Reference files added if needed
Weekly Installs
9
First Seen
10 days ago
Installed on
claude-code7
trae6
gemini-cli6
antigravity6
github-copilot6
windsurf6