Skill Creator

Create a new skill that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations.

Core Principles

Concise is Key

The context window is a shared resource. Only add context Claude doesn't already have. Challenge each piece: "Does Claude really need this?"

Anatomy of a Skill

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description)
│   └── Markdown instructions
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/      - Executable code
    ├── references/   - Documentation
    └── assets/       - Templates, images

SKILL.md Format

---
name: my-skill-name
description: A clear description of what this skill does and when to use it
---

# My Skill Name

[Instructions for Claude when this skill is active]

## Examples
- Example usage 1
- Example usage 2

## Guidelines
- Guideline 1
- Guideline 2

Skill Creation Process

Step 1: Understand with Examples

Gather concrete examples of how the skill will be used. Ask:

• "What functionality should this skill support?"
• "What would a user say that should trigger this skill?"

Step 2: Plan Reusable Contents

Analyze examples to identify:

• Scripts: Code that gets rewritten repeatedly
• References: Documentation Claude needs to reference
• Assets: Templates, images for output

Step 3: Initialize

Create the skill directory structure with SKILL.md and resource folders.

Location: skills/[skill-name]/SKILL.md

Step 4: Implement

• Start with reusable resources (scripts, references, assets)
• Write clear SKILL.md with proper frontmatter
• Test scripts by actually running them

Step 5: Iterate

Use the skill on real tasks, notice struggles, improve.

Progressive Disclosure

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Split content:

# PDF Processing

## Quick start
[code example]

## Advanced features
- **Form filling**: See [FORMS.md](FORMS.md)
- **API reference**: See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)

What NOT to Include

• README.md
• INSTALLATION_GUIDE.md
• CHANGELOG.md
• User-facing documentation

Skills are for AI agents, not humans.

Frontmatter Options

---
name: skill-name           # Required: identifier
description: When to use   # Required: triggers skill discovery
references:                # Optional: files to load progressively
  - references/api.md
  - references/examples.md
allowed-tools:             # Optional: restrict tool access
  - Bash(git:*)
  - Read
  - Write
---