Skill Creator Skill

Overview

This skill guides the creation of new Claude Code skills. Skills are specialized instruction sets that enhance Claude's capabilities for specific domains, tasks, or workflows.

Quick Start

Define scope - Answer: What problem? Who uses it? What outputs?
Create structure - .claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md
Write frontmatter - Name, description, version, category
Add content - Overview, Instructions, Examples, Best Practices
Test - Verify skill triggers correctly

# Create skill directory
mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-new-skill

# Create SKILL.md with template
cat > .claude/skills/my-new-skill/SKILL.md << 'EOF'
---
name: my-new-skill
description: Action-oriented description. Use for X, Y, and Z.
version: 1.0.0
category: [builders|tools|content-design|communication|meta]
---

# My New Skill

## Overview
[1-2 sentences explaining purpose]

## Instructions
[Step-by-step guidance]

## Examples
[Concrete examples]
EOF

When to Use

Building custom skills for specific domains
Creating reusable workflow templates
Standardizing organizational processes
Extending Claude Code capabilities
Documenting specialized knowledge

Skill Anatomy

File Structure

.claude/skills/
└── skill-name/
    ├── SKILL.md           # Required: Main skill definition
    └── resources/         # Optional: Supporting files
        ├── templates/
        ├── examples/
        └── data/

SKILL.md Structure

---
name: skill-name
description: One-line description of what this skill does and when to use it.
version: 1.0.0
category: builders
last_updated: 2026-01-02
related_skills:
  - related-skill-1
  - related-skill-2
---

# Skill Title

## Overview
Brief explanation of the skill's purpose and capabilities.

## Quick Start
Fastest path to value.

## When to Use
- Scenario 1
- Scenario 2
- Scenario 3

## Instructions
Detailed instructions for how to apply the skill.

## Examples
Concrete examples of the skill in action.

## Best Practices
Guidelines for effective use.

## Error Handling
Common issues and solutions.

## Metrics
How to measure success.

## Related Skills
Links to complementary skills.

## Version History
- **1.0.0** (YYYY-MM-DD): Initial release

Skill Design Principles

1. Clear Triggering

The description field is crucial--it determines when the skill activates:

Good descriptions:

description: Create professional presentations with python-pptx. Use for slide decks, pitch presentations, and visual reports.

Bad descriptions:

description: A skill for presentations.  # Too vague
description: This skill helps you...     # Starts with filler

Tips for descriptions:

Start with an action verb
Include specific use cases
Mention key technologies/tools
Keep under 200 characters

2. Progressive Disclosure

Structure content from general to specific:

## Overview
High-level purpose (always loaded)

## Quick Start
Fastest path to value

## Detailed Instructions
Comprehensive guidance

## Advanced Usage
Edge cases and optimization

## Reference
Complete API/options reference

3. Actionable Content

Every section should guide action:

## Bad: Conceptual only
CSS is a styling language for web pages.

## Good: Actionable
To style a button with hover effects:
\`\`\`css
.button {
    background: #007bff;
    transition: background 0.2s;
}
.button:hover {
    background: #0056b3;
}
\`\`\`

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Define the Skill Scope

Answer these questions:

What specific problem does this skill solve?
Who is the target user?
What inputs does it expect?
What outputs does it produce?
What tools/technologies does it use?

Step 2: Write the Frontmatter

---
name: lowercase-kebab-case
description: Action-oriented description with use cases. Use for X, Y, and Z.
version: 1.0.0
category: builders
last_updated: 2026-01-02
related_skills:
  - related-skill-1
---

Naming conventions:

Use lowercase with hyphens: api-testing, data-viz
Be descriptive but concise
Avoid generic names like helper or utils

Step 3: Structure the Content

Overview Section

## Overview

[1-2 sentences explaining what this skill enables]

**Key Capabilities:**
- Capability 1
- Capability 2
- Capability 3

Instructions Section

## Instructions

### [Task Category 1]

[Step-by-step instructions]

\`\`\`language
// Code example
\`\`\`

### [Task Category 2]

[More instructions with examples]

Examples Section

## Examples

### Example 1: [Scenario Name]

**Input:** [What user provides]

**Process:** [What skill does]

**Output:** [What user receives]

\`\`\`
// Complete working example
\`\`\`

Step 4: Add Supporting Materials

If needed, create resources:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md
└── resources/
    ├── templates/
    │   └── starter.template
    ├── examples/
    │   └── complete-example.py
    └── config/
        └── defaults.yaml

Reference them in SKILL.md:

See [starter template](resources/templates/starter.template) for a quick start.

Skill Templates

Technical Skill Template

---
name: tech-skill-name
description: Technical capability description. Use for specific technical tasks.
version: 1.0.0
category: builders
---

# Technical Skill Name

## Overview

This skill provides [capability] using [technology/tool].

## Prerequisites

- Dependency 1
- Dependency 2

## Installation

\`\`\`bash
# Installation commands
\`\`\`

## Quick Start

\`\`\`language
// Minimal working example
\`\`\`

## Core Operations

### Operation 1

\`\`\`language
// Code
\`\`\`

### Operation 2

\`\`\`language
// Code
\`\`\`

## Configuration Options

| Option | Type | Default | Description |
|--------|------|---------|-------------|
| option1 | string | "default" | Description |

## Error Handling

### Common Errors

**Error: [Error Name]**
- Cause: [Why it happens]
- Solution: [How to fix]

## Best Practices

1. Practice 1
2. Practice 2
3. Practice 3

Process Skill Template

---
name: process-skill-name
description: Process/workflow description. Use for organizational tasks.
version: 1.0.0
category: communication
---

# Process Skill Name

## Overview

This skill guides [process type] for [outcome].

## When to Use

- Situation 1
- Situation 2
- Situation 3

## Process Steps

### Step 1: [Name]

[Instructions]

**Checklist:**
- [ ] Item 1
- [ ] Item 2

### Step 2: [Name]

[Instructions]

**Template:**
\`\`\`
[Template content]
\`\`\`

### Step 3: [Name]

[Instructions]

## Templates

### [Template Name]

\`\`\`
[Full template]
\`\`\`

## Examples

### [Scenario]

[Complete worked example]

## Tips

- Tip 1
- Tip 2
- Tip 3

Creative Skill Template

---
name: creative-skill-name
description: Creative capability description. Use for design/content creation.
version: 1.0.0
category: content-design
---

# Creative Skill Name

## Overview

This skill enables creation of [output type] with [characteristics].

## Design Principles

### Principle 1: [Name]
[Explanation]

### Principle 2: [Name]
[Explanation]

## Styles & Variations

### Style 1: [Name]
[Description and examples]

### Style 2: [Name]
[Description and examples]

## Creation Process

### Phase 1: [Name]
[Instructions]

### Phase 2: [Name]
[Instructions]

## Technical Implementation

\`\`\`language
// Code for creating the output
\`\`\`

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
- [ ] Criterion 3

## Inspiration & Examples

[Gallery of examples with explanations]

Execution Checklist

Before creating a skill:

Scope clearly defined (problem, users, inputs, outputs)
Name follows kebab-case convention
Description is action-oriented with use cases

During creation:

Frontmatter complete (name, description, version, category)
Overview explains value in 2-3 sentences
Quick Start provides immediate value
Instructions are actionable, not conceptual
Examples are complete and runnable

After creation:

Skill triggers correctly when invoked
Code examples tested and working
Related skills referenced
Version history added

Skill Quality Checklist

Content Quality

Description clearly states purpose and trigger conditions
Overview explains value proposition in 2-3 sentences
Instructions are actionable, not just conceptual
Examples are complete and runnable
Best practices are specific and justified

Structure Quality

Follows progressive disclosure (general -> specific)
Uses consistent heading hierarchy
Code blocks have language tags
Tables are properly formatted
Lists are parallel in structure

Usability

Can be used without reading entire document
Quick start enables immediate value
Error scenarios are addressed
Edge cases are documented
Related skills are referenced

Technical Accuracy

Code examples are tested and work
Dependencies are listed
Version requirements are specified
Installation steps are complete

Error Handling

Common Errors

Error: Skill not triggering

Cause: Description too vague or doesn't match user intent
Solution: Rewrite description with specific use cases and action verbs

Error: Skill content too large

Cause: Too much content in single SKILL.md
Solution: Move large examples to resources/ folder, keep SKILL.md under 500 lines

Error: Circular skill references

Cause: Skills reference each other in loops
Solution: Review related_skills, ensure DAG structure

Error: Outdated code examples

Cause: Dependencies or APIs changed
Solution: Test examples regularly, update version history

Skill Maintenance

Versioning

Track significant changes:

<!-- At end of SKILL.md -->

---
## Version History

- **1.2.0** (2025-01-15): Added new feature X
- **1.1.0** (2024-12-01): Updated examples for tool v2
- **1.0.0** (2024-10-15): Initial release

Deprecation

When retiring a skill:

---
name: old-skill-name
description: DEPRECATED - Use new-skill-name instead. [Original description]
deprecated: true
deprecated_date: 2026-01-02
replacement: new-skill-name
---

Metrics

Track skill effectiveness:

Metric	Target	How to Measure
Trigger accuracy	>90%	Skill activates when intended
Completion rate	>85%	Users complete skill workflow
Error rate	<10%	Failed executions / total
Update frequency	Monthly	Last update within 30 days
User satisfaction	>4/5	Feedback ratings

Integration with Claude Code

Skill Discovery

Skills are discovered from:

.claude/skills/ in project directory
~/.claude/skills/ for user-level skills

Skill Loading

Metadata: Always loaded (name, description)
Body: Loaded when skill is triggered
Resources: Loaded on demand

Best Practices for Performance

Keep SKILL.md focused (under 500 lines ideal)
Move large examples to resources/
Reference external documentation for comprehensive APIs
Use code blocks sparingly--quality over quantity

Related Skills

session-start-routine - Skill library maintenance
sparc-workflow - Development methodology
mcp-builder - MCP server creation

Version History

2.0.0 (2026-01-02): Upgraded to v2 template - added Quick Start, When to Use, Execution Checklist, Error Handling, Metrics sections; enhanced frontmatter with version, category, related_skills
1.0.0 (2024-10-15): Initial release with skill anatomy, design principles, templates, quality checklist

skill-creator