skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md

---
name: skill-creator
description: Guide for creating effective skills. This skill should be used when users want to create a new skill (or update an existing skill) that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, or tool integrations.
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt
---

# Skill Creator

This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills.

## About Skills

Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend Claude's capabilities by providing
specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific
domains or tasks—they transform Claude from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent
equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.

### What Skills Provide

1. Specialized workflows - Multi-step procedures for specific domains
2. Tool integrations - Instructions for working with specific file formats or APIs
3. Domain expertise - Company-specific knowledge, schemas, business logic
4. Bundled resources - Scripts, references, and assets for complex and repetitive tasks

### Anatomy of a Skill

Every skill consists of a required SKILL.md file and optional bundled resources:

```
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter metadata (required)
│   │   ├── name: (required)
│   │   └── description: (required)
│   └── Markdown instructions (required)
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/          - Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.)
    ├── references/       - Documentation intended to be loaded into context as needed
    └── assets/           - Files used in output (templates, icons, fonts, etc.)
```

#### SKILL.md (required)

**Metadata Quality:** The `name` and `description` in YAML frontmatter determine when Claude will use the skill. Be specific about what the skill does and when to use it. Use the third-person (e.g. "This skill should be used when..." instead of "Use this skill when...").

#### Bundled Resources (optional)

##### Scripts (`scripts/`)

Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.) for tasks that require deterministic reliability or are repeatedly rewritten.

- **When to include**: When the same code is being rewritten repeatedly or deterministic reliability is needed
- **Example**: `scripts/rotate_pdf.py` for PDF rotation tasks
- **Benefits**: Token efficient, deterministic, may be executed without loading into context
- **Note**: Scripts may still need to be read by Claude for patching or environment-specific adjustments

##### References (`references/`)

Documentation and reference material intended to be loaded as needed into context to inform Claude's process and thinking.

- **When to include**: For documentation that Claude should reference while working
- **Examples**: `references/finance.md` for financial schemas, `references/mnda.md` for company NDA template, `references/policies.md` for company policies, `references/api_docs.md` for API specifications
- **Use cases**: Database schemas, API documentation, domain knowledge, company policies, detailed workflow guides
- **Benefits**: Keeps SKILL.md lean, loaded only when Claude determines it's needed
- **Best practice**: If files are large (>10k words), include grep search patterns in SKILL.md
- **Avoid duplication**: Information should live in either SKILL.md or references files, not both. Prefer references files for detailed information unless it's truly core to the skill—this keeps SKILL.md lean while making information discoverable without hogging the context window. Keep only essential procedural instructions and workflow guidance in SKILL.md; move detailed reference material, schemas, and examples to references files.

##### Assets (`assets/`)

Files not intended to be loaded into context, but rather used within the output Claude produces.

- **When to include**: When the skill needs files that will be used in the final output
- **Examples**: `assets/logo.png` for brand assets, `assets/slides.pptx` for PowerPoint templates, `assets/frontend-template/` for HTML/React boilerplate, `assets/font.ttf` for typography
- **Use cases**: Templates, images, icons, boilerplate code, fonts, sample documents that get copied or modified
- **Benefits**: Separates output resources from documentation, enables Claude to use files without loading them into context

### Progressive Disclosure Design Principle

Skills use a three-level loading system to manage context efficiently:

1. **Metadata (name + description)** - Always in context (~100 words)
2. **SKILL.md body** - When skill triggers (<5k words)
3. **Bundled resources** - As needed by Claude (Unlimited*)

*Unlimited because scripts can be executed without reading into context window.

## Skill Creation Process

To create a skill, follow the "Skill Creation Process" in order, skipping steps only if there is a clear reason why they are not applicable.

### Step 1: Understanding the Skill with Concrete Examples

Skip this step only when the skill's usage patterns are already clearly understood. It remains valuable even when working with an existing skill.

To create an effective skill, clearly understand concrete examples of how the skill will be used. This understanding can come from either direct user examples or generated examples that are validated with user feedback.

For example, when building an image-editor skill, relevant questions include:

- "What functionality should the image-editor skill support? Editing, rotating, anything else?"
- "Can you give some examples of how this skill would be used?"
- "I can imagine users asking for things like 'Remove the red-eye from this image' or 'Rotate this image'. Are there other ways you imagine this skill being used?"
- "What would a user say that should trigger this skill?"

To avoid overwhelming users, avoid asking too many questions in a single message. Start with the most important questions and follow up as needed for better effectiveness.

Conclude this step when there is a clear sense of the functionality the skill should support.

### Step 2: Planning the Reusable Skill Contents

To turn concrete examples into an effective skill, analyze each example by:

1. Considering how to execute on the example from scratch
2. Identifying what scripts, references, and assets would be helpful when executing these workflows repeatedly

Example: When building a `pdf-editor` skill to handle queries like "Help me rotate this PDF," the analysis shows:

1. Rotating a PDF requires re-writing the same code each time
2. A `scripts/rotate_pdf.py` script would be helpful to store in the skill

Example: When designing a `frontend-webapp-builder` skill for queries like "Build me a todo app" or "Build me a dashboard to track my steps," the analysis shows:

1. Writing a frontend webapp requires the same boilerplate HTML/React each time
2. An `assets/hello-world/` template containing the boilerplate HTML/React project files would be helpful to store in the skill

Example: When building a `big-query` skill to handle queries like "How many users have logged in today?" the analysis shows:

1. Querying BigQuery requires re-discovering the table schemas and relationships each time
2. A `references/schema.md` file documenting the table schemas would be helpful to store in the skill

To establish the skill's contents, analyze each concrete example to create a list of the reusable resources to include: scripts, references, and assets.

### Step 3: Initializing the Skill

At this point, it is time to actually create the skill.

Skip this step only if the skill being developed already exists, and iteration or packaging is needed. In this case, continue to the next step.

When creating a new skill from scratch, always run the `init_skill.py` script. The script conveniently generates a new template skill directory that automatically includes everything a skill requires, making the skill creation process much more efficient and reliable.

Usage:

```bash
scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-directory>
```

The script:

- Creates the skill directory at the specified path
- Generates a SKILL.md template with proper frontmatter and TODO placeholders
- Creates example resource directories: `scripts/`, `references/`, and `assets/`
- Adds example files in each directory that can be customized or deleted

After initialization, customize or remove the generated SKILL.md and example files as needed.

### Step 4: Edit the Skill

When editing the (newly-generated or existing) skill, remember that the skill is being created for another instance of Claude to use. Focus on including information that would be beneficial and non-obvious to Claude. Consider what procedural knowledge, domain-specific details, or reusable assets would help another Claude instance execute these tasks more effectively.

#### Start with Reusable Skill Contents

To begin implementation, start with the reusable resources identified above: `scripts/`, `references/`, and `assets/` files. Note that this step may require user input. For example, when implementing a `brand-guidelines` skill, the user may need to provide brand assets or templates to store in `assets/`, or documentation to store in `references/`.

Also, delete any example files and directories not needed for the skill. The initialization script creates example files in `scripts/`, `references/`, and `assets/` to demonstrate structure, but most skills won't need all of them.

#### Update SKILL.md

**Writing Style:** Write the entire skill using **imperative/infinitive form** (verb-first instructions), not second person. Use objective, instructional language (e.g., "To accomplish X, do Y" rather than "You should do X" or "If you need to do X"). This maintains consistency and clarity for AI consumption.

To complete SKILL.md, answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the skill, in a few sentences?
2. When should the skill be used?
3. In practice, how should Claude use the skill? All reusable skill contents developed above should be referenced so that Claude knows how to use them.

### Step 5: Packaging a Skill

Once the skill is ready, it should be packaged into a distributable zip file that gets shared with the user. The packaging process automatically validates the skill first to ensure it meets all requirements:

```bash
scripts/package_skill.py <path/to/skill-folder>
```

Optional output directory specification:

```bash
scripts/package_skill.py <path/to/skill-folder> ./dist
```

The packaging script will:

1. **Validate** the skill automatically, checking:
   - YAML frontmatter format and required fields
   - Skill naming conventions and directory structure
   - Description completeness and quality
   - File organization and resource references

2. **Package** the skill if validation passes, creating a zip file named after the skill (e.g., `my-skill.zip`) that includes all files and maintains the proper directory structure for distribution.

If validation fails, the script will report the errors and exit without creating a package. Fix any validation errors and run the packaging command again.

### Step 6: Iterate

After testing the skill, users may request improvements. Often this happens right after using the skill, with fresh context of how the skill performed.

**Iteration workflow:**
1. Use the skill on real tasks
2. Notice struggles or inefficiencies
3. Identify how SKILL.md or bundled resources should be updated
4. Implement changes and test again

---

## Self-Contained Skill Principle

**AI 无法"记住"任何东西。新 Session 加载技能时，没有任何上下文记忆。技能文档必须包含运行所需的全部信息。**

### 核心规则

每个技能必须做到：**新 AI 加载后，仅凭文档就能直接运行，不需要"记住"任何外部信息。**

### 必须在 SKILL.md 中记录的内容

| 类别 | 必须记录 | 示例 |
|------|---------|------|
| **环境路径** | 可执行文件的完整路径，不要假设 AI 知道在哪 | `"D:/ProgramData/anaconda3/envs/py312_cuda/python.exe"` 而非 `python` |
| **环境验证** | 如何确认环境可用 | `"python.exe" -c "import torch; print(torch.cuda.is_available())"` |
| **不可用的环境** | 明确标注哪些环境不能用，为什么 | `D:\AI\Miniconda3\python.exe` → ❌ CPU 版本，会超时 |
| **外部依赖** | 模型文件、配置文件、API Key 存储位置 | `D:/AI/LM-Models/faster-whisper/large-v3/` |
| **重建步骤** | 如果环境不存在，如何从零创建 | conda create → pip install → 验证 |
| **已知问题** | 运行中可能遇到的坑及解决方案 | "转录前需清理残留进程，否则显存泄漏" |

### 文档结构建议

```
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # 主文档：环境配置放在最前面，调用方式紧随其后
├── ENVIRONMENT.md        # （可选）复杂环境配置单独成文件
├── STATUS.md             # （可选）开发状态、已验证结果、待处理项
├── scripts/              # 可执行脚本
├── references/           # 参考资料
└── assets/               # 输出资源
```

### SKILL.md 开头模板

```markdown
## 🚨 环境配置（最重要，先看这里）

**必须使用的 Python 环境**：
```
<完整路径>
```

### ⚠️ 容易混淆的环境

| 路径 | 版本 | 能用吗？ | 说明 |
|------|------|---------|------|
| <错误路径> | <版本信息> | ❌ | 为什么不能用 |
| <正确路径> | <版本信息> | ✅ | 为什么用这个 |

### 验证环境

```bash
"<完整路径>" -c "<验证命令>"
# 必须输出 <预期结果>
```

### 调用方式

```bash
"<完整路径>" scripts/<脚本名>.py <参数>
```
```

### 反面案例

| 错误做法 | 问题 | 正确做法 |
|---------|------|---------|
| 只写 `python script.py` | 新 AI 不知道用哪个 Python | 写完整路径 |
| 写"用 GPU 环境" | 新 AI 不知道哪个是 GPU 环境 | 写完整路径 + 验证命令 |
| 写"模型在本地" | 新 AI 不知道路径 | 写完整路径 |
| 写"之前跑通了" | 新 AI 没有之前的上下文 | 在 STATUS.md 记录验证结果 |
| 写"环境没问题" | 新 AI 无法验证 | 写验证命令 + 预期输出 |

### 检查清单

创建或更新技能时，确认：

- [ ] SKILL.md 最前面有环境路径（完整路径，不是相对路径）
- [ ] 有环境验证命令和预期输出
- [ ] 明确标注了不可用的环境及原因
- [ ] 有完整的调用命令示例（含完整路径）
- [ ] 有外部依赖的路径（模型、配置等）
- [ ] 有重建步骤（如果环境需要创建）
- [ ] 有已知问题及解决方案
- [ ] 新 AI 仅凭文档就能运行，不需要"记住"任何东西