Create Skill

Create a new Claude Skill or update an existing one following the skill-creator methodology: $ARGUMENTS

Instructions

When this command is invoked, use the skill-creator-expert agent to guide the user through creating a skill.

1. Determine Skill Details

If arguments provided:

• Parse skill name and description from $ARGUMENTS
• Use these as starting points

If no arguments:

• Ask the user what skill they want to create
• Gather information about the skill's purpose

2. Follow Skill Creation Process

Use the skill-creator-expert agent which follows the skill-creator skill methodology:

1. Understand with Examples: Ask for concrete usage examples
2. Plan Resources: Identify scripts, references, and assets needed
3. Initialize: Run init_skill.py script to create structure
4. Edit: Create reusable resources and update SKILL.md
5. Package: Validate and package when ready
6. Iterate: Improve based on feedback

3. Skill Location

Determine where to create the skill:

• Project skills: skills/ directory in current project
• User skills: ~/.claude/skills/ directory

If not specified, ask the user which location they prefer.

4. Initialize Skill

Run the initialization script:

python ~/.claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-directory>

This creates:

• Skill directory with proper structure
• SKILL.md template with frontmatter
• Example directories (scripts/, references/, assets/)

5. Guide Content Creation

Help the user:

• Create reusable resources (scripts, references, assets)
• Write SKILL.md with proper structure
• Follow imperative/infinitive writing style
• Include "When to Use" section
• Reference all bundled resources

6. Validate and Package

When the skill is complete:

python ~/.claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py <skill-path>

This validates the skill and creates a distributable zip file.

Skill Structure

Skills should include:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── Frontmatter (name, description)
│   └── Instructions (when to use, how to use)
└── [Optional Resources]
    ├── scripts/          # Executable helper scripts (Python, Bash, etc.)
    ├── references/        # Documentation references (detailed patterns, checklists, guides)
    └── assets/           # Templates, images, fonts, etc.

Reference Files

Reference files (references/) store detailed documentation that would make SKILL.md too long. Use them for:

• Detailed Patterns: Common patterns and examples (e.g., references/common_patterns.md)
• Checklists: Comprehensive checklists (e.g., references/review_checklist.md)
• Framework Guides: Framework-specific documentation (e.g., references/framework_patterns.md)
• API References: API documentation and examples
• Schemas: Database schemas, data structures

How to Reference: In SKILL.md, tell Claude when to load reference files:

• "For detailed patterns, load references/common_patterns.md"
• "When analyzing X, load references/framework_patterns.md and refer to section Y"

Examples

Create New Skill

/create-skill "api-testing" "Skill for testing REST APIs with automated test generation"

Update Existing Skill

/create-skill "debugging" # Update existing skill

Best Practices

• Be Specific: Clear descriptions help Claude know when to use the skill
• Progressive Disclosure: Keep SKILL.md lean, use references for details
• Test Examples: Ensure all examples work as documented
• Iterate: Improve based on real usage feedback

Follow the skill-creator skill methodology for creating effective, well-structured skills.