Skill Creator

Create well-structured Claude Code skills following best practices.

Skill Structure

Every skill requires this directory structure:

.claude/skills/
└── skill-name/
    ├── SKILL.md          # Required - main skill definition
    └── [supporting.md]   # Optional - reference docs, examples

SKILL.md Format

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of what the skill does and when to use it. Max 1024 chars.
---

# Skill Title

[Main instructions for Claude when this skill is activated]

Frontmatter Requirements

Writing Effective Descriptions

The description determines when Claude activates the skill. Be specific:

Good descriptions:

• "Transform changelogs and user showcases into Twitter posts. Use for social media content with casual voice."
• "Design evidence-based powerlifting programs. Use for strength training, workout planning, progressive overload."

Bad descriptions:

• "Helps with content" (too vague)
• "For writing" (won't trigger reliably)

Include:

• Specific functionality and capabilities
• Trigger terms users would mention
• When Claude should activate it

Skill Content Best Practices

Structure

# Skill Title

Brief context paragraph.

## Context
Who/what this skill represents, target audience.

## [Main Sections]
Core instructions, templates, guidelines.

## Examples
Input/output examples when helpful.

## Quality Checklist
Verification criteria for outputs.

Content Guidelines

• Be specific and actionable
• Include templates and examples
• Define clear output formats
• Add quality checklists when appropriate
• Reference supporting files if needed

Skill Locations

Creating a New Skill

1. Identify the need: What task should Claude handle automatically?
2. Define triggers: What words/contexts should activate it?
3. Create directory: mkdir -p .claude/skills/skill-name
4. Write SKILL.md: Include frontmatter + instructions
5. Add supporting files: Optional reference docs
6. Test activation: Verify Claude activates on relevant requests

Example: Minimal Skill

---
name: code-review
description: Review code for bugs, security issues, and best practices. Use when asked to review or audit code.
---

# Code Review Skill

Review code systematically for:

## Checklist
- [ ] Logic errors and edge cases
- [ ] Security vulnerabilities (injection, auth, etc.)
- [ ] Performance concerns
- [ ] Code style and readability
- [ ] Error handling

## Output Format
Provide findings as:
1. **Critical**: Must fix before merge
2. **Important**: Should fix soon
3. **Suggestions**: Nice to have improvements

Example: Skill with Tool Restrictions

---
name: codebase-explorer
description: Explore and explain codebase structure. Use for understanding unfamiliar code. Read-only.
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob
---

# Codebase Explorer

Analyze codebases without making changes...

Common Patterns

Voice/Persona Skills

Define character, tone, writing style for consistent outputs.

Task-Specific Skills

Step-by-step instructions for specific workflows.

Template Skills

Output formats, document structures, boilerplate.

Analysis Skills

Checklists, criteria, evaluation frameworks.