Your Skill Name

Note: This template follows Anthropic's skill-creator best practices. Use imperative/infinitive form (verb-first instructions) throughout.

Purpose

[2-3 sentences] Explain what this skill does and why it's useful. Be specific about the problems it solves.

Example: "This skill provides tools and workflows for rotating, cropping, and editing PDF documents. It simplifies PDF manipulation tasks that would otherwise require re-writing the same code repeatedly."

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:

• The user asks about [specific topic]
• The user needs to [specific action]
• Working with [specific files/formats]
• Queries mention [key terms]

Example:

• The user asks to rotate, edit, or manipulate PDF files
• The user needs to perform batch operations on PDFs
• Working with PDF documents that require structural changes
• Queries mention "PDF", "rotate", "crop", "merge", or "split"

Prerequisites

List any requirements or setup needed:

• Required tools (e.g., Python 3.6+, jq, etc.)
• Required files or configuration
• Environment setup
• Permissions needed

Example: "Requires Python 3.8+ with PyPDF2 library installed. Install with: pip install PyPDF2"

Bundled Resources

This skill follows the progressive disclosure principle with three resource types:

Scripts (scripts/)

Executable code for tasks requiring deterministic reliability or frequently rewritten.

When to include: When the same code is repeatedly rewritten or deterministic behavior is needed.

Included scripts:

• scripts/example_script.py - [Description of what it does]

Usage:

python scripts/example_script.py --option value

References (references/)

Documentation loaded into context as needed to inform Claude's process.

When to include: For detailed documentation, schemas, API specs, policies, or domain knowledge.

Included references:

• references/example_reference.md - [Description of what it contains]

Note: Keep SKILL.md lean; move detailed information to reference files. For large files (>10k words), include grep search patterns in this section.

Assets (assets/)

Files used in output, not loaded into context (templates, images, boilerplate).

When to include: When the skill needs files for the final output.

Included assets:

• assets/example_asset.txt - [Description of what it's used for]

Usage: Copy, modify, or reference these assets in the output produced.

How to Use This Skill

Provide clear, actionable instructions using imperative form. Reference bundled resources where appropriate.

Basic Workflow

Task 1: [Common Task]

1. Run the script: python scripts/example_script.py --input file.pdf
2. Verify the output in the specified directory
3. Handle any errors using the troubleshooting guide below

Task 2: [Another Task]

1. Read the reference documentation: references/example_reference.md
2. Apply the workflow to the user's specific case
3. Use assets from assets/ as needed

Advanced Workflow

Task 3: [Complex Task]

1. Combine multiple scripts for batch processing
2. Reference advanced patterns in references/advanced.md
3. Customize asset templates for specific use cases

Key Information

Important details about the skill:

• Tool/Library: Name and version
• File locations: Where files are stored
• Output format: What format output is provided
• Limitations: What the skill cannot do

Example:

• Tool/Library: PyPDF2 v3.0+
• Input: PDF files from any location
• Output: Modified PDF files in the same directory or specified output path
• Limitations: Cannot edit PDF content (text/images), only structural operations

Troubleshooting

Common errors and solutions using imperative form:

Error: [Error Message]

• Cause: [Why this occurs]
• Solution: [How to fix]
  1. Check [specific condition]
  2. Run [specific command]
  3. Verify [expected outcome]

Error: [Another Error]

• Cause: [Why this occurs]
• Solution: [How to fix]

Best Practices

• Use [specific approach] for [specific scenario]
• Avoid [anti-pattern] because [reason]
• Prefer [better approach] over [alternative]
• Test [what to test] before [what depends on it]

Additional Notes

Important considerations:

• Edge cases or special scenarios
• Performance considerations
• Security implications
• Related tools or resources
• When to use alternative approaches

Examples

Note: Remove this section or provide real examples. Avoid hypothetical placeholders.

Reference actual files in the skill directory:

• See examples/sample-input.txt for input format
• See examples/expected-output.txt for expected results
• See assets/template.html for the output template structure