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.

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.
---

# Skill Title

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

## 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.

## Related Skills
Links to complementary skills.

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:

1. What specific problem does this skill solve?
2. Who is the target user?
3. What inputs does it expect?
4. What outputs does it produce?
5. 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.
---

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.
---

# 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.
---

# 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.
---

# 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]

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

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]
---

Integration with Claude Code

Skill Discovery

Skills are discovered from:

1. .claude/skills/ in project directory
2. ~/.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

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