create-skill

Files (3)

• SKILL.md
• repeated-pattern.md · __benchmarks__/
• vague-pattern.md · __benchmarks__/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# /create-skill — Skill Creator

## Orientation

**Use when:**
- The user says "I keep doing this same thing" or "automate this for me"
- The user wants to encode a workflow they have refined through repetition
- The user says "create a skill for X" or "make a skill that does Y"

**Do NOT use when:**
- The user wants a one-off task done (just do it)
- The pattern has only happened once
- An existing skill already covers this
- The user wants to modify an existing skill (edit directly)

**Output:** A complete `.claude/skills/{name}/SKILL.md` in the project directory, tested and working.

## Protocol

### Step 1: DISCOVER — The Three Questions

Ask these three questions and wait for answers before proceeding.

**Q1: "What do you keep repeating?"**
Listen for: trigger, steps in order, scope, frequency. If vague, probe: "Walk me through the last time you did this."

**Q2: "What mistakes happen when you do it manually?"**
Listen for: forgotten steps, ordering mistakes, convention drift, edge cases. These become guardrails and quality gates.

**Q3: "What does 'done right' look like?"**
Listen for: observable outputs, quality signals, anti-patterns. These become quality gates and exit protocol.

### Step 2: ANALYZE — Extract the Skill's DNA

Internal working material — do not show to user.

**2a. Identity statement:** "You are a {role} that {does what} to ensure {outcome}." Must distinguish this skill from all others.

**2b. Trigger keywords (5-10):** Specific enough to avoid false matches. Check existing `.claude/skills/` for conflicts.

**2c. Protocol steps:** Transform "what I do" into numbered steps where:
- Each step has a clear input and output
- Decision points have explicit criteria ("IF x THEN y, ELSE z")
- Steps reference concrete things (file paths, commands, patterns)

Bad: "3. Review the code for issues."
Good: "3. Read every function. For each, check: (a) return type explicit, (b) error cases handled, (c) no input mutations. List violations with line numbers."

**2d. Quality gates:** Yes/no verifiable questions, no subjective criteria. Map each to a user "done right" criterion or common mistake.

**2e. Pitfalls:** From Q2. Become warnings or guard clauses in the protocol.

### Step 3: GENERATE — Write the SKILL.md

Every section required. File MUST be under 500 lines.

```markdown
---
name: {kebab-case-name}
description: >-
  {One to three sentences. Start with verb. Use when X; do NOT use for Y.}
user-invocable: true
auto-trigger: false
trigger_keywords:
  - {keyword 1}
  - {keyword 2}
---

# /{name} — {Readable Title}

## Orientation

**Use when:**
- {condition}

**Do NOT use when:**
- {exclusion}

**What this skill needs:**
- {required input}

## Protocol

### Step 1: {VERB — Name}
{Exact instructions. What to read, what to produce. No vague directives.}

### Step 2: {VERB — Name}
{Continue...}

## Quality Gates

- [ ] {Verifiable gate}

## Exit Protocol

{Exact output format}
```

**Writing rules:**
1. Steps must be reproducible by a different AI session with no memory of this conversation.
2. No hedge language — "do X" not "consider X".
3. No filler — delete sections that add no new information.
4. Include examples only where the pattern is non-obvious.
5. Encode the user's taste: "I hate when it does Z" → explicit prohibition.

### Step 4: INSTALL & REGISTER

1. Create `.claude/skills/{name}/`
2. Write the SKILL.md
3. Verify file exists and is readable
4. Register with router:
   a. Read `.claude/harness.json` (create with `{}` if missing)
   b. Add skill name to `registeredSkills` array
   c. Update `registeredSkillCount` to match array length
5. Only add to CLAUDE.md if it has an explicit skills section listing available skills.
6. Run `/reload-skills` if the running Claude Code version supports it; the skill is live without a session restart. If unsupported, tell the user a fresh session is required before `/{name}` resolves.

### Step 5: VERIFY — Test on a Real Target

From mayankjain1815-commits/CITADEL, MIT.

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