Skill Creator

Overview

Create effective skills that extend Claude's capabilities through specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Skills are modular packages that transform Claude from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent with procedural knowledge for specific domains.

This skill exemplifies its own teachings by using progressive disclosure to keep the entry point lean while providing deep detail in reference files.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when:

• Creating a new skill from scratch
• Updating or refactoring an existing skill
• Adding progressive disclosure to monolithic skills
• Understanding skill structure and best practices
• Planning skill components (scripts, references, assets)
• Packaging skills for distribution

Core Principles

1. Example-Driven Design: Start with concrete usage examples, not abstract concepts
2. Progressive Disclosure: Keep entry point <200 lines (optimal: 140-160), detailed content in references
3. Reusable Components: Extract scripts for repeated code, references for knowledge, assets for templates
4. Imperative Voice: Use verb-first instructions throughout (not second person)
5. Purpose-Built Resources: Each component should solve specific repetitive needs

What Skills Provide

Four Core Capabilities:

1. Specialized workflows - Multi-step procedures for specific domains
2. Tool integrations - Instructions for working with file formats or APIs
3. Domain expertise - Company-specific knowledge, schemas, business logic
4. Bundled resources - Scripts, references, and assets for complex tasks

Three-Level Loading System:

1. Metadata (name + description) - Always in context (~100 words)
2. SKILL.md body - When skill triggers (<200 lines, optimal: 140-160)
3. Bundled resources - As needed by Claude (unlimited)

Quick Start

Six-Step Creation Process

Step 1: Understand with Concrete Examples Gather 3-5 realistic usage examples. Ask: "What would users say to trigger this skill?" and "What tasks should it accomplish?" → Complete guide

Step 2: Plan Reusable Components Analyze examples to identify: scripts (repeated code), references (domain knowledge), assets (templates). → Planning guide

Step 3: Initialize Skill Run scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-directory> to generate template structure. → Initialization details

Step 4: Edit Skill Implement scripts/references/assets, then update SKILL.md using imperative voice. Apply progressive disclosure if >150 lines. → Editing guide

Step 5: Package and Validate Run scripts/package_skill.py <path/to/skill-folder> to validate and create distributable zip. → Packaging guide

Step 6: Iterate Use on real tasks, notice struggles, update skill accordingly. → Iteration guide

Skill Anatomy

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)           # Entry point with frontmatter + markdown
├── scripts/ (optional)           # Executable code (Python/Bash)
├── references/ (optional)        # Documentation loaded as needed
└── assets/ (optional)            # Templates, images, files for output

Component Guidelines:

• Scripts: When same code is repeatedly rewritten or deterministic execution needed
• References: For detailed specs, workflows, schemas, API docs (150-500 lines each)
• Assets: For templates, boilerplate, images, fonts used in outputs
• Entry Point: Core workflow, navigation, reminders (140-160 lines optimal)

→ Complete structure guide

Progressive Disclosure Pattern

When to apply: Skills >150 lines total

Implementation:

1. Add progressive_disclosure frontmatter with summary, when_to_use, quick_start
2. Reduce entry point to 140-160 lines (core workflow + navigation)
3. Create 3-5 reference files (150-500 lines each)
4. Organize by topic: structure, workflow, best practices, examples
5. Add navigation section linking all references

Benefits:

• Entry loads only essential content
• Deep detail available when needed
• Better organization and maintainability
• 20-30% reduction in entry point size

→ Complete progressive disclosure guide

Meta-example: This skill-creator demonstrates progressive disclosure:

• Entry: 150 lines (28% reduction from 209)
• References: 5 files with complete implementation details
• Recently optimized: mcp-builder (160 lines), testing-anti-patterns (140 lines)

Navigation

Core Concepts

• 🏗️ Skill Structure - Anatomy, components (scripts/references/assets), progressive disclosure architecture. Load when planning skill layout or understanding resource types.

Step-by-Step Process

• 🔄 Creation Workflow - Complete 6-step process from examples to iteration. Load when creating new skill or following structured workflow.

Design Patterns

• 📊 Progressive Disclosure - Three-level loading, implementation guide, anti-patterns, examples. Load when refactoring skills >150 lines or optimizing context usage.

Quality Standards

• ✅ Best Practices - Writing style, metadata quality, content organization, anti-patterns. Load when writing/reviewing skill content or ensuring quality.

Real-World Examples

• 📚 Examples - Complete skill examples: mcp-builder, testing-anti-patterns, pdf-editor, brand-guidelines, database-builder, frontend-builder. Load when starting new skill or seeking patterns.

Key Reminders

• Start with examples - 3-5 concrete usage scenarios before designing
• Use init script - scripts/init_skill.py creates proper structure automatically
• Imperative voice - "To accomplish X, do Y" (not "You should do X")
• Progressive disclosure - Entry <200 lines, details in references (for skills >150 lines)
• Avoid duplication - Information lives in ONE place (entry summary, reference detail)
• Component clarity - Scripts for code, references for knowledge, assets for templates
• Validate before sharing - scripts/package_skill.py validates and packages
• Iterate continuously - Use on real tasks, update based on struggles

Red Flags - STOP

If you catch yourself:

• "Let me write all the details in SKILL.md" → Move to references (progressive disclosure)
• "I'll use second person" → Switch to imperative voice
• "Same information in entry and reference" → Delete duplication
• Using generic description → Be specific about activation conditions
• Leaving example files from init script → Delete unused resources
• Skipping validation → Always run package_skill.py before sharing
• Creating skill without examples → Gather concrete usage scenarios first
• Entry point >200 lines → Apply progressive disclosure pattern

ALL of these mean: STOP. Review principles and references.

Integration with Other Skills

Meta-Skills:

• skill-creator (this skill) - Creates other skills, demonstrates its own patterns

Development Skills:

• mcp-builder - Example of progressive disclosure implementation
• testing-anti-patterns - Example of ultra-lean entry point (140 lines)

Workflow Skills:

• documentation - Writing clear, structured content
• verification-before-completion - Testing skills before packaging

Real-World Impact

From skill optimization experience:

• Progressive disclosure: 20-30% reduction in entry point size
• mcp-builder: 209 → 160 lines (23% reduction, 6 references)
• testing-anti-patterns: → 140 lines (ultra-lean with 4 references)
• skill-creator: 209 → 150 lines (28% reduction, 5 references)
• Context efficiency: Load only needed references (saves 50-80% context)
• Maintainability: Update specific references without touching entry point
• Clarity: Better organization improves discoverability and comprehension

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Remember: Skills are modular packages that transform Claude into a specialized agent. Apply progressive disclosure for skills >150 lines. This skill demonstrates the pattern it teaches.