Skill Creator Skill

Description

This skill guides you through creating high-quality Claude Code skills. It handles the structure, validates the content, helps you test iteratively, and ensures the skill meets quality benchmarks before packaging.

Instructions

When the user wants to create a new skill, follow this workflow:

Step 1: Define the Skill

Gather information:

• Purpose: What problem does this skill solve?
• Trigger: When should Claude invoke this skill? (keyword, file type, command)
• Scope: What tools/capabilities does it need? (file access, bash, web)
• Output: What does the skill produce? (files, terminal output, analysis)

Step 2: Structure the Skill File

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## Description
[2-3 sentences: what it does, who it's for]

## Instructions
[Detailed step-by-step behavior when the skill is invoked]
[Include code examples, templates, and patterns]

## Rules
[Hard constraints the skill must follow]
[Error handling behavior]
[Edge cases to watch for]

## Examples
[3-5 examples showing different invocation patterns]
[Show input -> expected output for each]

Step 3: Quality Validation Checklist

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## Quality Checklist
- [ ] Description clearly states what the skill does
- [ ] Instructions are specific and actionable (not vague)
- [ ] Includes at least 3 realistic examples
- [ ] Rules cover edge cases and error handling
- [ ] Code examples are syntactically correct and copy-paste ready
- [ ] No references to external services without setup instructions
- [ ] Works with the tools Claude Code actually has access to
- [ ] Tested with at least 2 different invocation patterns

Step 4: Iterative Testing

1. Save the skill file
2. Invoke it with a test scenario
3. Evaluate the output quality
4. Refine instructions based on what went wrong
5. Repeat until passing all quality checks

Step 5: Package for Sharing

.claude/skills/
  my-skill/
    SKILL.md          # Main skill file
    README.md         # Optional: human-readable docs
    examples/         # Optional: example inputs/outputs

Rules

• Skill files must be named SKILL.md inside their skill directory
• Instructions should be written as if talking to Claude, not the user
• Every skill must have Description, Instructions, Rules, and Examples sections
• Code examples must be syntactically valid and tested
• Do not reference tools or capabilities Claude Code does not have
• Skills should be self-contained — no external dependencies without setup instructions
• Keep skill files under 2000 lines — split into sub-skills if larger
• Use markdown formatting consistently throughout

Examples

User: Create a skill for generating database migrations Action: Gather requirements (ORM, database), write skill with migration templates, test with sample schema change

User: Turn my git workflow into a skill Action: Interview user about their workflow, formalize into structured skill with branching strategy, commit conventions, and PR templates

User: Package this skill for others to use Action: Validate quality checklist, add README, create example directory, organize for distribution