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Contains Shell Commands
This skill contains shell command directives (!command``) that may execute system commands. Review carefully before installing.
Skill Master
Create, edit, and validate Agent Skills following the open agentskills.io specification. This skill is the entry point for creating and maintaining Agent Skills.
Language requirement: all skills MUST be authored in English.
Links
Quick Navigation
- New to skills? Read:
references/specification.md
- SKILL.md templates? See:
assets/skill-templates.md
- Writing effective descriptions & instructions? Read:
references/writing-skills.md
- Structuring multi-step processes? Read:
references/workflows.md
- Adding scripts to a skill? Read:
references/scripts.md
- Adding assets/templates to a skill? Read:
references/assets.md
- Advanced features (context, agents, hooks)? Read:
references/advanced-features.md
- Creating from docs? Read:
references/docs-ingestion.md
- Testing, evals, benchmarking, or iterative improvement? Read:
references/testing-troubleshooting.md, references/eval-testing.md, references/iterative-improvement.md
- Description optimization? Read:
references/description-optimization.md
- JSON schemas (evals, grading, benchmark)? Read:
references/schemas.md
- Eval set review UI and output viewer? See:
assets/eval_review.html, eval-viewer/
- Validation & packaging? See
scripts/
When to Use
- Creating a new skill from scratch
- Updating an existing skill
- Creating a skill by ingesting external documentation
- Validating or packaging a skill for distribution
- Running the full skill-creator-style loop: interview, draft, eval, benchmark, viewer review, and iteration
skill-master subsumes skill-creator; for the detailed operator playbook, workspace layout, timing capture, benchmark analysis, and viewer handoff, read references/iterative-improvement.md.
Skill Structure (Required)
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Required: instructions + metadata (must be human-readable too)
├── metadata.json # Optional: extended metadata for publishing
├── references/ # Optional: documentation, guides, API references
├── examples/ # Optional: sample outputs, usage examples
├── scripts/ # Optional: executable code
└── assets/ # Optional: templates, images, data files
Do NOT includeREADME.md in skill folders. SKILL.md is the single source of truth. If migrating a skill with README.md, merge its content into SKILL.md and delete it.
Folder Purposes (CRITICAL)
| Folder | Purpose | Examples |
|---|
references/ | Documentation for agents to read | Guides, API docs, concept explanations, troubleshooting |
examples/ | Sample outputs showing expected format | Output examples, usage demonstrations |
assets/ | Static resources to copy/use | Document templates, config templates, images, schemas |
scripts/ | Executable code to run | Python scripts, shell scripts, validators |
When to Use Each
references/ — documentation the agent reads and understandsexamples/ — sample outputs showing expected formatassets/ — templates, configs, schemas to copy verbatimscripts/ — executable code the agent runs
IMPORTANT : Templates belong in assets/, examples in examples/, documentation in references/.
Frontmatter Schema
Every SKILL.md MUST start with YAML frontmatter:
---
name: skill-name
description: "What it does. Keywords: term1, term2."
metadata:
author: your-name
version: "1.2.3"
release_date: "2026-01-01"
---
Field order: name → description → license → compatibility → metadata
Required Fields
| Field | Constraints |
|---|
| name | 1-64 chars, lowercase a-z0-9-, no --, no leading/trailing -, must match folder name |
| description | 1-1024 chars (target: 80-150), describes what skill does + when to use it, include keywords |
Optional Fields (Top Level)
| Field | Purpose |
|---|
| license | License name or reference to bundled LICENSE file |
| compatibility | Environment requirements (max 500 chars) |
| metadata | Object for arbitrary key-value pairs (see below) |
metadata Object (Common Fields)
| Field | Purpose |
|---|
| author | Author name or organization |
| version | Upstream product version or skill version |
| release_date | Last meaningful update date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| argument-hint | Hint for autocomplete, e.g., [issue-number] |
Optional Fields (Claude Code / Advanced)
| Field | Purpose |
|---|
| disable-model-invocation | true = only user can invoke (via /name). Default: false |
| user-invocable | false = hidden from / menu, only agent can load. Default: true |
| allowed-tools | Space-delimited tools agent can use without asking, e.g., Read Grep Glob |
| model | Specific model to use when skill is active |
|
Invocation Control Matrix
| Frontmatter | User can invoke | Agent can invoke | Notes |
|---|
| (default) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | Description in context, loads when used |
disable-model-invocation: true | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | For manual workflows with side effects |
user-invocable: false | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | Background knowledge, not a command |
Variable Substitutions
Available placeholders in skill content:
| Variable | Description |
|---|
$ARGUMENTS | All arguments passed when invoking the skill |
${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID} | Current session ID for logging or session-specific files |
If $ARGUMENTS is not in content, arguments are appended as ARGUMENTS: <value>.
Example:
---
name: fix-issue
description: Fix a GitHub issue
disable-model-invocation: true
---
Fix GitHub issue $ARGUMENTS following our coding standards.
Dynamic Context Injection
Use !command`` syntax to run shell commands before skill content is sent to the agent:
## Pull request context
- PR diff: !`gh pr diff`
- Changed files: !`gh pr diff --name-only`
## Your task
Review this pull request...
The command output replaces the placeholder, so the agent receives actual data.
metadata.json (Optional)
For publishing or extended metadata, create metadata.json:
{
"version": "1.0.0",
"organization": "Your Org",
"date": "January 2026",
"abstract": "Brief description of what this skill provides...",
"references": ["https://docs.example.com", "https://github.com/org/repo"]
}
Fields:
version — Skill version (semver)organization — Author or organizationdate — Publication dateabstract — Extended description (can be longer than frontmatter)references — List of source documentation URLs
Name Validation Examples
# Valid
name: pdf-processing
name: data-analysis
name: code-review
# Invalid
name: PDF-Processing # uppercase not allowed
name: -pdf # cannot start with hyphen
name: pdf--processing # consecutive hyphens not allowed
Description Rules
Purpose: Tell the LLM what the skill does and when to activate it. Minimize tokens — just enough for activation decision.
Formulas:
For library/reference skills (Claude Code, keyword-based discovery):
[Product] [core function]. Covers [2-3 key topics]. Keywords: [terms].
For workflow/automation skills (Claude.ai, trigger-based activation):
[What it does]. Use when user [specific trigger phrases].
Critical for auto-triggering: include explicit "Use when user says / asks / mentions..." phrases. Without them, Claude may not load the skill automatically. See references/writing-skills.md for good/bad examples and debugging tips.
Constraints:
- Target: 80-150 chars
- Max: 1024 chars (300 if keeping it minimal)
- No marketing ("powerful", "comprehensive", "modern")
- No filler ("this skill", "use this for", "helps with")
- No XML angle brackets
< >
- Names with "claude" or "anthropic" are reserved
Good examples:
description: "Turso SQLite database. Covers encryption, sync, agent patterns. Keywords: Turso, libSQL, SQLite."
description: "Base UI unstyled React components. Covers forms, menus, overlays. Keywords: @base-ui/react, render props."
description: "Inworld TTS API. Covers voice cloning, audio markups, timestamps. Keywords: Inworld, TTS, visemes."
Poor examples:
# Too vague
description: "Helps with PDFs."
# Too verbose
description: "Turso embedded SQLite database for modern apps and AI agents. Covers encryption, authorization, sync, partial sync, and agent database patterns."
# Marketing
description: "A powerful solution for all your database needs."
Keywords: product name, package name, 3-5 terms max.
How Skills Work (Progressive Disclosure)
- Discovery : Agent loads only
name + description of each skill (~50-100 tokens)
- Activation : When task matches, agent reads full
SKILL.md into context
- Execution : Agent follows instructions, loads referenced files as needed
Key rule: Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Move details to references/.
Creating a New Skill
Pro Tip: You can use theskill-creator skill (available in Claude.ai or Claude Code) to interactively generate your first draft, then refine it using the steps below.
Step 1: Scaffold
python scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name>
# Or specify custom directory:
python scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --skills-dir skills
Or manually create:
<skills-folder>/<skill-name>/
├── SKILL.md
├── references/ # For documentation, guides
└── assets/ # For templates, static files
Step 2: Write Frontmatter
---
name: <skill-name>
description: "[Purpose] + [Triggers/Keywords]"
---
Step 3: Write Body
Recommended sections:
- When to use (triggers, situations)
- Quick navigation (router to references and assets)
- Steps / Recipes / Checklists
- Critical prohibitions
- Links
Step 4: Add References (documentation)
For each major topic, create references/<topic>.md with:
- Actionable takeaways (5-15 bullets)
- Gotchas / prohibitions
- Practical examples
Step 5: Add Scripts (if applicable)
Consult references/scripts.md for when scripts are worth writing and how to structure them.
Language selection:
- Python — default for CLI wrappers, validators, scaffolding
- Go — when the skill's ecosystem is Kubernetes/cloud-native (see k8s-cluster-api)
- JS/TS — when the skill's ecosystem is Node/npm
Minimal checklist for a script:
argparse (Python) or flag (Go) for all parameters — no hardcoded values- Check tool availability before use (
shutil.which() in Python)
- Docstring at top with Usage + Examples
- All exceptions caught; exit non-zero with a message to stderr
Step 6: Add Assets (if needed)
Consult references/assets.md for when assets are worth creating and how to format them.
For templates or static resources, create assets/<resource>. Common types:
- Config templates —
.minimal.yaml / .full.yaml pair; add # yaml-language-server: $schema= header
- YAML manifests — use
${VAR_NAME:=default} for variables; include purpose + usage comment at top
- Text templates — use
#-prefixed comments to explain fields and valid values
- Markdown checklists / runbooks —
- [ ] checkboxes, inline commands, sign-off section
- Prompt / prose templates — grouped by use case, each block self-contained
Naming: <tool>.minimal.yaml, <purpose>-checklist.md, <name>.template, <topic>-prompts.md.
Step 7: Validate
python scripts/quick_validate_skill.py <skill-path>
# Compatibility alias:
python scripts/quick_validate.py <skill-path>
Creating a Skill from Documentation
When building a skill from external docs, use the autonomous ingestion workflow:
Phase 1: Scaffold
- Create skill folder with
SKILL.md skeleton
- Create
plan.md for progress tracking
- Create
references/ directory
Phase 2: Build Queue
For each doc link:
- Fetch the page
- Extract internal doc links (avoid nav duplicates)
- Prioritize: concepts → API → operations → troubleshooting
Phase 3: Ingest Loop
For each page:
- Fetch one page
- Create
references/<topic>.md with actionable summary
- Update
plan.md checkbox
- Update
SKILL.md if it adds a useful recipe/rule
Do not ask user after each page — continue autonomously.
Phase 4: Finalize
- Review
SKILL.md for completeness
- Ensure practical recipes, not docs mirror
plan.md may be deleted manually after ingestion
Critical Prohibitions
- Do NOT copy large verbatim chunks from vendor docs (summarize in own words)
- Do NOT write skills in languages other than English
- Do NOT include project-specific secrets, paths, or assumptions
- Do NOT keep
SKILL.md over 500 lines
- Do NOT skip
name validation (must match folder name)
- Do NOT use poor descriptions that lack trigger keywords
- Do NOT omit product version when creating skills from documentation
Version Tracking
What version Means
In this repository, store version metadata as metadata.version and metadata.release_date to match the existing skills and current Copilot skill-file validation. metadata.version holds the upstream product version the skill was built against (e.g., "1.12.3" for CAPI v1.12.3). For standalone skills not tied to an external product, it holds the skill's own version (e.g., "1.2.4" for skill-master). Use "—" when the product uses continuous deployment with no semantic versioning (e.g., hosted services like Cloudflare Workers).
When to Update
| Trigger | Update metadata.version | Update metadata.release_date |
|---|
| Product released a new version | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Content changed, no upstream version | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Typo or minor fix | ❌ No | ❌ No |
When bumping metadata.version or making significant content changes, also update:
SKILLS_VERSIONS.md — set new version + date, move row to top of tableCHANGELOG.md — prepend a new dated block at the top
Links format:
## Links
- [Documentation](https://example.com/docs)
- [Changelog](https://example.com/changelog)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/org/repo)
- [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/name)
Order: Documentation → Changelog/Releases → GitHub → Package registry. Include only applicable links.
Validation Checklist
Pro Tip: You can use theskill-creator skill (available in Claude.ai or Claude Code) to review your skill and suggest improvements before finalizing.
name matches folder name, kebab-case, 1-64 chars, no --description includes WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it (trigger phrases)description has no XML angle brackets < >SKILL.md under 500 lines- Documentation in
references/, templates in assets/
- Complex multi-step processes extracted to
references/workflows.md
- All text in English
- Skill triggers on obvious test queries
- Skill does NOT trigger on unrelated queries
Full pre-publish checklist: references/testing-troubleshooting.md
Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|
init_skill.py | Scaffold new Agent Skill (agentskills.io) |
init_copilot_asset.py | Scaffold Copilot-specific assets (instructions, agents) |
quick_validate_skill.py | Validate skill structure |
quick_validate.py | Compatibility wrapper for legacy validation workflow |
package_skill.py | Package skill into distributable zip |
run_eval.py |
Agents: agents/grader.md (grade expectations), agents/comparator.md (blind A/B comparison), agents/analyzer.md (post-hoc analysis + benchmark)
Links
- Specification:
references/specification.md
- Writing Skills (descriptions, instructions, patterns):
references/writing-skills.md
- Workflow Patterns:
references/workflows.md
- Scripts in Skills:
references/scripts.md
- Assets in Skills:
references/assets.md
- Testing & Troubleshooting:
references/testing-troubleshooting.md
- Advanced Features:
references/advanced-features.md
- SKILL.md Templates:
assets/skill-templates.md
- Docs Ingestion:
references/docs-ingestion.md
Weekly Installs
107
Repository
itechmeat/llm-code
GitHub Stars
10
First Seen
Jan 26, 2026
Security Audits
Gen Agent Trust HubPassSocketPassSnykWarn
Installed on
github-copilot77
opencode72
codex51
gemini-cli47
cursor45
claude-code44
