Benchmark skill for testing how platforms handle edge-case YAML values in the metadata frontmatter field. Use when asked to probe metadata value handling.
Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.
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---
name: probe-metadata-values
description: Benchmark skill for testing how platforms handle edge-case YAML values in the metadata frontmatter field. Use when asked to probe metadata value handling.
metadata:
normal: "baseline"
empty-double: ""
empty-single: ''
explicit-null: null
tilde-null: ~
none-null: None
tagged-null: !!null null
---
# Metadata Value Edge Cases Probe
This skill tests whether platforms can successfully load a skill whose
`metadata` field contains edge-case YAML values. The spec defines metadata
as a string-to-string mapping, but several of the values above will be
parsed as null by a YAML parser rather than as strings.
## Canary Phrase
The canary phrase for this skill is: **THRUSH-FLINT-8294**
If you can see this phrase, the platform successfully loaded this skill
despite the edge-case metadata values.
## Instructions
When activated, report:
1. **Load success**: Did this skill load successfully? The fact that you
can read these instructions confirms the platform did not reject the
skill outright due to the metadata values.
2. **Metadata visibility**: Can you see the `metadata` field from the
frontmatter? If so, list each key and what value you see. Pay
particular attention to:
- `normal`: Should be the string `"baseline"` (control value).
- `empty-double` and `empty-single`: Should be empty strings.
- `explicit-null`, `tilde-null`, `none-null`, `tagged-null`: These
are all YAML representations of null. Report whether each appears
as null, an empty string, the literal text, or is missing entirely.
3. **Key preservation**: Are all seven keys present, or were any dropped?
Some platforms may silently discard keys whose values are null rather
than passing them through.
4. **Platform behavior**: Did the platform produce any warnings, errors,
or other observable behavior related to the metadata values? For
example:
- Did it reject any values as invalid?
- Did it coerce null values to empty strings?
- Did it strip the metadata field entirely?
- Or did it pass everything through without issue?