Write A Skill

---
name: write-a-skill
description: Create new agent skills with proper structure, progressive disclosure, and bundled resources. Use when user wants to create, write, or build a new skill.
---

# Writing Skills

## Process

1. **Gather requirements** - use the request and existing context to establish:
   - What task/domain does the skill cover?
   - What specific use cases should it handle?
   - Does it need executable scripts or just instructions?
   - Any reference materials to include?

   Ask only for missing information that materially changes the skill. If the request supplies enough detail, proceed to drafting.

2. **Draft the skill** - create:
   - SKILL.md with concise instructions
   - Additional reference files if content exceeds 500 lines
   - Utility scripts if deterministic operations needed

3. **Review the result** - check it against the requested use cases and the checklist below, then present what changed and any remaining decisions. Ask the user only about an unresolved choice that needs their judgment; do not require another review round when the direction is already authorized.

## Skill Structure

```
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md           # Main instructions (required)
├── REFERENCE.md       # Detailed docs (if needed)
├── EXAMPLES.md        # Usage examples (if needed)
└── scripts/           # Utility scripts (if needed)
    └── helper.js
```

## SKILL.md Template

```md
---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of capability. Use when [specific triggers].
---

# Skill Name

## Quick start

[Minimal working example]

## Workflows

[Step-by-step processes with checklists for complex tasks]

## Advanced features

[Link to separate files: See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)]
```

## Description Requirements

The description is **the only thing your agent sees** when deciding which skill to load. It's surfaced in the system prompt alongside all other installed skills. Your agent reads these descriptions and picks the relevant skill based on the user's request.

**Goal**: Give your agent just enough info to know:

1. What capability this skill provides
2. When/why to trigger it (specific keywords, contexts, file types)

**Format**:

- Max 1024 chars
- Write in third person
- First sentence: what it does
- Second sentence: "Use when [specific triggers]"

**Good example**:

```
Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents. Use when working with PDF files or when user mentions PDFs, forms, or document extraction.
```

**Bad example**:

```
Helps with documents.
```

The bad example gives your agent no way to distinguish this from other document skills.

## When to Add Scripts

Add utility scripts when:

- Operation is deterministic (validation, formatting)
- Same code would be generated repeatedly
- Errors need explicit handling

Scripts save tokens and improve reliability vs generated code.

## When to Split Files

Split into separate files when:

- SKILL.md exceeds 100 lines
- Content has distinct domains (finance vs sales schemas)
- Advanced features are rarely needed

## Review Checklist

After drafting, verify:

- [ ] Description includes triggers ("Use when...")
- [ ] SKILL.md under 100 lines
- [ ] No time-sensitive info
- [ ] Consistent terminology
- [ ] Concrete examples included
- [ ] References one level deep
- [ ] Every referenced file exists, and every pointer to another skill says what that skill actually contains — open the target and check, don't describe it from its name