Skill Creator

A meta-skill that helps you create new skills for your AI agent system. This skill guides you through the process of gathering requirements, generating properly formatted SKILL.md files, and setting up the necessary directory structure.

When to Activate

This skill activates when the user wants to create a new skill:

"create a new skill"

"make a skill"

"generate a skill"

"help me create a skill"

"add a new skill"

"build a new skill"

Instructions

When this skill is invoked, follow these steps to help the user create a new skill:

Step 1: Gather Skill Information

Use the AskUserQuestion tool to gather the following information:

1. **Skill Name**: Ask "What should we name this skill?"

- Explain that the name should be lowercase with hyphens (e.g., "project-creator", "responsive-nav")

- This will be used for both the directory name and the display name

2. **Skill Purpose**: Ask "What will this skill do?"

- Get a clear description of what the skill accomplishes

- Examples: "Create a new project card", "Generate a responsive navigation", "Add a contact form section"

- This becomes the skill's description

3. **Trigger Phrases**: Ask "What phrases should trigger this skill?"

- Request 3-5 trigger phrases that should activate the skill

- Examples: "create project card", "add project", "new project"

- These phrases help users know how to invoke the skill

4. **Skill Category**: Determine the appropriate category:

- development, devops, writing, data, design, testing, security, documentation, automation, other

5. **Key Tags**: Identify 3-5 relevant tags for the skill

Step 2: Generate the Skill Directory and File

Once you have all the information:

1. Create directory: `.claude/skills/{skill-name}/`

2. Create file: `.claude/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md` with proper YAML frontmatter and markdown body

Step 3: SKILL.md Structure

The SKILL.md file MUST follow this structure:

**YAML Frontmatter (required):**

```yaml

---

name: "Skill Name"

description: "Brief description under 500 characters"

version: "1.0.0"

runtimes:

- claude-code

category: development

tags:

- tag1

- tag2

- tag3

---

```

**Markdown Body (required, minimum 50 characters):**

```markdown

Skill Name

Detailed description of what this skill does.

When to Activate

This skill activates when the user wants to {action}:

"trigger phrase 1"

"trigger phrase 2"

"trigger phrase 3"

Instructions

When this skill is invoked, follow these steps:

Step 1: {First Major Step}

{Detailed instructions for this step}

1. {Substep 1}

2. {Substep 2}

3. {Substep 3}

Step 2: {Second Major Step}

{Detailed instructions for this step}

Step 3: {Third Major Step}

{Detailed instructions for this step}

File Structure

If this skill creates files, specify the structure:

```

{directory}/

├── {file1}

├── {file2}

└── {file3}

```

Code Templates

If applicable, include code templates or patterns:

```html

```

```css

/* Example CSS styles */

```

```javascript

// Example JavaScript code

```

Best Practices

{Best practice 1}

{Best practice 2}

{Best practice 3}

Notes

{Important note 1}

{Important note 2}

```

Step 4: Customize Based on User Input

Based on the user's responses:

1. **Replace placeholders** with the actual skill information

2. **Add specific instructions** relevant to the skill's purpose

3. **Include code templates** if the skill involves generating code

4. **Add file structure** if the skill creates multiple files

5. **Include best practices** specific to this skill's domain

6. **Ensure the markdown body is at least 50 characters long**

Step 5: Create the Skill Files

1. Use the Bash tool to create the skill directory:

```bash

mkdir -p .claude/skills/{skill-name}

```

2. Use the Write tool to create the SKILL.md file with the generated content

3. Verify the file was created successfully

Step 6: Provide Usage Instructions

After creating the skill, tell the user:

1. How to activate the skill (the trigger phrases)

2. Where the skill file is located (`.claude/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md`)

3. How to edit or customize it further if needed

4. Remind them to test the skill to ensure it works as expected

Example Interaction

**User**: "Create a new skill"

**Assistant**:

1. Asks: "What should we name this skill?"

2. Asks: "What will this skill do?"

3. Asks: "What phrases should trigger this skill?"

4. Determines appropriate category and tags

5. Creates the directory structure

6. Generates the SKILL.md file with proper frontmatter and body

7. Confirms creation and explains how to use it

Tips for Creating Good Skills

**Be specific**: Skills should have a clear, focused purpose

**Use clear triggers**: Choose trigger phrases that are natural and intuitive

**Provide context**: Include enough detail in instructions for consistent execution

**Include examples**: Show code templates, file structures, and patterns

**Think step-by-step**: Break down complex tasks into manageable steps

**Ensure proper formatting**: Always include valid YAML frontmatter with all required fields

**Write substantial instructions**: The markdown body should be detailed and actionable (minimum 50 characters)

Integration with Portfolio Project

When creating skills for a portfolio website:

Reference the design system (if available in CLAUDE.md or similar)

Use established color palettes and spacing scales

Maintain consistent aesthetic across generated components

Ensure dark mode compatibility where applicable

Follow accessibility best practices

Document framework or vanilla JavaScript approach

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

**Missing frontmatter**: Always include the YAML frontmatter between `---` delimiters

**Empty or short body**: The markdown body must be at least 50 characters

**Invalid YAML**: Ensure proper indentation and syntax in frontmatter

**Missing required fields**: name, description, version, runtimes, category, and tags are all required

**No trigger phrases**: Skills need clear activation phrases for users to invoke them

Notes

Skills are stored in `.claude/skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md`

Each skill should be self-contained and focused on one task

Skills can reference other skills if needed

Keep instructions clear and actionable

Test the skill after creation to ensure it works as expected

The YAML frontmatter and markdown body are both mandatory for valid SKILL.md files

Skill Creator

Skill Creator

When to Activate

Instructions

Step 1: Gather Skill Information

Step 2: Generate the Skill Directory and File

Step 3: SKILL.md Structure

Skill Name

When to Activate

Instructions

Step 1: {First Major Step}

Step 2: {Second Major Step}

Step 3: {Third Major Step}

File Structure

Code Templates

Best Practices

Notes

Step 4: Customize Based on User Input

Step 5: Create the Skill Files

Step 6: Provide Usage Instructions

Example Interaction

Tips for Creating Good Skills

Integration with Portfolio Project

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Notes

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