create-agent-skills

Skills are organized prompts that get loaded on-demand. All prompting best practices apply, with an emphasis on pure XML structure for consistent parsing and efficient token usage.

<quick_start>

1. Identify the reusable pattern: What context or procedural knowledge would be useful for similar future tasks?
2. Create directory and SKILL.md:
   • Directory name: Follow verb-noun convention: create-*, manage-*, setup-*, generate-* (see references/skill-structure.md for details)
   • YAML frontmatter:
     • name: Matches directory name, lowercase-with-hyphens, max 64 chars
     • description: What it does AND when to use it (third person, max 1024 chars)
3. If skill requires API credentials: See references/api-security.md for credential setup
4. Write concise instructions: Assume Claude is smart. Only add context Claude doesn't have. Use pure XML structure.
5. Test with real usage: Iterate based on observations.

<example_skill>

---
name: process-pdfs
description: Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents. Use when working with PDF files or when the user mentions PDFs, forms, or document extraction.
---

<objective>
Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, and merge documents using Python libraries.
</objective>

<quick_start>
Extract text with pdfplumber:

```python
import pdfplumber
with pdfplumber.open("file.pdf") as pdf:
    text = pdf.pages[0].extract_text()

</quick_start>

<advanced_features> Form filling: See forms.md API reference: See reference.md </advanced_features>

</example_skill>
</quick_start>

<xml_structure>
<required_tags>
All skills must have these tags:

- **`<objective>`** - What the skill does and why it matters
- **`<quick_start>`** - Immediate, actionable guidance
- **`<success_criteria>`** or **`<when_successful>`** - How to know it worked
</required_tags>

<conditional_tags>
Based on skill complexity, add these tags as needed:

- **`<context>`** - Background/situational information
- **`<workflow>` or `<process>`** - Step-by-step procedures
- **`<advanced_features>`** - Deep-dive topics (progressive disclosure)
- **`<validation>`** - How to verify outputs
- **`<examples>`** - Multi-shot learning
- **`<anti_patterns>`** - Common mistakes to avoid
- **`<security_checklist>`** - Non-negotiable security patterns
- **`<testing>`** - Testing workflows
- **`<common_patterns>`** - Code examples and recipes
- **`<reference_guides>` or `<detailed_references>`** - Links to reference files
</conditional_tags>

<critical_rule>
**Remove ALL markdown headings (#, ##, ###) from skill body content.** Replace with semantic XML tags. Keep markdown formatting WITHIN content (bold, italic, lists, code blocks, links).
</critical_rule>
</xml_structure>

<intelligence_rules>
<simple_skills>
Single domain, straightforward tasks: Use required tags only.

Example: Text extraction, file format conversion, simple API calls
</simple_skills>

<medium_skills>
Multiple patterns, some complexity: Use required tags + workflow/examples as needed.

Example: Document processing with multiple steps, API integration with configuration
</medium_skills>

<complex_skills>
Multiple domains, security concerns, API integrations: Use required tags + conditional tags as appropriate.

Example: Payment processing, authentication systems, multi-step workflows with validation
</complex_skills>

<principle>
Don't over-engineer simple skills. Don't under-specify complex skills. Match tag selection to actual complexity and user needs.
</principle>
</intelligence_rules>

<generation_protocol>
<step_0>
<description>
**Adaptive Requirements Gathering**: Before building, gather requirements through intelligent questioning that infers obvious details and asks about genuine gaps.
</description>