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skill-creator skill

/skill-creator

This skill helps you create or update Claude skills for user-wide or project-specific use with guided workflows.

npx playbooks add skill brettatoms/agent-skills --skill skill-creator

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

Files (1)
SKILL.md
2.6 KB
---
name: skill-creator
description: Create or update Claude skills. Use when user wants to create a new skill, update an existing skill, or asks about skill structure. Handles both user-level skills (portable across projects) and project-level skills (repository-specific).
allowed-tools: WebFetch, Read, Write, Bash, AskUserQuestion, Glob
---

# Skill Creator

This skill wraps Anthropic's official skill-creator with local context.

## Skill Types

**User skills** (`~/.claude/skills/<name>/`):
- Portable across all projects
- General-purpose utilities (file-nav, code-search, github, etc.)
- NOT tied to any specific repository

**Project skills** (`.claude/skills/<name>/` in repo root):
- Repository-specific knowledge and workflows
- Codebase conventions, testing patterns, deployment procedures
- Only available within that project

## Workflow

### 1. Determine Skill Type

Before creating a skill, clarify with the user:
- **User skill**: "Should this skill be available across all your projects?"
- **Project skill**: "Is this specific to the current repository?"

If unclear, ask using AskUserQuestion.

### 2. Fetch Upstream Guidance

For skill creation best practices, fetch Anthropic's skill-creator:

```
WebFetch: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/skills/main/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md
```

For specific patterns:
- **Workflows**: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/skills/main/skills/skill-creator/references/workflows.md`
- **Output patterns**: `https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/skills/main/skills/skill-creator/references/output-patterns.md`

### 3. Create the Skill

Apply upstream guidance with these local defaults:

| Skill Type | Path |
|------------|------|
| User | `~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` |
| Project | `.claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` |

### 4. Key Reminders

From upstream skill-creator (fetch for full details):
- **Concise is key**: Context window is shared; only add what Claude doesn't know
- **Progressive disclosure**: SKILL.md body < 500 lines; use `references/` for details
- **Frontmatter description**: Must include "when to use" - body loads AFTER triggering
- **No extra docs**: No README.md, CHANGELOG.md, etc.

## Existing User Skills

Reference for patterns:
```
~/.claude/skills/
├── clj-symbols/     # Clojure symbol navigation
├── code-rename/     # Symbol renaming
├── code-search/     # ripgrep patterns
├── code-symbols/    # ast-grep symbol finding
├── file-nav/        # fd file navigation
├── github/          # gh CLI operations
└── playwright/      # Browser automation
```

Overview

This skill creates or updates Claude skills tailored to either a user-wide or a project-specific scope. I guide the user through choosing the right scope, apply local conventions, and produce a compact skill document plus optional reference files. The result is a ready-to-install skill that follows best practices for clarity and reuse.

How this skill works

I first confirm whether the skill should be portable across all projects or confined to the current codebase. I then fetch authoritative guidance for structure and patterns, apply local defaults for file placement and organization, and generate the skill content with progressive disclosure in mind. Finally, I return the files and instructions needed to install the skill in the correct location.

When to use it

  • You want to create a new Claude skill that will be used across multiple projects.
  • You need a repository-specific skill that understands project conventions and workflows.
  • You want to update an existing skill’s content or metadata to improve clarity or behavior.
  • You need help structuring skill content and reference material to minimize context bloat.
  • You’re unsure whether a utility should be user-wide or project-specific.

Best practices

  • Decide scope up front: user-wide for general tools, project-specific for repo workflows.
  • Keep the primary skill document concise; move large details into a references folder.
  • Include a short "when to use" description so the skill loads only when appropriate.
  • Limit included context to what Claude cannot infer from current conversation.
  • Follow standard output and workflow patterns to ensure predictable behavior.

Example use cases

  • Create a user-level file-navigation skill usable across all your projects.
  • Add a project-level skill that encodes repository testing and deployment steps.
  • Update an existing skill to improve prompts and reduce redundant context.
  • Convert long instructions into a compact skill with detailed references.
  • Draft a skill that integrates common CLI patterns for quicker developer tasks.

FAQ

How do I choose between user and project scope?

If the skill applies across multiple codebases (tools, search, file navigation), choose user scope. If it relies on repository conventions or private code, choose project scope.

How much detail should I put in the main skill file?

Keep the main file short and focused. Put extensive examples, workflows, and reference material in separate reference files to avoid overloading Claude’s active context.