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skill-making skill

safe

This skill helps you create compliant skills with correct paths, defaults, and frontmatter for consistent structure across projects.

npx playbooks add skill nikiskaarup/skills --skill skill-making

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

Files (7)

SKILL.md

1.0 KB

---
name: skill-making
description: Create compliant skills with correct paths, defaults, and frontmatter.
---

## Purpose
Help create new skills that follow path, discovery, and frontmatter rules.

## Required First Question
Ask: Where should this skill live (current directory, Claude, or OpenCode)?
Recommended default: current directory path `<name>/SKILL.md` unless the user asks for discoverable locations.

## When to Use
Use when the user wants to create or update skills and needs correct structure.

## Workflow
- Confirm target path (current directory or discoverable Claude/OpenCode paths).
- Validate `name` and `description` requirements.
- If discoverable, direct the user to the correct reference doc for the chosen target.
- If current directory, follow the current-directory default reference.

## References
- `references/current-directory-default.md`
- `references/claude-paths.md`
- `references/opencode-paths.md`
- `references/frontmatter-and-naming.md`
- `references/discovery-and-permissions.md`
- `references/examples.md`

Overview

This skill helps authors create compliant skills with correct paths, defaults, and frontmatter. It guides users to choose the right target location, validates required fields, and outputs a ready-to-save skill document following discovery rules. The goal is to reduce errors and speed up publishing-ready skill creation.

How this skill works

The skill asks where the new skill should live and recommends a sensible default in the current working directory. It validates the name and description against required rules, applies the correct frontmatter and defaults, and adapts to discoverable or local targets. When a discoverable location is chosen, it points the user to the appropriate reference for discovery and permission rules.

When to use it

Creating a new skill and you want correct naming, frontmatter, and placement.
Updating an existing skill and ensuring it remains discoverable and compliant.
Preparing skills for a platform that enforces discovery and permission rules.
When you need clear guidance on target locations and defaults for skill files.

Best practices

Confirm the target location before writing content so the right defaults apply.
Provide a concise, meaningful name and a clear description that meet validation rules.
Choose discoverable targets only if you intend the skill to be listed and assigned permissions.
Use the provided reference guidance for frontmatter fields and naming conventions.
Run validation after edits to catch missing fields or incorrect paths early.

Example use cases

Create a new assistant skill in the current project folder with validated frontmatter and defaults.
Move a local skill to a discoverable path and update permissions guidance for publishing.
Quickly regenerate a compliant skill template when starting a feature-focused agent.
Validate and fix naming or description issues before submission to a discovery index.

FAQ

What if I want the skill to be discoverable?

Choose a discoverable target when prompted; the skill will then follow discovery-specific rules and you will be directed to the relevant discovery reference for permissions and placement.

Can I keep the skill local instead of discoverable?

Yes. The default option keeps the skill in the current directory and applies the local default reference, avoiding discovery and permission steps.