Skill Builder
Build new Claude Code skills that capture procedural knowledge.
Autonomy Model
Create then inform: When recognizing skill-worthy knowledge, create the skill proactively, then inform the user what was created and why. Don't ask permission first.
When to Invoke (Proactively)
- Successful novel solution - Just solved something in a way worth repeating
- Repeated pattern - Noticed doing the same thing multiple times
- Institutional knowledge - Learning domain-specific rules that should persist
- User workflow - User demonstrates a process they want automated
- Research findings - Discovered best practices worth preserving
Skill Creation Workflow
1. Identify the Knowledge
- What problem does this solve?
- What trigger terms would activate it?
- Is it cross-project or project-specific?
2. Draft Structure
Reference references/structure-guide.md for ideal anatomy.
3. Write Description
Reference references/description-patterns.md for trigger-rich descriptions (~100 words, explicit trigger terms).
4. Validate
Run scripts/validate_skill.py <skill-path> to check structure and frontmatter.
5. Inform User
After creating, tell user:
- What skill was created and why
- What triggers will activate it
- How to test it works
Progressive Disclosure
Keep SKILL.md lean (<100 lines). Put detailed specs in references/:
- Detailed examples →
references/examples.md - Edge cases →
references/edge-cases.md - Anti-patterns →
references/anti-patterns.md
Code Opportunities
If skill involves deterministic operations (validation, parsing, extraction), create scripts/ with executable code rather than prose instructions. Scripts:
- Run without loading into context
- Must be executable (
chmod +x) - Should handle errors gracefully
Skill Locations
- Personal:
~/.claude/skills/- Available across all projects - Project:
.claude/skills/- Shared with team via git
Template
Use templates/SKILL-TEMPLATE.md as starting point for new skills.