aplaceforallmystuff Creation Guard
Prevents duplicate functionality and enforces analysis before creating new Claude Code artifacts.
Purpose
Before creating ANY new:
- Skill (
~/.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md) - Agent (
~/.claude/agents/*.md) - Slash command (
~/.claude/commands/*.md)
This skill MUST be invoked to:
- Search for existing artifacts with similar functionality
- Identify potential overlap or extension opportunities
- Present findings with recommendation
- Get explicit user approval before proceeding
Trigger Phrases
Invoke this skill when you detect:
- "Create a skill for..."
- "I want a new command that..."
- "Let's add an agent for..."
- "Build a tool to..."
- Any intent to create new automation/tooling
- "Should we build/make/create..."
- "What if we had a tool that..."
Analysis Process
Step 1: Identify the Proposal
Extract from the request:
- Name: Proposed name for the artifact
- Type: skill | agent | command
- Purpose: What it does (one sentence)
- Key Functions: 3-5 main capabilities
- Keywords: Searchable terms related to functionality
Step 2: Search Existing Artifacts
Run these searches:
# Skills - search names and descriptions
for skill in ~/.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md; do
echo "=== $(basename $(dirname $skill)) ==="
head -20 "$skill"
done
# Agents - search all agent definitions
for agent in ~/.claude/agents/*.md; do
echo "=== $(basename $agent) ==="
head -20 "$agent"
done
# Commands - search all command definitions
for cmd in ~/.claude/commands/*.md; do
echo "=== $(basename $cmd) ==="
head -10 "$cmd"
done
Also search by keywords:
grep -ril "[keyword]" ~/.claude/skills/ ~/.claude/agents/ ~/.claude/commands/
Step 3: Analyze Overlap
For each potentially related artifact, assess:
| Criterion | Question |
|---|---|
| Functional overlap | Does it do the same thing? (0-100%) |
| Naming confusion | Could names be confused? |
| Extension potential | Could the proposal extend this instead? |
Step 4: Generate Recommendation
Based on analysis, recommend ONE of:
| Recommendation | Criteria | Action |
|---|---|---|
| PROCEED | <20% overlap, genuinely new capability | Create new artifact |
| EXTEND | 50%+ overlap with single existing artifact | Modify existing instead |
| BLOCK | Would create problematic duplication | Do not create |
Output Format
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CREATION GUARD ANALYSIS
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PROPOSAL:
Type: [skill|agent|command]
Name: [proposed-name]
Purpose: [one sentence]
EXISTING ARTIFACTS ANALYZED: [count]
RELATED ARTIFACTS FOUND:
1. [artifact-name] ([type])
Purpose: [what it does]
Overlap: [X]% - [explanation]
RECOMMENDATION: [PROCEED|EXTEND|BLOCK]
RATIONALE:
[2-3 sentences explaining the recommendation]
SUGGESTED ACTION:
[Specific next step based on recommendation]
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Proceed with creation? (y/n)
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Self-Check Questions
Before creating ANY new artifact, ask:
- Does something similar already exist?
- Could this be added to an existing artifact?
- Would a user know to look for this vs the existing one?
- Am I creating this because it's needed or because it's easier than finding what exists?
Examples
Example: Duplicate Detection
User: "Create a skill for detecting AI-generated writing patterns"
Analysis finds: antislop skill already exists with 95% functional overlap.
Recommendation: BLOCK
- antislop already detects AI writing patterns
- User should use existing skill
Example: Extension Opportunity
User: "Create a command for logging work to projects"
Analysis finds: log-to-daily skill exists (70% overlap)
Recommendation: EXTEND
- log-to-daily logs to daily notes
- Suggest: Add project targeting to existing skill
Example: Genuine New Need
User: "Create a skill for managing analytics"
Analysis finds: No existing analytics skills.
Recommendation: PROCEED
- New capability not covered by existing artifacts
- Proceed with creation