AthArvA-188 Skill Creator
An interactive skill-building process. You describe a workflow or pain point; I ask the right questions; together we produce a high-quality, ready-to-upload SKILL.md file.
When to Create a Skill
A good skill candidate is anything you:
- Explain to Claude the same way more than 3 times
- Wish Claude understood about your specific domain, format preferences, or workflow
- Have to re-prompt every session because Claude's default approach doesn't fit your context
The Build Process
Step 1 — Intake Interview
Answer these questions (or let me ask them one at a time):
- What is the skill for? Describe the task in plain language.
- When should it activate? What triggers this skill — specific words, task types, file types?
- What does good output look like? Share an example of a past output you loved, or describe it.
- What does bad output look like? What does Claude typically get wrong on this task?
- Are there domain-specific rules? Terminology, formats, frameworks, constraints to always follow?
- What context does Claude need? Background that every session should start with.
- How long / what format? Length, structure, headings, tone.
Step 2 — Draft
Produce a SKILL.md with:
- YAML frontmatter (name + description)
- Clear task instructions
- Output format specification
- Concrete examples (good input → good output)
- Tips and edge case handling
Step 3 — Review
Test the draft by describing 2-3 real scenarios you'd use it for. Refine until the description triggers reliably and the instructions produce the right output.
SKILL.md Template
---
name: your-skill-name
description: [One sentence: what it does and when to use it. Be specific — this is what Claude reads to decide whether to activate the skill.]
---
# [Skill Name]
[1-2 sentences: what this skill is and what problem it solves]
## When to Use
[Explicit triggers and conditions]
## Instructions
[Step-by-step process or framework for Claude to follow]
## Output Format
[Structure, length, tone, any required sections]
## Examples
**Input**: [Example prompt]
**Output**: [Expected result or description of it]
## Tips
[Edge cases, common mistakes to avoid, expert notes]
Description Writing Guide
The description field is the most important part — it determines when Claude activates the skill. A good description:
✅ Names the specific task: "Use when writing SQL queries that need performance optimisation" ✅ Names the trigger: "Activates when user pastes a meeting transcript" ✅ Is specific enough to avoid false positives: "for Python async code" not "for code"
❌ Too vague: "Helps with writing" ❌ Too broad: "Use for any technical task" ❌ Missing trigger: only describes what it does, not when
Quality Checklist
Before uploading:
- Does the name use only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens?
- Does the description tell Claude exactly when to activate?
- Are there at least 2 concrete examples?
- Does the output format section specify length, structure, and tone?
- Have you tested it against 3 different prompts?
Tips
- Start simple. A skill with clear instructions beats a skill with elaborate but vague instructions.
- Test the description by asking Claude: "When would you use this skill?" If the answer doesn't match your intent, rewrite the description.
- One skill per workflow. Don't combine "code review + architecture + documentation" — create three focused skills that compose better.