Skill Template

Skill Template Generator

Generate a custom skill (slash command) based on requirements.

Usage: /skill-template [skill-name] [purpose]

Templates

Process

1. Gather Requirements

   • Skill name (lowercase, hyphenated)
   • Purpose
   • Arguments (if any — space-separated names)
   • Workflow steps
   • Context isolation (context: fork)?
   • Agent backing (agent:, only with context: fork)?
   • Tool restrictions?

2. Select Template based on purpose

3. Generate File at .claude/skills/[name]/SKILL.md

4. Validate with /skill-check

Frontmatter Reference (official fields)

Only description is meaningfully required (name defaults to the directory name). All other fields are optional.

---
name: skill-name              # Optional: defaults to directory name; lowercase, hyphenated
description: What it does      # Recommended: shown in / menu and used for triggering
when_to_use: When to reach for it  # Optional: appended to description for triggering
                              #   (description + when_to_use truncated at 1,536 chars in listings)
user-invocable: true          # Optional: default true; false hides from / menu (Skill tool still works)
model: sonnet                 # Optional: fable, opus, sonnet, haiku, inherit, default, best,
                              #   sonnet[1m], opus[1m] (or a full model ID). NOT opusplan (session-only)
effort: medium                # Optional: low, medium, high, xhigh, max
allowed-tools:                # Optional: pre-approved tools. Accepts a comma-separated string
  - Read                      #   OR a YAML list — BOTH are official (list shown here as house style)
  - Grep
  - Glob
disallowed-tools:             # Optional: explicitly blocked tools (string or YAML list)
  - WebFetch
context: fork                 # Optional: run the skill in a subagent
agent: agent-name             # Optional: subagent type when context: fork (default: general-purpose)
argument-hint: "[issue-number]"  # Optional: autocomplete hint shown after the skill name
arguments: target flags       # Optional: space-separated argument NAMES for $name substitution
                              #   (arguments "target flags" -> use $target and $flags in the body).
                              #   NOT a structured array of name/description/required objects.
disable-model-invocation: false  # Optional: bool; true also blocks scheduled-task invocation
paths:                        # Optional: glob patterns that limit where the skill activates
  - "src/**/*.ts"
shell: bash                   # Optional: bash or powershell for inline !`command` blocks
hooks:                        # Optional: skill-scoped lifecycle hooks (same schema as settings.json)
  PreToolUse:
    - matcher: Bash
      hooks:
        - type: command
          command: echo "Bash used"
  Stop:
    - hooks:
        - type: command
          command: ./scripts/verify.sh
          once: true
---

Non-official fields to avoid: metadata, license, version (not part of the spec). once is valid only inside a hooks[] entry, never at the top level.

Do not emit bare Bash, Edit, Write, Agent, Task, or Skill entries in allowed-tools; those rules preapprove broad mutation or delegation. Omit the field when the workflow should use the runtime's normal permission flow.

Workflow Template Structure

---
name: [name]
description: [What it does. Include when to use it.]
user-invocable: true
context: fork
argument-hint: "<task-description>"
# when_to_use: Use when the user asks about X or mentions Y.  # Optional trigger hint
# arguments: target mode                                      # Optional: names for $target, $mode
---

# [Skill Name]

## Workflow
### Step 1: [Name]
### Step 2: [Name]
### Step 3: [Name]

## Arguments
Uses `$ARGUMENTS` for raw input (or `$name` per the `arguments` field)

## Output
Summary when complete

Example

/skill-template deploy-staging "deploy to staging"

Output: Created .claude/skills/deploy-staging/SKILL.md

Usage: /deploy-staging