# Skill

> Meta-skill authoring capability. Write, structure, and validate SKILL.md files for AI agents, including YAML frontmatter, discoverability, and platform compatibility. Use for creating, editing, or reviewing agent skills.

- Skill: `ctaxnagomi/skill` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ctaxnagomi/skill`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ctaxnagomi/skill/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: ctaxnagomi (https://skillmd.com/u/ctaxnagomi)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ctaxnagomi/skill

---


# Skill Authoring

A meta-capability for writing high-quality SKILL.md files that agents can discover, load, and follow reliably across platforms.

## Use case

Use this skill when a task involves:

- Creating a new agent skill from scratch.
- Editing or restructuring an existing SKILL.md.
- Making a skill discoverable (description match) and portable across agents.
- Reviewing skills for missing frontmatter, ambiguous instructions, or platform issues.

## Core principle

A skill is a self-contained, discoverable instruction file: a minimal YAML frontmatter that advertises it, and a body that tells the agent exactly what to do.

## Structure

```markdown
---
name: my-skill
description: One sentence on what it does and when to use it.
---

# My Skill

Purpose + use case, then a concrete workflow.
```

## Workflow

1. **Name it** — One word or hyphenated slug, matching the install folder name.
2. **Describe it** — A sentence covering what it does AND when the agent should trigger it (keywords help).
3. **Write the body** — Purpose → Use case → Workflow → Rules → Verification/quality gates.
4. **Keep it scannable** — Short sections, numbered steps, concrete rules over abstractions.
5. **Validate** — Check frontmatter keys, description quality, and that instructions are unambiguous.

## Rules

- Frontmatter must include `name` and `description`; platform extras (allowed-tools, paths, etc.) are optional.
- Keep the description under ~200 characters; it drives auto-discovery.
- Write imperative, testable instructions — "run X", "if Y, do Z" — not essays.
- Avoid vague words ("usually", "maybe", "nice to have") in critical steps.
- Include a use case section so the skill self-advertises when it applies.

## Quality gates

- The description alone tells an agent when to load the file.
- A new agent reading only this file could execute the skill without asking questions.
- The skill works across platforms that read the open SKILL.md standard.