Make Skill Template
A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills specification.
When to Use This Skill
- User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"
- User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
- User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
- User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point
Prerequisites
- Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
- A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
- Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)
Creating a New Skill
Step 1: Create the Skill Directory
Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:
skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md # Required
Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter
Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with name and description:
---
name: <skill-name>
description: "<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>."
---
Frontmatter Field Requirements
| Field |
Required |
Constraints |
name |
Yes |
1-64 chars, lowercase letters/numbers/hyphens only, must match folder name |
description |
Yes |
1-1024 chars, must describe WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it |
license |
No |
License name or reference to bundled LICENSE.txt |
compatibility |
No |
1-500 chars, environment requirements if needed |
metadata |
No |
Key-value pairs for additional properties |
allowed-tools |
No |
Space-delimited list of pre-approved tools (experimental) |
Description Best Practices
CRITICAL: The description is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:
- WHAT the skill does (capabilities)
- WHEN to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)
- Keywords users might mention in prompts
Good example:
description: "Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit."
Poor example:
description: "Web testing helpers"
Step 3: Write the Skill Body
After the frontmatter, add markdown instructions. Recommended sections:
| Section |
Purpose |
# Title |
Brief overview |
## When to Use This Skill |
Reinforces description triggers |
## Prerequisites |
Required tools, dependencies |
## Step-by-Step Workflows |
Numbered steps for tasks |
## Troubleshooting |
Common issues and solutions |
## References |
Links to bundled docs |
Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)
| Folder |
Purpose |
When to Use |
scripts/ |
Executable code (Python, Bash, JS) |
Automation that performs operations |
references/ |
Documentation agent reads |
API references, schemas, guides |
assets/ |
Static files used AS-IS |
Images, fonts, templates |
templates/ |
Starter code agent modifies |
Scaffolds to extend |
Example: Complete Skill Structure
my-awesome-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Required instructions
├── LICENSE.txt # Optional license file
├── scripts/
│ └── helper.py # Executable automation
├── references/
│ ├── api-reference.md # Detailed docs
│ └── examples.md # Usage examples
├── assets/
│ └── diagram.png # Static resources
└── templates/
└── starter.ts # Code scaffold
Quick Start: Duplicate This Template
- Copy the
make-skill-template/ folder
- Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
- Update
SKILL.md:
- Change
name: to match folder name
- Write a keyword-rich
description:
- Replace body content with your instructions
- Add bundled resources as needed
- Validate with
npm run skill:validate
Validation Checklist
Troubleshooting
| Issue |
Solution |
| Skill not discovered |
Improve description with more keywords and triggers |
| Validation fails on name |
Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |
| Description too short |
Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords |
| Assets not found |
Use relative paths from skill root |
References
1---2name: make-skill-template3description: Create new Agent Skills for GitHub Copilot from prompts or by duplicating this template. Use when asked to "create a skill", "make a new skill", "scaffold a skill", or when building specialized AI capabilities with bundled resources. Generates SKILL.md files with proper frontmatter, directory structure, and optional scripts/references/assets folders.4---567# Make Skill Template89A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills specification.1011## When to Use This Skill1213- User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"14- User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup15- User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources16- User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point1718## Prerequisites1920- Understanding of what the skill should accomplish21- A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers22- Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)2324## Creating a New Skill2526### Step 1: Create the Skill Directory2728Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:2930```31skills/<skill-name>/32└── SKILL.md # Required33```3435### Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter3637Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with `name` and `description`:3839```yaml40---41name: <skill-name>42description: "<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>."43---44```4546#### Frontmatter Field Requirements4748| Field | Required | Constraints |49| --------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |50| `name` | **Yes** | 1-64 chars, lowercase letters/numbers/hyphens only, must match folder name |51| `description` | **Yes** | 1-1024 chars, must describe WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it |52| `license` | No | License name or reference to bundled LICENSE.txt |53| `compatibility` | No | 1-500 chars, environment requirements if needed |54| `metadata` | No | Key-value pairs for additional properties |55| `allowed-tools` | No | Space-delimited list of pre-approved tools (experimental) |5657#### Description Best Practices5859**CRITICAL**: The `description` is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:60611. **WHAT** the skill does (capabilities)622. **WHEN** to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)633. **Keywords** users might mention in prompts6465**Good example:**6667```yaml68description: "Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit."69```7071**Poor example:**7273```yaml74description: "Web testing helpers"75```7677### Step 3: Write the Skill Body7879After the frontmatter, add markdown instructions. Recommended sections:8081| Section | Purpose |82| --------------------------- | ------------------------------- |83| `# Title` | Brief overview |84| `## When to Use This Skill` | Reinforces description triggers |85| `## Prerequisites` | Required tools, dependencies |86| `## Step-by-Step Workflows` | Numbered steps for tasks |87| `## Troubleshooting` | Common issues and solutions |88| `## References` | Links to bundled docs |8990### Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)9192| Folder | Purpose | When to Use |93| ------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |94| `scripts/` | Executable code (Python, Bash, JS) | Automation that performs operations |95| `references/` | Documentation agent reads | API references, schemas, guides |96| `assets/` | Static files used AS-IS | Images, fonts, templates |97| `templates/` | Starter code agent modifies | Scaffolds to extend |9899## Example: Complete Skill Structure100101```102my-awesome-skill/103├── SKILL.md # Required instructions104├── LICENSE.txt # Optional license file105├── scripts/106│ └── helper.py # Executable automation107├── references/108│ ├── api-reference.md # Detailed docs109│ └── examples.md # Usage examples110├── assets/111│ └── diagram.png # Static resources112└── templates/113 └── starter.ts # Code scaffold114```115116## Quick Start: Duplicate This Template1171181. Copy the `make-skill-template/` folder1192. Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)1203. Update `SKILL.md`:121 - Change `name:` to match folder name122 - Write a keyword-rich `description:`123 - Replace body content with your instructions1244. Add bundled resources as needed1255. Validate with `npm run skill:validate`126127## Validation Checklist128129- [ ] Folder name is lowercase with hyphens130- [ ] `name` field matches folder name exactly131- [ ] `description` is 10-1024 characters132- [ ] `description` explains WHAT and WHEN133- [ ] `description` is wrapped in single quotes134- [ ] Body content is under 500 lines135- [ ] Bundled assets are under 5MB each136137## Troubleshooting138139| Issue | Solution |140| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |141| Skill not discovered | Improve description with more keywords and triggers |142| Validation fails on name | Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |143| Description too short | Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords |144| Assets not found | Use relative paths from skill root |145146## References147148- Agent Skills official spec: <https://agentskills.io/specification>
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