Skill Creator

Skill Creator

Create new skills and iteratively improve them. Wiki-aware variant that integrates with Kevin's LLM Wiki.

Wiki-First Protocol

Before creating any skill:

1. Check the wiki. Read wiki/_index.md and search for pages related to the skill's domain. Existing wiki pages contain Kevin's compiled knowledge and preferences.
2. Check skills.sh. Use the find-skills skill to search for existing upstream skills. Prefer adapting an upstream skill over building from scratch.
3. Check installed skills. Scan skills/personal/, skills/claude/, and skills/dedalus/ for overlap. Don't create a skill that duplicates an existing one.

After creating a skill:

1. Update wiki/tools/skills-sh.md — Add the new skill to the installed skills table
2. Update AGENTS.md — Add to the installed skills table in the Skills section
3. Update wiki/log.md — Record what was created and why
4. Cross-reference — Update related wiki pages with links to the new skill
5. Rebuild index — Run npx tsx scripts/build-index.ts

Skill Creation Process

1. Capture Intent

• What should this skill enable the agent to do?
• When should it trigger? (specific user phrases and contexts)
• What's the expected output format?
• Does an upstream skill on skills.sh already cover this? (check first)

2. Interview and Research

• Ask about edge cases, input/output formats, success criteria, dependencies
• Check wiki pages for existing knowledge on the topic
• Check skills.sh for similar skills that could be adapted

3. Write the SKILL.md

Install Cursor/personal skills to skills/personal/<name>/SKILL.md (loaded through the ~/.cursor/skills symlink). Required structure:

---
name: skill-name
description: What it does and when to trigger. Be pushy — include specific trigger phrases.
---

Skill anatomy:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter (name, description required)
│   └── Markdown instructions
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/     - Executable code for deterministic tasks
    ├── references/  - Docs loaded into context as needed
    └── assets/      - Templates, icons, fonts

4. Writing Guidelines

• Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines; use references/ for overflow
• Explain the why behind instructions — LLMs respond better to reasoning than rigid MUSTs
• Include examples with concrete input/output
• Make descriptions slightly "pushy" to prevent under-triggering
• Always include a "Related Skills" section at the bottom
• Always reference relevant wiki pages where applicable (e.g., "Read wiki/design/design-system.md for current tokens")

5. Description Optimization

The description field is the primary triggering mechanism. Include:

• What the skill does
• Specific contexts for when to use it
• Trigger phrases users might say
• Upstream source attribution if based on a skills.sh skill

6. Testing

After writing, create 2-3 realistic test prompts:

• Something a real user would actually type
• Include edge cases and near-misses
• Test trigger accuracy (should-trigger vs should-not-trigger)

7. Wiki Integration (Mandatory)

After creating the skill, always:

# Update the installed skills table in AGENTS.md
# Update wiki/tools/skills-sh.md
# Append to wiki/log.md
# Rebuild backlinks
npx tsx scripts/build-index.ts

Key Principles

• Upstream first — Check skills.sh before building from scratch
• Wiki-aware — Reference wiki pages for domain context
• Focused — One skill per concern, under 500 lines
• Explain why — Reasoning over rigid rules
• Pushy descriptions — Prevent under-triggering
• Progressive disclosure — Metadata always in context, references loaded on demand
• Test — Verify trigger accuracy with realistic prompts

Related Skills

• find-skills — Search skills.sh for existing skills
• content-strategy — Example of a personalized skill with upstream references
• vercel-react-best-practices — Example of an upstream skill adapted for local use