Create Skill From Workflow

Create Skill from Workflow

Turn a workflow you just performed into a reusable SKILL.md file.

Usage

/create-skill-from-workflow <skill-name>

Procedure

Step 1: Identify the Workflow

Review the current conversation to identify:

1. What task was just completed?
2. What steps were taken (in order)?
3. What decisions were made along the way?
4. What tools/commands were used?
5. Were there any gotchas or mistakes that should be avoided?

Ask the user if anything is unclear about the workflow scope.

Step 2: Determine Skill Properties

Ask or infer:

Step 3: Extract the Steps

Convert the observed workflow into a structured procedure:

1. Remove one-off decisions specific to this instance
2. Generalize file paths and names into patterns
3. Add decision points where the workflow could branch
4. Include verification steps ("confirm X before proceeding")
5. Add error handling ("if X fails, try Y")

Step 4: Write the SKILL.md

Create the file at .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md:

---
name: [skill-name]
description: [one-sentence description]
disable-model-invocation: [true/false]
argument-hint: [argument description, if needed]
---

# [Skill Title]

[Brief description of what this skill does and when to use it.]

## Usage

`/[skill-name] [arguments if any]`

## Procedure

### Step 1: [Name]
[Instructions...]

### Step 2: [Name]
[Instructions...]

[...continue for all steps]

Step 5: Verify the Skill

1. Check that the file exists at the correct path
2. Confirm the skill name doesn't conflict with existing skills
3. Tell the user: "The skill is now available as /[skill-name]. Try invoking it to test."

Tips for Good Skills

• Be specific: "Run npm test" is better than "run tests"
• Include the WHY: Explain why each step matters
• Add escape hatches: What should the user do if a step fails?
• Keep it focused: One skill = one workflow. Don't combine unrelated tasks.
• Use $ARGUMENTS: If the skill needs input, reference $ARGUMENTS in the instructions