Writing ALTO Skills
Frontmatter (Required)
---
name: skill-name
description: Use when [triggering conditions]. [What the skill does].
---
| Field | Constraints |
|---|---|
name |
Letters, numbers, hyphens. Max 64 chars. |
description |
Start with "Use when...". Max 1024 chars. |
Description Examples
# Specific triggering conditions
description: Use when testing ALTO protocol and finding issues. Run protocol tests, analyze artifacts.
# File-based triggers
description: Use when creating or editing ALTO skills (skills/*/SKILL.md) or agents (agents/*.md).
Content Guidelines
- Start with key action - What should agent do first?
- Numbered steps for procedures
- Tables for reference data
- Code blocks for commands/examples
- Bullets over paragraphs - Keep prose minimal
Word limit: 500 words (excludes code blocks). Validator warns above this.
Validate Before Commit
devenv shell -- alto-validate
Reference: superpowers/writing-skills