# Template Updater

> Research-backed template refresh workflow for updating existing templates with placeholder verification and rendering validation.

- Skill: `oimiragieo/template-updater` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add oimiragieo/template-updater`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/oimiragieo/template-updater/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: oimiragieo (https://skillmd.com/u/oimiragieo)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/oimiragieo/template-updater

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# Template Updater

## Overview

Use this skill to refresh an existing template safely: research current best practices, compare against current implementation, verify placeholder completeness, apply updates, and validate rendering.

## When to Use

- Template produces outdated or incorrect output when rendered
- New framework conventions make template content stale
- Reflection flags template quality issues
- User asks to audit/refresh an existing template

## The Iron Law

Never update a template blindly. Every refresh must be evidence-backed, TDD-gated, and integration-validated.

## Workflow

### Step 0: Evaluate Current State

1. Read the template file and understand its purpose
2. Identify all `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens and their expected values
3. Check which creators/skills use this template
4. Identify issues: missing placeholders, outdated content, wrong structure

### Step 1: Research Best Practices

1. Read `.claude/templates/CLAUDE.md` for template conventions
2. Review similar templates for patterns
3. Check the `template-renderer` skill for rendering expectations
4. Use `Skill({ skill: 'research-synthesis' })` if external research needed

### Step 2: Generate Patch Backlog

1. List specific changes needed
2. Prioritize: structural fixes > content updates > formatting improvements
3. Ensure all placeholders are documented

### Step 3: Apply Updates

1. Write or update rendering tests first (RED phase)
2. Apply template changes (GREEN phase)
3. Refactor for clarity (REFACTOR phase)
4. Use `Edit` tool — never rewrite the entire file

### Step 4: Verify Integration

1. Verify all `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens are documented in the template header
2. Test rendering with `Skill({ skill: 'template-renderer' })`
3. Verify output matches expected structure for the artifact type
4. Run `pnpm lint:fix && pnpm format`

### Step 5: Record

1. Log changes via `MemoryRecord` if significant
2. Update CHANGELOG.md entry

## Domain-Specific Validation

- All `{{PLACEHOLDER}}` tokens MUST be documented with description and example
- Template MUST render without errors when all placeholders are provided
- Template output MUST match the target artifact's expected structure
- Conditional sections MUST handle missing optional placeholders gracefully

## Anti-Patterns

- Adding placeholders without documenting them
- Hardcoding values that should be placeholders
- Breaking the template's rendering by changing placeholder names
- Removing sections that creators depend on