How do I install the Check Skill Formatting skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add outfitter-dev/check-skill-formatting in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Check Skill Formatting safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Check Skill Formatting?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Check Skill Formatting free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Check Skill Formatting?

outfitter-dev (@outfitter-dev) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Check Skill Formatting by outfitter-dev

Name: Check Skill Formatting
Author: outfitter-dev

Check Skill Formatting

Checks skill files for formatting violations — preprocessing patterns, placeholder conventions, and frontmatter. Use when validating skills, checking formatting, or when check formatting, lint skills, or skill quality are mentioned.

outfitter-dev 9b87adb 2 files · 13.2 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Check Skill Formatting

Validate skill files against formatting conventions. Catches preprocessing hazards, placeholder violations, and frontmatter issues.

Steps

Load the /skillcheck skill (runs preprocessing linter)
Run the placeholder linter to find [string] patterns that should use { string } convention
Run the fence linter to find bare code fences and nesting issues
Run the relative paths linter to find ../ references that should use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}
Review findings and fix violations

Placeholder Linter

Scan markdown files for [string] patterns that aren't markdown links or file references:

bun .claude/skills/check-skill-formatting/scripts/lint-placeholders.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}

What it catches

Instructional placeholders using brackets instead of braces:

Found	Expected
`[Complete AWS-specific content]`	`{ complete AWS-specific content }`
`[Details follow...]`	`{ details follow }`
`[Section content]`	`{ section content }`

What it skips

Markdown links: [text](url) or [text](#anchor)
File references: [file.md], [config.json]
Checkboxes: [x], [ ], [-]
GitHub admonitions: [!NOTE], [!WARNING]
Code fences and HTML comments
All-caps tokens under 12 chars: [REDACTED], [TIME]

Fence Linter

Scan markdown files for code fence issues — bare fences without language specifiers and broken nesting:

bun plugins/fieldguides/scripts/lint-fences.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}

What it catches

Bare fences: Opening ``` without a language (suggests one based on content heuristics)
Broken nesting: Inner fence with same backtick count as outer fence (use ```` for outer)

Fix patterns

Issue	Fix
``` with TypeScript content	```typescript
``` with shell commands	```bash
``` with plain text	```text
Inner ``` inside outer ```	Use ```` for outer fence

Relative Paths Linter

Scan markdown files for ../ path references that should use ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}:

bun plugins/fieldguides/scripts/lint-relative-paths.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}

What it catches

Markdown links: [text](../other-skill/SKILL.md) with relative targets
Bare paths: ../SECURITY.md references in prose

Fix patterns

Issue	Fix
`[link](../skill-name/SKILL.md)`	`[link](${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md)`
`[link](../patterns/handler.md)`	`[link](${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/patterns/handler.md)`
`../EXTERNAL.md` (outside plugin)	Remove link or reference by name

---name: check-skill-formattingdescription: Checks skill files for formatting violations — preprocessing patterns, placeholder conventions, and frontmatter. Use when validating skills, checking formatting, or when check formatting, lint skills, or skill quality are mentioned.---# Check Skill FormattingValidate skill files against formatting conventions. Catches preprocessing hazards, placeholder violations, and frontmatter issues.## Steps1. Load the `/skillcheck` skill (runs preprocessing linter)2. Run the placeholder linter to find `[string]` patterns that should use `{ string }` convention3. Run the fence linter to find bare code fences and nesting issues4. Run the relative paths linter to find `../` references that should use `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}`5. Review findings and fix violations## Placeholder LinterScan markdown files for `[string]` patterns that aren't markdown links or file references:```bashbun .claude/skills/check-skill-formatting/scripts/lint-placeholders.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}```### What it catchesInstructional placeholders using brackets instead of braces:| Found | Expected || --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- || `[Complete AWS-specific content]` | `{ complete AWS-specific content }` || `[Details follow...]` | `{ details follow }` || `[Section content]` | `{ section content }` |### What it skips- Markdown links: `[text](url)` or `[text](#anchor)`- File references: `[file.md]`, `[config.json]`- Checkboxes: `[x]`, `[ ]`, `[-]`- GitHub admonitions: `[!NOTE]`, `[!WARNING]`- Code fences and HTML comments- All-caps tokens under 12 chars: `[REDACTED]`, `[TIME]`## Fence LinterScan markdown files for code fence issues — bare fences without language specifiers and broken nesting:```bashbun plugins/fieldguides/scripts/lint-fences.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}```### What it catches- **Bare fences**: Opening ` ``` ` without a language (suggests one based on content heuristics)- **Broken nesting**: Inner fence with same backtick count as outer fence (use ` ` ```` for outer)### Fix patterns| Issue | Fix || ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------- || ` ``` ` with TypeScript content | ` ```typescript ` || ` ``` ` with shell commands | ` ```bash ` || ` ``` ` with plain text | ` ```text ` || Inner ` ``` ` inside outer ` ``` ` | Use ` ` ```` for outer fence |## Relative Paths LinterScan markdown files for `../` path references that should use `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}`:```bashbun plugins/fieldguides/scripts/lint-relative-paths.ts ${ARGUMENTS:-plugins/}```### What it catches- **Markdown links**: `[text](../other-skill/SKILL.md)` with relative targets- **Bare paths**: `../SECURITY.md` references in prose### Fix patterns| Issue | Fix || --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- || `[link](../skill-name/SKILL.md)` | `[link](${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md)` || `[link](../patterns/handler.md)` | `[link](${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/shared/patterns/handler.md)` || `../EXTERNAL.md` (outside plugin) | Remove link or reference by name |

Frequently asked questions

Check Skill Formatting

File contents

Check Skill Formatting

Steps

Placeholder Linter

What it catches

What it skips

Fence Linter

What it catches

Fix patterns

Relative Paths Linter

What it catches

Fix patterns

Related skills

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the Check Skill Formatting skill?

What does the Check Skill Formatting skill do?

Is Check Skill Formatting safe to use?

Which AI agents work with Check Skill Formatting?

Is Check Skill Formatting free to use?

Who published Check Skill Formatting?