# Create Skill > Create a new skill with proper structure. Use when "create a skill", "new skill for", "add a skill", "I need a skill that". Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/create-skill-22` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/create-skill-22` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/create-skill-22/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/create-skill-22 --- Turn a user's intent into a well-formed skill folder. Elicit the right information through conversation, then generate the skill files. If `framework/FRAMEWORK.md` is available, use its § "Skill Folder Structure" as the structural reference. Otherwise, use the minimal structure defined here. --- ## 1. Understand intent Ask the user what the skill should do. Extract: - **Purpose**: What does it accomplish? (one sentence) - **Trigger**: When should it activate? (3-5 trigger phrases) - **Inputs**: What does it need from the user or environment? - **Outputs**: What does it produce? (files, conversation, changes) If the user gives a vague description ("a skill for emails"), ask clarifying questions. If they give a detailed brief, confirm your understanding and move on. ## 2. Decide audience and scope Two questions, asked together or inferred from context: **Audience** — who will use this skill? - **Personal**: Just the author. Can be rough, assume the author's context, skip edge cases they'll never hit. - **Distribution**: Other people will install it. Must handle unfamiliar users: clear trigger phrases in the description, thorough edge case handling, plain language that assumes no shared context. **Scope** — where does the skill live? - **Project** (`./skills//`) — uses project-specific data, templates, or conventions. Default when unclear. - **Global** (`~/.claude/skills//`) — generic utility useful across all projects. These are independent. A personal skill can be global (your own utility across projects). A distribution skill can be project-scoped (shipped with a specific repo). ## 3. Decide complexity Based on the intent, decide what files the skill needs: - **Simple** (most skills): Just `SKILL.md`. Procedure, judgment, and output format all fit in one file without being unwieldy. - **Structured**: `SKILL.md` + `template.md` and/or `criteria.md`. Use when the skill has substantial output formatting (extract to `template.md`) or domain-specific evaluation criteria (extract to `criteria.md`). Don't over-engineer. Start simple — files can be extracted later via `/skills-improve`. ## 4. Draft the skill Write `SKILL.md` with: - **Frontmatter**: `name` (kebab-case, matches folder), `display-name`, `description` (include trigger phrases), `last-updated` (current UTC), `origin: self-authored`. - **Opening line**: One sentence summarizing what the skill does. - **Numbered steps** with descriptive headers. Imperative tone ("Do X", not "You should X"). - **Plain language** throughout — no jargon a non-technical user wouldn't understand. - **Safety**: If the skill modifies files, include preview → confirm → backup → apply. If it reads sensitive data, note that. **Distribution skills** additionally need: - Thorough edge case handling — what happens when input is missing, ambiguous, or unexpected? Address the non-happy paths that strangers will hit. - Description with 3-5 trigger phrases (these drive discovery during installation). - No assumptions about the user's environment beyond what the skill explicitly checks for. **Personal skills** can skip these — keep them lean and direct. If the skill needs `template.md` or `criteria.md`, draft those too. Reference them from `SKILL.md` by section name (e.g., `template.md` § **Section name**). ## 5. Preview and confirm Show the user: - The file(s) that will be created and where. - The full content of each file. Proceed only after confirmation. ## 6. Create files Write the skill folder and files. No other files are modified in this step. ## 7. Register the skill Add a row to the appropriate CLAUDE.md skills table: - **Project skill** → project's `CLAUDE.md` - **Global skill** → `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` Show the addition and confirm before applying. ## 8. Review Run `/skills-review` on the new skill. Fix any errors or warnings before finishing. Report what was created and how to invoke it. --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/lucadellanna) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.