tomevault-io Skill Creator
When To Activate
Trigger when:
- User says "create a skill for X"
- User says "make this into a skill"
- User asks how to write a skill
- User wants to add to the skill library
- skill-forge needs to materialize a skill
The Skill Template
[Skill Name]
When To Activate
Trigger when:
- [Specific condition 1]
- [Specific condition 2]
- [Specific condition 3]
Do NOT trigger for:
- [Exception 1]
- [Exception 2]
Instructions
Step 1: [Verb-based title]
[Clear, actionable instructions]
Step 2: [Verb-based title]
[Clear, actionable instructions]
Step 3: [Verb-based title]
[Clear, actionable instructions]
NEVER
- [Hard rule 1 - something that would break the skill's purpose]
- [Hard rule 2]
- [Hard rule 3]
ALWAYS
- [Required behaviour 1]
- [Required behaviour 2]
- [Required behaviour 3]
Examples
Example 1: [Descriptive scenario name]
[Show concrete input and output. Real-world scenario.]
Example 2: [Another scenario]
[Different angle or edge case.]
Why This Skill Exists
[Final grounding: the human cost of not having this skill]
</template>
## Instructions
### Step 1: Clarify the Need
Before creating, understand:
What problem does this skill solve? What goes wrong without it? Who/when would use this? Is there an existing skill that covers this?
### Step 2: Define the Trigger
The description field is critical - it determines activation:
Good trigger: "When modifying database schemas, force migration planning and rollback strategy before executing any ALTER statements"
Bad trigger: "Help with databases"
Be specific. Include keywords. Describe the situation.
### Step 3: Write Clear Instructions
Each step should be:
- Actionable (starts with verb)
- Unambiguous (one interpretation)
- Testable (you can verify it was done)
Good: "List all callers of the function using grep or IDE find-references" Bad: "Consider the dependencies"
### Step 4: Add Guardrails
NEVER/ALWAYS sections prevent misuse:
- NEVER: Things that would break the skill's intent
- ALWAYS: Non-negotiable behaviours
NEVER:
- Skip the migration plan for "simple" changes
- Execute DDL without rollback strategy
ALWAYS:
- Test migrations on copy of production data
- Include rollback script with every migration
### Step 5: Provide Real Examples
Examples should be:
- Concrete (real-looking code/scenarios)
- Complete (show full input → output)
- Varied (different situations)
Include `<failed-attempts>` - what doesn't work and why.
### Step 6: Write the File
Create the skill:
mkdir -p skills/[skill-name]
Write SKILL.md with template
## Skill Quality Checklist
<checklist>
Before finalizing, verify:
| Aspect | Check |
|--------|-------|
| Name | Kebab-case, descriptive, not generic |
| Description | Specific triggers, includes keywords |
| Purpose | Clear problem statement, real need |
| Triggers | Specific conditions, includes exceptions |
| Instructions | Actionable steps, unambiguous |
| NEVER | Prevents misuse, hard rules |
| ALWAYS | Required behaviours, non-negotiable |
| Examples | Concrete, complete, varied |
| Failed attempts | Documents what doesn't work |
| Distinct | Not duplicate of existing skill |
</checklist>
## Progressive Disclosure
<progressive-disclosure>
Skills should reveal complexity gradually:
**Layer 1: Metadata** (~100 tokens)
- Name + description
- Always loaded, determines activation
- Must be tight and triggerable
**Layer 2: Instructions** (~500-1000 tokens)
- Loaded when skill activates
- Step-by-step process
- The "how to"
**Layer 3: Resources** (variable)
- Scripts, templates, references
- Executed or loaded on demand
- Not in main context
Keep Layer 1 tight. Most tokens should be in Layer 2.
</progressive-disclosure>
## Common Skill Patterns
<patterns>
**The Checklist** (prove-it, loose-ends)
- Run through verification steps
- Binary pass/fail outcomes
**The Process** (rubber-duck, battle-plan)
- Multi-step workflow
- Each step builds on previous
**The Gate** (you-sure, skill-gate)
- Pause before action
- Require confirmation
**The Transform** (geordie, explain-like)
- Change output format/style
- Modify how information is presented
**The Analysis** (pre-mortem, split-decision)
- Structured evaluation
- Multiple perspectives/options
</patterns>
## NEVER
- Create vague, generic skills ("help with code")
- Skip the examples section
- Write instructions that are just "be careful about X"
- Duplicate existing skills
- Create skills without NEVER/ALWAYS guardrails
- Make triggers too broad (will over-activate)
## ALWAYS
- Include `<failed-attempts>` section
- Test trigger description against likely user prompts
- Keep description under 100 tokens
- Make instructions step-by-step and actionable
- Ground in real problem (not theoretical)
## Examples
### Example 1: User Requests New Skill
User: "Create a skill for handling database migrations"
Let me create a structured skill for database migrations.
First, some questions:
- What goes wrong without this skill? (e.g., data loss, failed deployments)
- What's the trigger? (modifying schemas, adding tables, etc.)
- What's the process you want enforced?
[After gathering info, creates skill following template]
### Example 2: Forging from Discovery
skill-forge identifies a non-obvious learning about API rate limiting.
Forging skill: api-rate-limit-handling
[Creates skill with:]
- Trigger: When implementing API calls, external service integration
- Instructions: Check rate limits, implement backoff, handle 429s
- Failed attempts: "Tried simple retry - got banned"
- Examples: Concrete rate limiting code
## Integration
This skill is the foundation for:
- **skill-forge**: Uses skill-creator to materialize discoveries
- **learn-from-this**: Feeds insights to skill-creator
- All manual skill creation
## Why This Skill Exists
Bad skills are worse than no skills - they activate at wrong times, give vague
guidance, and erode trust in the system. Good skills are force multipliers.
This meta-skill ensures every new skill meets the quality bar. It's the
quality gate for the skill library itself.
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