Make Skill Template
A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold
a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills
specification.
When to Use This Skill
- User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"
- User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
- User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
- User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point
Prerequisites
- Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
- A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
- Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)
Creating a New Skill
📋 Reference: Read references/step-by-step-guide.md for the detailed 4-step creation process:
- Create the Skill Directory — lowercase, hyphenated folder name
- Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter — field requirements, description best practices
- Write the Skill Body — recommended sections and structure
- Add Optional Directories — scripts/, references/, assets/, templates/
Example: Complete Skill Structure
my-awesome-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Required instructions
├── LICENSE.txt # Optional license file
├── scripts/
│ └── helper.py # Executable automation
├── references/
│ ├── api-reference.md # Detailed docs
│ └── examples.md # Usage examples
├── assets/
│ └── diagram.png # Static resources
└── templates/
└── starter.ts # Code scaffold
Quick Start: Duplicate This Template
- Copy the
make-skill-template/ folder
- Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
- Update
SKILL.md:
- Change
name: to match folder name
- Write a keyword-rich
description:
- Replace body content with your instructions
- Add bundled resources as needed
- Validate with
npm run skill:validate
Validation Checklist
Troubleshooting
| Issue |
Solution |
| Skill not discovered |
Improve description with more keywords and triggers |
| Validation fails on name |
Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |
| Description too short |
Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords |
| Assets not found |
Use relative paths from skill root |
Project-Specific Scaffold Templates
📋 Reference: Read references/scaffold-templates.md for Azure Knowledge Skill
and Integration Skill skeleton templates,
plus the "Before Committing a New Skill" checklist.
References
Reference Index
Load these on demand — do NOT read all at once:
| Reference |
When to Load |
references/step-by-step-guide.md |
Detailed 4-step skill creation process with frontmatter rules |
references/scaffold-templates.md |
Azure/Integration skill skeletons, before-committing checklist |
Converted and distributed by TomeVault — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.
1---2name: jonathan-vella-azure-agentic-infraops-accelerator-make-skill3description: Scaffolds new Agent Skills with SKILL.md frontmatter, folder structure, and bundled resources. USE FOR: create a skill, scaffold skill, new skill template, add agent capability. DO NOT USE FOR: Azure infrastructure, Bicep/Terraform code, architecture decisions. Use when this capability is needed.4metadata:5 author: jonathan-vella6---78# Make Skill Template910A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold11a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills12specification.1314## When to Use This Skill1516- User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"17- User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup18- User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources19- User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point2021## Prerequisites2223- Understanding of what the skill should accomplish24- A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers25- Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)2627## Creating a New Skill2829📋 **Reference**: Read `references/step-by-step-guide.md` for the detailed 4-step creation process:30311. **Create the Skill Directory** — lowercase, hyphenated folder name322. **Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter** — field requirements, description best practices333. **Write the Skill Body** — recommended sections and structure344. **Add Optional Directories** — scripts/, references/, assets/, templates/3536## Example: Complete Skill Structure3738```text39my-awesome-skill/40├── SKILL.md # Required instructions41├── LICENSE.txt # Optional license file42├── scripts/43│ └── helper.py # Executable automation44├── references/45│ ├── api-reference.md # Detailed docs46│ └── examples.md # Usage examples47├── assets/48│ └── diagram.png # Static resources49└── templates/50 └── starter.ts # Code scaffold51```5253## Quick Start: Duplicate This Template54551. Copy the `make-skill-template/` folder562. Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)573. Update `SKILL.md`:58 - Change `name:` to match folder name59 - Write a keyword-rich `description:`60 - Replace body content with your instructions614. Add bundled resources as needed625. Validate with `npm run skill:validate`6364## Validation Checklist6566- [ ] Folder name is lowercase with hyphens67- [ ] `name` field matches folder name exactly68- [ ] `description` is 10-1024 characters69- [ ] `description` explains WHAT and WHEN70- [ ] `description` is wrapped in single quotes71- [ ] Body content is under 500 lines72- [ ] Bundled assets are under 5MB each7374## Troubleshooting7576| Issue | Solution |77| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |78| Skill not discovered | Improve description with more keywords and triggers |79| Validation fails on name | Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |80| Description too short | Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords |81| Assets not found | Use relative paths from skill root |8283## Project-Specific Scaffold Templates8485📋 **Reference**: Read `references/scaffold-templates.md` for Azure Knowledge Skill86and Integration Skill skeleton templates,87plus the "Before Committing a New Skill" checklist.8889## References9091- Agent Skills official spec: <https://agentskills.io/specification>9293## Reference Index9495Load these on demand — do NOT read all at once:9697| Reference | When to Load |98| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |99| `references/step-by-step-guide.md` | Detailed 4-step skill creation process with frontmatter rules |100| `references/scaffold-templates.md` | Azure/Integration skill skeletons, before-committing checklist |101102---103> Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/jonathan-vella) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.104<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-04-11 -->