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-make-skill-template3description: Make Skill Template4---56# Make Skill Template78A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold9a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills10specification.1112## When to Use This Skill1314- User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"15- User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup16- User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources17- User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point1819## Prerequisites2021- Understanding of what the skill should accomplish22- A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers23- Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)2425## Creating a New Skill2627📋 **Reference**: Read `references/step-by-step-guide.md` for the detailed 4-step creation process:28291. **Create the Skill Directory** — lowercase, hyphenated folder name302. **Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter** — field requirements, description best practices313. **Write the Skill Body** — recommended sections and structure324. **Add Optional Directories** — scripts/, references/, assets/, templates/3334## Example: Complete Skill Structure3536```text37my-awesome-skill/38├── SKILL.md # Required instructions39├── LICENSE.txt # Optional license file40├── scripts/41│ └── helper.py # Executable automation42├── references/43│ ├── api-reference.md # Detailed docs44│ └── examples.md # Usage examples45├── assets/46│ └── diagram.png # Static resources47└── templates/48 └── starter.ts # Code scaffold49```5051## Quick Start: Duplicate This Template52531. Copy the `make-skill-template/` folder542. Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)553. Update `SKILL.md`:56 - Change `name:` to match folder name57 - Write a keyword-rich `description:`58 - Replace body content with your instructions594. Add bundled resources as needed605. Validate with `npm run skill:validate`6162## Validation Checklist6364- [ ] Folder name is lowercase with hyphens65- [ ] `name` field matches folder name exactly66- [ ] `description` is 10-1024 characters67- [ ] `description` explains WHAT and WHEN68- [ ] `description` is wrapped in single quotes69- [ ] Body content is under 500 lines70- [ ] Bundled assets are under 5MB each7172## Troubleshooting7374| Issue | Solution |75| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |76| Skill not discovered | Improve description with more keywords and triggers |77| Validation fails on name | Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder |78| Description too short | Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords |79| Assets not found | Use relative paths from skill root |8081## Project-Specific Scaffold Templates8283📋 **Reference**: Read `references/scaffold-templates.md` for Azure Knowledge Skill84and Integration Skill skeleton templates,85plus the "Before Committing a New Skill" checklist.8687## References8889- Agent Skills official spec: <https://agentskills.io/specification>9091## Reference Index9293Load these on demand — do NOT read all at once:9495| Reference | When to Load |96| ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |97| `references/step-by-step-guide.md` | Detailed 4-step skill creation process with frontmatter rules |98| `references/scaffold-templates.md` | Azure/Integration skill skeletons, before-committing checklist |99100---101> Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/jonathan-vella) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.102<!-- tomevault:4.0:skill_md:2026-04-11 -->