Skill Builder

Skill Builder

This skill guides you through creating well-structured Cline skills that follow the repository's design patterns and best practices.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when:

• User explicitly requests creation of a new skill
• User describes a repetitive workflow that should be automated
• User wants to formalize domain expertise into reusable instructions
• User wants to improve or restructure an existing skill

Core Principles

Before creating a skill, verify it's appropriate:

1. Progressive Loading: Skills should contain extensive domain knowledge that would waste context if always active
2. On-Demand Activation: Skills trigger based on request matching, not explicit invocation
3. Institutional Knowledge: Best skills encode expertise that's hard to document elsewhere
4. Not Always-On: If instructions should always apply, use rules instead

Skill Creation Workflow

Step 1: Clarify the Skill's Purpose

Ask the user:

• What specific tasks should this skill handle?
• When should this skill activate versus remain dormant?
• What expertise or workflow knowledge needs to be captured?
• Will this need supporting files (templates, scripts, docs)?

Step 2: Design the Metadata

Craft the YAML frontmatter:

---
name: skill-name
description: Concise description of what this skill does and when to use it. This is critical for activation matching. Max 1024 characters.
---

Name Requirements:

• Must match the directory name exactly
• Use kebab-case (lowercase with hyphens)
• Be descriptive but concise
• Examples: "database-migration", "api-integration", "release-management"

Description Best Practices:

• Start with the primary action verb
• Specify concrete trigger conditions
• Include relevant keywords for matching
• Mention file types, technologies, or domains
• Keep under 1024 characters but be thorough

Good description example:

Deploy applications to AWS using CDK. Use when deploying, updating infrastructure, managing AWS resources, or troubleshooting cloud deployments. Handles CloudFormation stacks, Lambda functions, S3 buckets, and API Gateway configurations.

Bad description example:

Helps with AWS stuff

Step 3: Structure the Instructions

Organize the skill content following this hierarchy:

# Skill Name

Brief overview of what this skill accomplishes.

## When to Use

Explicit conditions for activation (helps clarify scope).

## Prerequisites

- Required tools or dependencies
- Expected environment setup
- Access requirements

## Core Workflow

### 1. First Major Step

Detailed instructions for the first phase.

- Sub-step with specifics
- Code examples where relevant
- Common pitfalls to avoid

### 2. Second Major Step

Continue with logical progression.

## Best Practices

- Domain-specific conventions
- Quality standards
- Performance considerations
- Security requirements

## Common Issues

### Issue: Specific Problem

**Symptoms:** How to recognize this
**Solution:** Step-by-step resolution
**Prevention:** Avoid future occurrences

## References

Link to supporting files if needed:
- [Setup Guide](docs/setup.md)
- [Troubleshooting](docs/troubleshooting.md)
- [Template](templates/config.yaml)

Step 4: Add Supporting Files (If Needed)

Create additional files only when:

• Instructions would become unwieldy in a single file
• Templates or scripts provide reusable assets
• Advanced documentation serves optional depth

Directory structure:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # Required: main instructions
├── docs/                 # Optional: extended documentation
│   ├── setup.md
│   ├── advanced.md
│   └── troubleshooting.md
├── templates/            # Optional: configuration templates
│   ├── config.yaml
│   └── example.json
└── scripts/              # Optional: utility scripts
    ├── validate.py
    └── helper.sh

Reference supporting files in instructions:

For initial setup, follow [setup.md](docs/setup.md).

Use the template at `templates/config.yaml` as a starting point.

Step 5: Determine Storage Location

Choose where the skill lives:

Global Skills (~/.cline/skills/ or C:\Users\USERNAME\.cline\skills\):

• Personal workflow patterns
• Cross-project utilities
• Individual preferences
• Skills you want available everywhere

Project Skills (.cline/skills/ in workspace):

• Team-shared expertise
• Project-specific workflows
• Domain knowledge tied to this codebase
• Skills that should version-control with the project

Default to project skills for team collaboration, global skills for personal productivity.

Step 6: Create the Skill Files

1. Create the directory with the exact skill name
2. Create SKILL.md with frontmatter and instructions
3. Add supporting files if planned
4. Test activation by asking Cline to perform the task

Step 7: Validate and Refine

After creation, verify:

• Directory name matches name field exactly
• Description is clear, specific, and under 1024 chars
• Instructions are detailed enough to execute without clarification
• Code examples use proper syntax (Python variables in double quotes per user preference)
• Supporting files are referenced correctly
• Skill activates on appropriate requests
• Instructions follow logical progression
• Common issues are documented

Code Examples Best Practices

When including code in skills:

Python:

# Always use double quotes for variables per user preference
variable_name = "value"
data = {"key": "value"}
result = function_call("argument")

Shell Scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Include error handling
set -euo pipefail

# Add usage documentation
usage() {
    echo "Usage: $0 [options]"
    exit 1
}

Configuration Files:

• Include comments explaining each section
• Provide sensible defaults
• Note which values must be customized

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Don't:

• Create skills for simple, one-off tasks (use chat instead)
• Duplicate functionality better served by rules
• Write vague descriptions that won't trigger properly
• Include always-applicable advice (use rules instead)
• Create overly broad skills that do too much
• Forget to specify when NOT to use the skill

Do:

• Encode complex, multi-step workflows
• Capture institutional knowledge and best practices
• Use specific trigger conditions in descriptions
• Include error handling and edge cases
• Reference supporting files for depth
• Test activation with realistic requests

Skill Improvement Prompts

When refining existing skills, consider:

1. Clarity: Are instructions unambiguous?
2. Completeness: Do they cover edge cases?
3. Efficiency: Can supporting files reduce verbosity?
4. Discoverability: Will the description trigger appropriately?
5. Maintainability: Can future developers update this easily?

Integration with Other Features

Skills complement other Cline features:

• Rules: Skills for on-demand expertise, rules for always-active constraints
• Workflows: Skills for domain knowledge, workflows for explicit automation sequences
• Hooks: Skills provide instructions, hooks inject custom logic at execution points
• MCP Servers: Skills orchestrate MCP tools for complex workflows

Example Skill Templates

Simple Skill (Single File)

---
name: code-review
description: Perform thorough code reviews using team standards. Use when reviewing pull requests, analyzing code quality, or providing feedback on implementations.
---

# Code Review

Conduct systematic code reviews following team standards.

## Review Checklist

### 1. Correctness
- Logic implements requirements accurately
- Edge cases are handled
- No obvious bugs

### 2. Security
- Input validation present
- No hardcoded secrets
- Proper authentication/authorization

### 3. Performance
- No N+1 queries
- Appropriate caching
- Efficient algorithms

### 4. Readability
- Clear variable names
- Logical organization
- Adequate comments

## Provide Feedback

Structure feedback as:
1. Summary of changes
2. Strengths
3. Issues (critical vs. minor)
4. Recommendations
5. Approval status

Complex Skill (Multiple Files)

---
name: database-migration
description: Create and apply database migrations safely. Use when modifying database schemas, adding tables/columns, or evolving data structures. Handles both up and down migrations with rollback procedures.
---

# Database Migration

Safe database schema evolution with rollback capability.

## Prerequisites

- Database connection configured
- Migration tool installed (Alembic, Flyway, etc.)
- Backup capability available

## Migration Process

### 1. Analyze Change Impact

Before creating migration:
- Identify affected tables
- Check for dependent code
- Estimate downtime
- Plan rollback strategy

### 2. Create Migration File

Follow [migration template](templates/migration-template.sql).

### 3. Test Migration

See [testing guide](docs/testing-migrations.md) for procedures.

### 4. Apply to Production

Follow [production deployment](docs/production-deployment.md) checklist.

## Rollback Procedures

Every migration must include rollback logic. See [rollback guide](docs/rollback.md).

Final Checklist

Before considering a skill complete:

• Metadata is accurate and descriptive
• Instructions are comprehensive yet concise
• Code examples follow user preferences (double quotes for Python)
• Supporting files are organized logically
• Skill activates on appropriate requests
• Team members can understand and use the skill
• Common failure modes are documented
• Success criteria are clear

Iteration Strategy

Skills evolve based on usage:

1. Initial Version: Get 80% right, ship it
2. Gather Feedback: Note where Cline struggles or asks for clarification
3. Refine: Add missing details, improve descriptions
4. Expand: Add supporting files for advanced scenarios
5. Prune: Remove unused sections that waste context

Skills are living documentation—embrace continuous improvement.

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