tools-only Asset Category Decision Tree
Guide for selecting the right extension type: Skill vs Command vs Agent vs Hook.
Quick Decision Flow
flowchart TD
START["Need to extend<br/>Claude's capabilities?"]
Q1{"Does it need to<br/>run automatically<br/>on events?"}
Q2{"Is it user-invocable<br/>with /command?"}
Q3{"Does it require<br/>autonomous execution<br/>in separate context?"}
Q4{"Is it knowledge,<br/>patterns, or<br/>instructions?"}
HOOK["→ HOOK<br/>Event-triggered automation"]
COMMAND["→ COMMAND<br/>User-invocable action"]
AGENT["→ AGENT<br/>Autonomous specialist"]
SKILL["→ SKILL<br/>Loadable knowledge"]
START --> Q1
Q1 -->|"Yes"| HOOK
Q1 -->|"No"| Q2
Q2 -->|"Yes"| COMMAND
Q2 -->|"No"| Q3
Q3 -->|"Yes"| AGENT
Q3 -->|"No"| Q4
Q4 -->|"Yes"| SKILL
Q4 -->|"No"| START
Detailed Decision Matrix
flowchart TB
subgraph CRITERIA["Selection Criteria"]
direction LR
C1["Invocation Method"]
C2["Execution Context"]
C3["Autonomy Level"]
C4["Persistence"]
end
subgraph SKILL_BOX["SKILL"]
S1["Loaded on demand<br/>or by other assets"]
S2["Runs in current<br/>context window"]
S3["Provides guidance,<br/>not autonomous action"]
S4["Persists as knowledge<br/>for session duration"]
end
subgraph COMMAND_BOX["COMMAND"]
CMD1["User types /name<br/>or model invokes"]
CMD2["Runs in current<br/>context window"]
CMD3["Executes defined<br/>action sequence"]
CMD4["One-time execution,<br/>may modify state"]
end
subgraph AGENT_BOX["AGENT"]
A1["Delegated via<br/>Task tool"]
A2["Runs in separate<br/>context window"]
A3["Fully autonomous<br/>within scope"]
A4["Returns results,<br/>signals DONE/BLOCKED"]
end
subgraph HOOK_BOX["HOOK"]
H1["Triggered by<br/>system events"]
H2["Runs in shell<br/>or Node.js"]
H3["Automated,<br/>no human trigger"]
H4["Executes on<br/>every event match"]
end
C1 --> S1 & CMD1 & A1 & H1
C2 --> S2 & CMD2 & A2 & H2
C3 --> S3 & CMD3 & A3 & H3
C4 --> S4 & CMD4 & A4 & H4
Use Case Decision Trees
When to Use a SKILL
flowchart TD
Q1{"Reusable knowledge<br/>or patterns?"}
Q2{"Reference material<br/>for multiple tasks?"}
Q3{"Workflow guidance<br/>or methodology?"}
Q4{"Tool-specific<br/>expertise?"}
YES["✅ Create a SKILL"]
NO["❌ Not a skill"]
Q1 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q1 -->|"No"| Q2
Q2 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q2 -->|"No"| Q3
Q3 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q3 -->|"No"| Q4
Q4 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q4 -->|"No"| NO
subgraph EXAMPLES["Skill Examples"]
E1["rt-ica → Requirements methodology"]
E2["scientific-thinking → Investigation pattern"]
E3["verify → Completion checklist"]
E4["delegate → Delegation template"]
end
YES --> EXAMPLES
Skill Characteristics:
- Loadable via
Skill(command: "name")or@skillname - Contains SKILL.md with frontmatter and instructions
- Can include reference files for additional context
- No autonomous execution - provides guidance only
When to Use a COMMAND
flowchart TD
Q1{"User explicitly<br/>triggers action?"}
Q2{"Single discrete<br/>operation?"}
Q3{"Needs argument<br/>parsing?"}
Q4{"Should appear in<br/>/help listing?"}
YES["✅ Create a COMMAND"]
NO["❌ Not a command"]
Q1 -->|"Yes"| Q2
Q1 -->|"No"| NO
Q2 -->|"Yes"| Q3
Q2 -->|"No"| NO
Q3 -->|"Any"| Q4
Q4 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q4 -->|"No"| NO
subgraph EXAMPLES["Command Examples"]
E1["/am-i-complete → Check completion"]
E2["/think → Step-back reasoning"]
E3["/sessions → Session management"]
E4["/how-to-delegate → Delegation guidance"]
end
YES --> EXAMPLES
Command Characteristics:
- Invoked with
/commandnameor/commandname args - Lives in
.claude/commands/directory - Markdown file with frontmatter
- Executes in orchestrator's context
- Can fork context if
context_fork: true
When to Use an AGENT
flowchart TD
Q1{"Requires autonomous<br/>decision-making?"}
Q2{"Needs separate<br/>context window?"}
Q3{"Specialist expertise<br/>for specific domain?"}
Q4{"Should signal<br/>DONE/BLOCKED?"}
YES["✅ Create an AGENT"]
NO["❌ Not an agent"]
Q1 -->|"Yes"| Q2
Q1 -->|"No"| NO
Q2 -->|"Yes"| Q3
Q2 -->|"No"| NO
Q3 -->|"Yes"| Q4
Q3 -->|"No"| NO
Q4 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q4 -->|"No"| NO
subgraph EXAMPLES["Agent Examples"]
E1["context-gathering → Research specialist"]
E2["code-review → Quality specialist"]
E3["plugin-assessor → Validation specialist"]
E4["skill-refactorer → Refactoring specialist"]
end
YES --> EXAMPLES
Agent Characteristics:
- Delegated via
Task(agent="name", prompt="...") - Lives in
.claude/agents/directory - YAML frontmatter with model, tools, allowed_tools
- Runs in isolated context window
- Returns results to orchestrator
When to Use a HOOK
flowchart TD
Q1{"Triggered by<br/>system event?"}
Q2{"No human<br/>intervention needed?"}
Q3{"Same action<br/>every time?"}
Q4{"Shell or Node.js<br/>execution?"}
YES["✅ Create a HOOK"]
NO["❌ Not a hook"]
Q1 -->|"Yes"| Q2
Q1 -->|"No"| NO
Q2 -->|"Yes"| Q3
Q2 -->|"No"| NO
Q3 -->|"Yes"| Q4
Q3 -->|"No"| NO
Q4 -->|"Yes"| YES
Q4 -->|"No"| NO
subgraph EXAMPLES["Hook Examples"]
E1["session-start-rtica.cjs → Auto-load rt-ica"]
E2["pre-commit → Validate before commit"]
E3["post-tool → Log tool usage"]
end
YES --> EXAMPLES
Hook Characteristics:
- Defined in
settings.jsonhooks array - Triggered by events: session-start, pre-tool, post-tool, etc.
- Runs shell command or Node.js script
- Cannot prompt user - automated only
- Exit codes control flow (0=continue, non-0=block)
Comparison Table
| Aspect | Skill | Command | Agent | Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invocation | Load via Skill() | User types /name | Task() delegation | System event |
| Context | Orchestrator's | Orchestrator's | Separate window | Shell/Node |
| Autonomy | Guidance only | Execute action | Fully autonomous | Automated |
| File Location | skills/*/SKILL.md | commands/*.md | agents/*.md | settings.json |
| User Visible | @mention | /help listing | Task output | Silent |
| Arguments | N/A | $ARGUMENTS | prompt parameter | Environment vars |
| Return Value | Knowledge loaded | Action complete | DONE/BLOCKED | Exit code |
Decision Flowchart Summary
START: What capability do I need?
│
├─► Runs on system events automatically?
│ └─► YES → HOOK
│
├─► User explicitly invokes with slash?
│ └─► YES → COMMAND
│
├─► Needs separate context, autonomous work?
│ └─► YES → AGENT
│
└─► Knowledge, patterns, or guidance?
└─► YES → SKILL
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Problem | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Creating agent for simple lookup | Wastes context window | Use skill with reference files |
| Creating skill for user action | Skills can't take action | Use command for actions |
| Creating command for automation | Commands need user trigger | Use hook for automation |
| Creating hook for guidance | Hooks can't provide context | Use skill for guidance |
Combination Patterns
Assets often work together:
flowchart LR
HOOK["Hook<br/>Auto-triggers on event"]
SKILL["Skill<br/>Loads knowledge"]
COMMAND["Command<br/>User invokes action"]
AGENT["Agent<br/>Executes autonomously"]
HOOK -->|"Loads"| SKILL
COMMAND -->|"Uses guidance from"| SKILL
COMMAND -->|"Delegates to"| AGENT
AGENT -->|"Follows patterns in"| SKILL
Example: session-start-rtica.cjs
- Hook triggers on session start
- Loads rt-ica skill
- Skill provides requirements assessment methodology
- User can also invoke via /rt-ica command
Navigation
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