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Audit score 90

write-a-skill

vinvcn/mattpocock-skills-zh-cn

Create well-structured agent skills with progressive disclosure and bundled resources.

What is write-a-skill?

This skill guides you through writing new agent skills for coding assistants. Use it when you need to create a skill that handles specific tasks, includes executable scripts or instructions, and supports bundled reference materials.

  • Gather requirements from users about task domain, use cases, and resource needs
  • Draft properly structured SKILL.md files with concise instructions
  • Create additional reference files (REFERENCE.md, EXAMPLES.md) when content exceeds 500 lines
  • Generate utility scripts for deterministic operations that need reliable handling
  • Review drafts with users and iterate based on feedback

How to install write-a-skill

npx skills add https://github.com/vinvcn/mattpocock-skills-zh-cn --skill write-a-skill
Claude Code
Cursor
Windsurf
Cline

How to use write-a-skill

  1. 1.Gather requirements by asking the user what task/domain the skill covers, which use cases it should handle, whether executable scripts are needed, and what reference materials to include
  2. 2.Draft the skill by creating a SKILL.md with concise instructions and additional files (REFERENCE.md, EXAMPLES.md, scripts/) if needed
  3. 3.Review the draft with the user by showing it and asking if it covers their use cases, if anything is missing or unclear, and if any sections need more or less detail
  4. 4.Validate against the checklist: description includes triggers, SKILL.md is under 100 lines, no time-sensitive info, consistent terminology, concrete examples included, and references are one level deep

Use cases

Good for
  • Creating a new skill to handle PDF extraction and document processing
  • Writing a skill for financial data validation with reusable utility scripts
  • Building a skill for API integration with multiple reference examples
  • Developing a domain-specific skill with progressive disclosure of advanced features
  • Packaging existing code patterns into reusable skills for agent teams
Who it's for
  • Skill developers building for Claude Code or Cursor
  • Teams creating internal agent skill libraries
  • Developers packaging repeatable code patterns as skills
  • Anyone extending agent capabilities with custom functionality

write-a-skill FAQ

What should the description field contain?

The description is the only content agents see when deciding whether to load the skill. It should be max 1024 characters, use third person, state what the skill does in the first sentence, and include 'Use when [specific triggers]' to help agents understand when to activate it.

When should I create separate reference files instead of putting everything in SKILL.md?

Split into separate files when SKILL.md exceeds 100 lines, when content covers different domains, or when advanced features are rarely needed. Use REFERENCE.md for detailed docs, EXAMPLES.md for usage examples, and scripts/ for utility code.

What types of operations should become utility scripts?

Create scripts for deterministic operations like validation and formatting, code that gets generated repeatedly, or operations that need explicit error handling. Scripts save tokens and improve reliability compared to generated code.

How do I structure a skill directory?

Use: skill-name/ with SKILL.md (required), REFERENCE.md (if needed), EXAMPLES.md (if needed), and scripts/ folder (if needed). Keep the structure flat with only one level of references.

What makes a good skill description?

A good description specifies the capability, includes concrete keywords and contexts, and tells agents when to use it. For example: 'Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents. Use when working with PDF files or when user mentions PDFs, forms, or document extraction.'

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from vinvcn/mattpocock-skills-zh-cn.


name: write-a-skill description: 创建结构正确、支持 progressive disclosure 并带 bundled resources 的新 agent skills。Use when user wants to create, write, or build a new skill.

Writing Skills

Process

  1. Gather requirements — 询问用户:

    • skill 覆盖什么 task/domain?
    • 应处理哪些具体 use cases?
    • 需要 executable scripts,还是只需要 instructions?
    • 是否有 reference materials 要包含?
  2. Draft the skill — 创建:

    • 带 concise instructions 的 SKILL.md
    • 如果内容超过 500 行,创建 additional reference files
    • 如果需要 deterministic operations,创建 utility scripts
  3. Review with user — 展示 draft 并询问:

    • 是否覆盖你的 use cases?
    • 是否缺失或不清楚?
    • 是否有 section 应更详细或更简短?

Skill Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md           # Main instructions (required)
├── REFERENCE.md       # Detailed docs (if needed)
├── EXAMPLES.md        # Usage examples (if needed)
└── scripts/           # Utility scripts (if needed)
    └── helper.js

SKILL.md Template

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of capability. Use when [specific triggers].
---

# Skill Name

## Quick start

[Minimal working example]

## Workflows

[Step-by-step processes with checklists for complex tasks]

## Advanced features

[Link to separate files: See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)]

Description Requirements

description 是 agent 决定是否加载 skill 时唯一看到的内容。它会和其他 installed skills 一起出现在 system prompt 中。agent 会读取这些 descriptions,并根据用户请求选择相关 skill。

Goal:给 agent 足够信息,让它知道:

  1. 这个 skill 提供什么 capability
  2. 何时/为什么触发它(specific keywords、contexts、file types)

Format

  • 最多 1024 chars
  • 使用 third person
  • 第一句说明它做什么
  • 第二句:"Use when [specific triggers]"

Good example

Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents. Use when working with PDF files or when user mentions PDFs, forms, or document extraction.

Bad example

Helps with documents.

坏例子无法让 agent 区分它和其他 document skills。

When to Add Scripts

以下情况添加 utility scripts:

  • Operation 是 deterministic(validation、formatting)
  • 同一段 code 会被反复生成
  • Errors 需要明确 handling

相比 generated code,scripts 节省 tokens 并提升 reliability。

When to Split Files

以下情况拆分为独立文件:

  • SKILL.md 超过 100 行
  • 内容有不同 domains(finance vs sales schemas)
  • Advanced features 很少需要

Review Checklist

draft 完成后验证:

  • Description 包含 triggers("Use when...")
  • SKILL.md 低于 100 行
  • 没有 time-sensitive info
  • Terminology 一致
  • 包含 concrete examples
  • References 只深入一层

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