name: skill-creator category: collaboration-communication/collaboration version: 1.0.0 description: Create your own skills following best practices with proper YAML frontmatter author: obra/superpowers verified: true tags: [meta, skills, development, best-practices, documentation]

Skill Creator

<context> Learn how to create effective, reusable Agent Skills that extend Claude's capabilities with proper structure, documentation, and community standards.

This meta-skill teaches you the patterns and practices for building high-quality skills that others can use and contribute to. </context>

<instructions> Follow systematic approach to create well-structured, documented, and reusable Agent Skills.

Use proper YAML frontmatter, clear documentation, concrete examples, and established patterns. Ensure skills are tested, verified, and ready for community use. </instructions>

<workflow> ## Planning Phase 1. Identify skill purpose and scope 2. Choose appropriate category 3. Define specific use cases 4. Plan skill structure 5. Design examples and workflows

Creation Phase

Write YAML frontmatter with required fields
Create clear overview section
Document specific use cases
Write actionable instructions
Add concrete examples
Include best practices
Highlight common mistakes

Validation Phase

Complete skill quality checklist
Test skill manually
Verify Claude integration
Conduct peer review
Refine based on feedback

Publishing Phase

Organize in proper directory structure
Update repository README
Document installation process
Submit contribution </workflow>

<rules> ## Skill Structure Requirements - Valid YAML frontmatter with all required fields - Clear overview paragraph (2-3 sentences) - Specific use cases listed with checkmarks - Actionable guidance (not vague suggestions) - Concrete examples (not generic descriptions) - Best practices documented - Common mistakes highlighted - Integration notes for Claude

YAML Frontmatter

---
name: your-skill-name
category: core | mcp | workflow | meta
version: 1.0.0
description: One-line summary of what this skill does
author: your-name-or-organization
verified: false
tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3]
---

Quality Standards

Skill name is descriptive
Tags are relevant and specific
Description is concise (one line)
Examples are realistic and actionable
Can be used without extra context </rules>

<best_practices>

Writing Good Skills

1. Clear Purpose

❌ Bad: "Helps with code" ✅ Good: "Test-driven development using RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle"

2. Specific Use Cases

❌ Bad: "When writing code" ✅ Good: "When building new features from scratch with guaranteed test coverage"

3. Actionable Guidance

❌ Bad: "Write good tests" ✅ Good: "Follow RED-GREEN-REFACTOR: write failing test, make it pass, refactor"

4. Concrete Examples

❌ Bad: "Here's how to use it:" ✅ Good: "To build a user auth system with TDD:

RED: Write test for login validation
GREEN: Implement validateLogin()
REFACTOR: Extract common validation logic"

Common Skill Patterns

Checklist Pattern

## Pre-Execution Checklist
- [ ] Step 1
- [ ] Step 2
- [ ] Step 3

## Post-Execution Checklist
- [ ] Verification 1
- [ ] Verification 2

Phase Pattern

## Phase 1: Preparation
[Steps and guidance]

## Phase 2: Execution
[Steps and guidance]

## Phase 3: Verification
[Steps and guidance]

Example Pattern

## Example: [Specific scenario]
### Before
[Code or situation before]

### After
[Code or situation after]

### Key Changes
- [Change 1]
- [Change 2]

</best_practices>

<examples> ## Basic Skill Template ```markdown --- name: your-skill-name category: core | mcp | workflow | meta version: 1.0.0 description: One-line summary of what this skill does author: your-name-or-organization verified: false tags: [tag1, tag2, tag3] ---

Skill Name

Overview

[2-3 sentences explaining what this skill does and when to use it]

When to Use This Skill

✅ [Use case 1] ✅ [Use case 2] ✅ [Use case 3]

How It Works

[Explanation of the skill's approach]

Usage Examples

[Concrete examples of using the skill]

Best Practices

[Key guidelines and patterns]

Common Mistakes

❌ [What to avoid]

Integration with Claude

[How Claude uses this skill]


## GitHub Repository Structure

my-claude-skills/ ├── skills/ │ ├── skill-1/ │ │ └── SKILL.md │ ├── skill-2/ │ │ └── SKILL.md │ └── skill-3/ │ └── SKILL.md ├── README.md ├── CONTRIBUTING.md └── LICENSE


## README Template
```markdown
# My Claude Skills Collection

A collection of skills for [purpose].

## Skills
- [Skill 1]: [Brief description]
- [Skill 2]: [Brief description]
- [Skill 3]: [Brief description]

## Installation
```bash
git clone https://github.com/username/repo ~/.claude/skills/my-skills

Usage

Skills load automatically when relevant. See individual skill files for details.

</examples>

<integration_notes>
## Skill Categories

### Core Skills
Fundamental development practices:
- Testing (TDD, testing patterns)
- Debugging (systematic debugging)
- Git workflows (worktrees, branching)
- Planning and architecture
- Code review practices

### MCP Skills
Model Context Protocol integrations:
- API integrations
- Database operations
- File system operations
- External service connections
- Tool implementations

### Workflow Skills
Team and process workflows:
- Code review processes
- Documentation standards
- Collaboration patterns
- Release processes
- Project management

### Meta Skills
Skills about skills:
- Creating skills
- Testing skills
- Sharing skills
- Skill patterns

## Testing Your Skill

### 1. Manual Testing
```markdown
## Test Cases
1. **Scenario**: [describe situation]
   - **Input**: [what you provide]
   - **Expected**: [what should happen]
   - **Actual**: [what actually happened]

2. Claude Integration Testing

Use the skill in Claude Code
Verify Claude recognizes relevant context
Check that guidance is followed
Ensure examples are helpful

3. Peer Review

Have others test the skill
Gather feedback on clarity
Identify missing use cases
Refine based on suggestions

Contributing to Collections

Fork the repository
Create a new branch: git checkout -b skill/my-skill
Add your skill file
Update README if needed
Submit pull request </integration_notes>

<output_format> A complete skill file with:

YAML Frontmatter (required fields):
- name: descriptive-skill-name
- category: core|mcp|workflow|meta
- version: X.Y.Z (semver)
- description: One-line summary
- author: Creator name/org
- verified: true|false
- tags: [relevant, tags]
Content Sections:
- Overview (2-3 sentences)
- When to Use This Skill (checkmark list)
- How It Works
- Usage Examples
- Best Practices
- Common Mistakes
- Integration with Claude
Quality Validation:
- Skill Quality Checklist completed
- Manual testing documented
- Claude integration verified
- Peer review feedback incorporated </output_format>

Name	skill-creator
Description	Create your own skills following best practices with proper YAML frontmatter