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use-skill-craft

Write, review, or fix skills and AGENTS.md files. Use when creating a new skill, auditing an existing one, refactoring a bloated AGENTS.md, or reviewing whether content passes the authoring test. Do NOT use for general documentation writing — see the `use-writing` skill.

personAuthor: jakexiaohubgithub
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Overview

Three tasks, three sections:

  1. Writing a new skill
  2. Reviewing an existing skill
  3. Fixing a bloated AGENTS.md

1. Writing a New Skill

Authoring test: Would an LLM perform this task worse without the skill? If the agent would figure it out from general knowledge or by reading the target files, do not create the skill.

Frontmatter

---
description: >-
  Use when: 'X', 'Y'.
---

Triggers-first format — two forms:

  • do-/run-/use- skills → bare trigger cluster, no prose purpose: Use when: 'X', 'Y'.
  • with-* skills → purpose clause + triggers: <purpose>. Use when: '<domain task>'.
  • Sub-skill tier (workflow-invoked only) → purpose only, no triggers.

Include a name field matching the directory name (with prefix). description is the sole trigger surface — the body loads only after activation. Every behavior mode and trigger phrase must appear in the description or the skill won't auto-invoke.

Prefix convention — pick the prefix that matches your skill's role:

| Prefix | Use for | |--------|---------| | do- | Workflow chain (discuss → plan → execute → commit) | | run- | Standalone utilities (debug, review, polish, recap) | | with- | Domain constraints — applied when task matches a domain (backend, frontend, terminology, testing) | | use- | Operational tools — utilities, conventions, cross-provider tooling |

Plain names (handoff, catchup): session primitives. See docs/skills-reference.md for full details. Add disable-model-invocation: true only when the skill is a thin routing wrapper that immediately delegates to another skill.

Structure

overview → core directives → anti-patterns — plus optional ## Completion for skills with exit-evidence requirements. No other sections unless prerequisites require it.

Core directives must be domain-specific procedures the agent wouldn't know. For multi-phase workflow skills: see references/workflow-patterns.md — pattern selection, phase structure, anti-patterns.

Composition model. Agent + reference file = augmented behavior. References add, never replace. Linked refs load into mainthread; backticked paths dispatch-only — do NOT Read. See docs/specs/2612-thin-orchestrator/spec.md. Dispatch visibility. Every dispatched agent appears in both the phase table AND inline dispatch list. Bold standalone paragraphs read as annotations — inline as list items. Cross-skill refs. Skills cross-reference sibling refs via ../ paths. When renaming/moving reference files, check downstream consumers. Retired names. When renaming agents/skills/MCP servers, add old name to the retired array in install.sh. Declare, don't branch. Reference files describe what they consume and produce. No caller-identity conditionals; parameterize I/O paths. Exception: envoy refs must NOT include Write to {output_path} — their ## Output describes format only, because the content is forwarded to external providers via run.sh, not consumed by the envoy agent itself. Reference naming. {phase}-{role}.md, orchestrate-{mode}.md, template-{artifact}.md, {concept}.md. Phases are mandatory, fanout is adaptive. Every phase executes unless the skill explicitly gates it (e.g., depth classification). Zero-dispatch (phase executes, dispatches no subagents) is valid — not skip or fast-exit. Phase execution must be auditable: see references/phase-audit.md for logging, completion gates, and dispatch taxonomy.

Cut:

  • Definitions ("A trace is the complete record of...")
  • Motivation ("This is important because...")
  • Framework lists ("You can use FastAPI, Flask, or...")
  • Anything the agent can deduce from general knowledge or the target files

Anti-patterns: one line each. If a warning needs a paragraph to explain, convert it to a directive in the main instructions instead. Include rationalization-awareness bullets for workflow skills: "I'll X later" — reality: Y format exposes excuses agents use to skip steps.

## Completion (optional): 3-6 concrete evidence requirements at skill exit. Tag each with required evidence level (E2/E3). Precedent: run-debug/SKILL.md, run-review/references/build-finalize.md. Workflow skills (do-*, run-*) with phase-gated exits should include this section.

Be concrete. Vague directives fail the authoring test. See references/examples.md for before/after pairs.

Telegraphic prose. Sacrifice grammar for scannability — imperative fragments over full sentences. Skills are LLM-consumed, not prose. Compress grammar, not behavioral qualifiers — if a phrase constrains what the model outputs (not just how it processes), keep it even if it looks like cuttable prose.

Size

Keep under 5000 tokens. If examples push past the limit, extract to references/examples.md and link from the relevant section. NEVER nest deeper than skill.md → references/file.md.

2. Reviewing an Existing Skill

Apply the authoring test to every line: "Would a capable agent deduce this from general knowledge or from reading the target files?" Cut any line that passes.

Audit in order:

  1. General knowledge — definitions, motivation, framework lists → cut
  2. Wisdom — paragraph warnings → one-line anti-patterns or fold into directives
  3. Duplication — content in a canonical file → replace with pointer

Delete a skill outright if it only loads or references another skill.

Red flags:

  • 2+ explanation sentences without a directive
  • "It's important to..." / "Note that..." openers
  • Anti-patterns that take more than one line to state
  • Full sentences where imperative fragments suffice
  • Tool-specific references (k5-*, nestor, dotcursor) in skills or agents

3. Fixing a Bloated AGENTS.md

Step 1 — Find contradictions. Surface conflicting instructions; ask user which to keep.

Step 2 — Identify root-level essentials. Root AGENTS.md keeps only:

  • One-sentence project description
  • Package manager (omit — ni is universal; see use-js skill)
  • Non-standard build, typecheck, or test commands
  • Instructions relevant to every single task

Step 3 — Group and extract. Everything else → logical categories, one file each. Link from root.

Step 4 — Flag for deletion. Present flagged items before deleting:

  • Redundant (agent knows from general knowledge)
  • Too vague to act on ("write clean code")
  • Overly obvious ("don't commit secrets")

Root AGENTS.md is read every invocation — keep minimal. References load on demand.

Anti-Patterns

  • Creating a skill because the content is "useful" rather than because the agent would perform worse without it
  • Writing explanation paragraphs instead of directives
  • Anti-patterns that require more than one line (convert to a directive instead)
  • AGENTS.md that lists all conventions inline instead of using progressive disclosure
  • References nested deeper than one level (skill.md → ref.md → detail.md)