---

name: skill-writer description: Create and improve agent skills following the Agent Skills specification. Use when asked to create, write, or update skills. risk: unknown source: community

Skill Writer

Use this as the single canonical workflow for skill creation and improvement. Primary success condition: maximize high-value input coverage before authoring so the resulting skill has minimal blind spots.

Load only the path(s) required for the task:

| Task | Read | |------|------| | Set skill class and required dimensions | references/mode-selection.md | | Apply writing constraints for depth vs concision | references/design-principles.md | | Select structure pattern for this skill | references/skill-patterns.md | | Select workflow orchestration pattern for process-heavy skills | references/workflow-patterns.md | | Select output format pattern for deterministic quality | references/output-patterns.md | | Choose workflow path and required outputs | references/mode-selection.md | | Load representative synthesis examples by skill type | references/examples/*.md | | Synthesize external/local sources with depth gates | references/synthesis-path.md | | Author or update SKILL.md and supporting files | references/authoring-path.md | | Optimize skill description and trigger precision | references/description-optimization.md | | Iterate using positive/negative/fix examples | references/iteration-path.md | | Evaluate behavior and compare baseline vs with-skill (opt-in quantitative) | references/evaluation-path.md | | Register and validate skill changes | references/registration-validation.md |

Step 1: Resolve target and path

1. Resolve target skill path and intended operation (create, update, synthesize, iterate).
2. Read references/mode-selection.md and select the required path(s).
3. Classify the skill (workflow-process, integration-documentation, security-review, skill-authoring, generic).
4. Ask one direct question if class or depth requirements are ambiguous; otherwise state explicit assumptions.

Step 2: Run synthesis when needed

Read references/synthesis-path.md.

1. Collect and score relevant sources with provenance.
2. Apply trust and safety rules when ingesting external content.
3. Produce source-backed decisions and coverage/gap status.
4. Load one or more profiles from references/examples/*.md when the skill is hybrid.
5. Enforce baseline source pack for skill-authoring workflows.
6. Enforce depth gates before moving to authoring.

Step 3: Run iteration first when improving from outcomes/examples

Read references/iteration-path.md first when selected path includes iteration (for example operation iterate).

1. Capture and anonymize examples with provenance.
2. Re-evaluate skill behavior against working and holdout slices.
3. Propose improvements from positive/negative/fix evidence.
4. Carry concrete behavior deltas into authoring.

Skip this step when selected path does not include iteration.

Step 4: Author or update skill artifacts

Read references/authoring-path.md.

1. Write or update SKILL.md in imperative voice with trigger-rich description.
2. Create focused reference files and scripts only when justified.
3. Follow references/skill-patterns.md, references/workflow-patterns.md, and references/output-patterns.md for structure and output determinism.
4. For authoring/generator skills, include transformed examples in references:
   • happy-path
   • secure/robust variant
   • anti-pattern + corrected version

Step 5: Optimize description quality

Read references/description-optimization.md.

1. Validate should-trigger and should-not-trigger query sets.
2. Reduce false positives and false negatives with targeted description edits.
3. Keep trigger language generic across Codex and Claude.

Step 6: Evaluate outcomes

Read references/evaluation-path.md.

1. Run a lightweight qualitative check by default (recommended).
2. For integration/documentation and skill-authoring skills, include the concise depth rubric from references/evaluation-path.md.
3. Run deeper eval playbook and quantitative baseline-vs-with-skill only when requested or risk warrants it.
4. Record outcomes and unresolved risks.

Step 7: Register and validate

Read references/registration-validation.md.

1. Apply repository registration steps.
2. Run quick validation with strict depth gates.
3. Reject shallow outputs that fail depth gates or required artifact checks.

Output format

Return:

1. Summary
2. Changes Made
3. Validation Results
4. Open Gaps

When to Use

Use this skill when tackling tasks related to its primary domain or functionality as described above.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, pe