Skill Creator
Create new Claude Code skills following the official format and best practices.
Quick Reference
- Structure Guide - Directory format and file organization
- Naming Rules - Skill naming requirements
- Description Guide - Writing effective descriptions
- Templates - Process, knowledge, and tool skill templates
- Examples - Complete skill creation walkthroughs
- Validation - Commands to validate new skills
When to Use
- Creating a new reusable knowledge module
- Adding specialized guidance for specific tasks
- Building domain-specific expertise into Claude Code
- Need to ensure proper skill format and structure
Required SKILL.md Format
Every skill requires a SKILL.md file with two parts:
- YAML frontmatter (metadata between
---markers on line 1) - Markdown instructions (guidance for Claude)
---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description of what this skill does and when to use it
---
# Skill Title
## Instructions
Step-by-step guidance for Claude...YAML Frontmatter Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | Yes | Lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens only (max 64 chars). Must match directory name. |
description | Yes | What the skill does and when to use it (max 1024 chars). Claude uses this to match requests. |
allowed-tools | No | Tools Claude can use without permission |
model | No | Specific model to use |
context | No | Set to fork for isolated sub-agent context |
File Structure
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md # Required - overview and navigation
├── reference.md # Detailed docs - loaded when needed
├── examples.md # Usage examples - loaded when needed
└── scripts/
└── helper.sh # Utility script - executed, not loadedBest Practices
- Keep SKILL.md under 250 lines - Use progressive disclosure
- Write specific descriptions - Include trigger terms users would naturally use
- Link supporting files - From SKILL.md using markdown links
- Validate structure - Check YAML syntax and file organization
See naming.md for naming conventions and templates.md for ready-to-use templates.