Skill Authoring Procedure

Follow these steps to generate a skill that adheres to the agentskills.io specification and progressive disclosure principles.

Step 1: Initialize and Validate Metadata

1. Define a unique

   name

   : 1-64 characters, lowercase, numbers, and single hyphens only.
2. Draft a

   description

   : Max 1,024 characters, written in the third person, including negative triggers.
3. Execute Validation Script: Run the validation script to ensure compliance before proceeding:

   python3 scripts/validate-metadata.py --name "[name]" --description "[description]"

4. If the script returns an error, self-correct the metadata based on the

   stderr

   output and re-run until successful.

Step 2: Structure the Directory

1. Create the root directory using the validated

   name

   .
2. Initialize the following subdirectories:

   • scripts/

     : For tiny CLI tools and deterministic logic.

   • references/

     : For flat (one-level deep) context like schemas or API docs.

   • assets/

     : For output templates, JSON schemas, or static files.
3. Ensure no human-centric files (README.md, INSTALLATION.md) are created.

Step 3: Draft Core Logic (SKILL.md)

1. Use the template in

   assets/skill-template.md

   as the starting point.
2. Write all instructions in the third-person imperative (e.g., "Extract the text," "Run the build").
3. Enforce Progressive Disclosure:
   • Keep the main logic under 500 lines.
   • If a procedure requires a large schema or complex rule set, move it to

     references/

     .
   • Command the agent to read the specific file only when needed: "Read references/api-spec.md to identify the correct endpoint."

Step 4: Identify and Bundle Scripts

1. Identify "fragile" tasks (regex, complex parsing, or repetitive boilerplate).
2. Outline a single-purpose script for the

   scripts/

   directory.
3. Ensure the script uses standard output (stdout/stderr) to communicate success or failure to the agent.

Step 5: Final Logic Validation

1. Review the

   SKILL.md

   for "hallucination gaps" (points where the agent is forced to guess).
2. Verify all file paths are relative and use forward slashes (

   /

   ).
3. Cross-reference the final output against

   references/checklist.md

   .

Error Handling

• Metadata Failure: If

  scripts/validate-metadata.py

  fails, identify the specific error (e.g., "STYLE ERROR") and rewrite the field to remove first/second person pronouns.
• Context Bloat: If the draft exceeds 500 lines, extract the largest procedural block and move it to a file in

  references/

  .