Create Skill
Scaffolds new agent skills for the dotnet/skills repository.
Install
npx skills add dotnet/skills --skill create-skill -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- dotnet/skills5.8k
- Category
- Testing
- Updated
- 3d ago
- License
- MIT
- Context cost
- Mediumabout 2,674 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Scaffolds new agent skills for the dotnet/skills repository. Use when creating a new skill, generating SKILL.md files, writing a skill description that the runtime will actually route to, or setting up skill directory structures. Handles frontmatter generation, section templates, and validation guidance. Do not use for fixing a skill that already fails its evaluation (use improve-skill-quality) or for writing eval.yaml (use create-skill-test).
Create Skill
This skill helps you scaffold new agent skills that conform to the Agent Skills specification and the dotnet/skills repository conventions.
When to Use
- Creating a new skill from scratch
- Generating a SKILL.md file with proper frontmatter
- Setting up the skill directory structure with optional folders
- Ensuring compliance with agentskills.io specification
When Not to Use
- Modifying existing skills (edit directly instead)
- Diagnosing or fixing a skill that fails its evaluation (use
improve-skill-quality) - Writing the skill's
eval.yaml(usecreate-skill-test) - Creating custom agents (use the agents/ directory pattern)
Inputs
| Input | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Skill name | Yes | Lowercase, alphanumeric, hyphens only (e.g., code-review, ci-triage) |
| Description | Yes | What the skill does and when agents should use it (1-1024 chars) |
| Purpose | Yes | One paragraph describing the outcome |
| Workflow steps | Recommended | Numbered steps the agent should follow |
Workflow
Step 1: Validate the skill name
Ensure the name:
- Contains only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
- Does not start or end with a hyphen
- Does not contain consecutive hyphens
- Is between 1-64 characters
Step 2: Write the description, it is the router
The description is the only text the runtime sees when deciding whether to load the skill.
A perfect body behind a weak description never runs.
---
name: <skill-name>
description: <what it does>. USE FOR: <symptoms, error codes, artifact names, quoted user requests>. DO NOT USE FOR: <nearby-but-wrong intents, with the skill that owns them>.
---
