# Skill Creator

Design and author DeepTutor skills (SKILL.md packages).

- Repository: https://github.com/HKUDS/DeepTutor (53613 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-10-31
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add HKUDS/DeepTutor --skill skill-creator -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add HKUDS/DeepTutor --skill skill-creator -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add HKUDS/DeepTutor --skill skill-creator -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add HKUDS/DeepTutor --skill skill-creator -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Design and author DeepTutor skills (SKILL.md packages). Use when the user wants to create a new skill, improve an existing skill, or asks how skills work.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Skill Creator

Guidance for authoring effective DeepTutor skills.

## What a skill is

A skill is a self-contained capability package: a `SKILL.md` playbook plus
optional `references/` files. The system prompt only carries each skill's
name + description; the model fetches the full body with the `read_skill`
tool when a task matches. Skills teach procedural knowledge, workflows,
domain expertise, format conventions, that no model fully possesses.

Behaviour/voice presets (tone, teaching style) are NOT skills, those are
personas, managed separately.

## Anatomy

```
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md          (required: frontmatter + instructions)
└── references/       (optional: docs loaded on demand via read_skill)
```

Frontmatter schema:

```yaml
---
name: my-skill            # lowercase, digits, hyphens; max 64 chars
description: One line stating WHAT it does and WHEN to use it.
tags: [tool]              # optional, user-facing organisation
always: false             # optional: eager-inject into every turn
requires:                 # optional availability gates
  bins: [git]             # host CLI binaries
  env: [GITHUB_TOKEN]     # environment variables
  sandbox: shell          # needs the shell execution sandbox
---
```

## Core principles

The rest: https://github.com/HKUDS/DeepTutor/blob/HEAD/deeptutor/skills/builtin/skill-creator/SKILL.md