# Writing Workflow Skills

Use when adding a new workflow skill to pi-thinkrail-workflow, changing an existing...

- Repository: https://github.com/JetBrains/thinkrail (6952 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill writing-workflow-skills -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill writing-workflow-skills -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill writing-workflow-skills -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add JetBrains/thinkrail --skill writing-workflow-skills -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Use when adding a new workflow skill to pi-thinkrail-workflow, changing an existing workflow skill's role, trigger, handoff, or structure, or checking a workflow skill against the workflow system's rules. Not for authoring general-purpose skills outside this package.

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

# Writing Workflow Skills

The authoring checklist for workflow skills in `packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow`. It carries the *what
to do*; every *why*, the concept model, the three roles, the meta-rules cited as "(rule N)" below, lives once in the workflow-system spec beside this directory, **`skills/SPEC.md`**. Read that spec
first; where this checklist and that spec disagree, the spec wins.

**Workspace guard.** This checklist edits `packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow` in the thinkrail repo. If
that package is not in the current workspace (a ThinkRail-managed project, where these skills are a
read-only staged cache), the family cannot be extended from here: say so in one line and stop, the
terminal state for foreign workspaces.

## Design (before writing)

The rest: https://github.com/JetBrains/thinkrail/blob/HEAD/packages/pi-thinkrail-workflow/skills/writing-workflow-skills/SKILL.md