Skill Creator
Create a new agent skill from scratch with guided, step-by-step assistance. Generates a complete SKILL.md package with frontmatter, workflow, examples, and c...
Like a lobster shell, security has layers — review code before you run it.
License
Runtime requirements
SKILL.md
Skill Creator
Create agent skills from scratch through guided conversation. Collects requirements, generates a directory skeleton, and walks you through filling each section until the skill is ready to test and publish.
Quick Start
- Describe what the skill should do in one sentence.
- The creator walks you through requirements, structure, and content.
- A complete skill directory is generated and ready for testing.
When to Use This Skill
Use when someone wants to create a new skill or does not know where to start.
Typical triggers:
- "I want to make a skill that does X"
- "Help me create a new skill"
- "Turn this workflow into a skill"
- "Scaffold a skill for me"
Example Prompts
I want to create a skill that helps me generate weekly reports from Jira data.Help me build a new skill from scratch — I have no idea where to start.Turn this workflow I just did into a reusable skill I can publish on ClawHub.Scaffold a skill for converting CSV files to charts.Create a skill template for me, I need something that audits Terraform configs.
When Not to Use
Do not use this skill for tasks that already have a dedicated tool:
- Testing or evaluating an existing skill: use
skill-test - Optimizing search visibility of an existing skill: use
skill-seo - Debugging runtime failures inside a skill
- General code review unrelated to skill authoring
Workflow
Follow these five phases in order. Do not skip phases unless the user explicitly asks.
Phase 1: Understand the Need
Ask the user these questions one or two at a time, not all at once:
- What should this skill help the agent do? (one sentence)
- What would a user say to trigger it? (2-3 realistic examples)
- What does the skill produce when finished? (files, reports, code, actions)
- Does the skill need external tools or APIs? (env vars, CLI binaries)
Conclude this phase when the purpose, triggers, outputs, and dependencies are clear.
Phase 2: Plan the Structure
Based on the answers, decide which type of skill to create:
- Instruction-only: SKILL.md + references/ (most skills)
- Script-backed: adds scripts/ for deterministic or repetitive tasks
- Asset-backed: adds assets/ for templates, images, or boilerplate
Read references/skill-anatomy.md for the full structure spec.
Phase 3: Generate the Skeleton
Run the scaffold script:
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/init_skill.py <skill-name> --path <output-dir>
For script-backed skills, add --type script. For asset-backed skills, add --type asset.
The script creates the directory, SKILL.md template with TODO placeholders, and resource folders. Verify the output before proceeding.
Phase 4: Fill the Content
Guide the user through each section in priority order. Read references/writing-guide.md for writing rules and references/examples.md for good/bad comparisons.
- Frontmatter (most critical):
name: lowercase-hyphen, must match directory namedescription: use the template from writing-guide.md; cover action, object, outcome, and "Use when" triggersmetadata.openclaw: emoji and requires
- Example Prompts: at least 3, written in realistic user language
- Workflow: numbered steps describing the skill's process
- Commands: runnable examples using
{baseDir}paths - Definition of Done: measurable completion criteria
- When Not to Use: explicit boundaries to reduce false triggers
After each section, confirm with the user before moving on.
Phase 5: Verify and Optimize
After the skill is complete, run the quality toolchain:
- Run
skill-testto evaluate quality (target score >= 85) - Run
skill-seoto check discoverability - Fix issues flagged by either tool and re-evaluate
The skill is ready to publish when skill-test reports no critical or high findings.
Assistant Responsibilities
When using this skill:
- Ask questions gradually; do not overwhelm the user with all questions at once
- Explain jargon when the user appears non-technical
- Generate the skeleton before asking the user to write content
- Show the user what was generated and explain what each file is for
- Write draft content for the user to review rather than asking them to write from scratch
- Preserve the user's original intent; do not expand scope unless asked
- Always run the scaffold script rather than creating files manually
Notes and Constraints
- SKILL.md files should stay under 500 lines. Move heavy content to references/.
- The
namefield must be lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens only (1-64 chars). - The
namemust match the directory name exactly. - Use
{baseDir}for all command paths to ensure portability. - Do not duplicate logic from skill-test or skill-seo.
- All generated skills should be compatible with OpenClaw, Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor.
- If the target directory already exists, the scaffold script will error and refuse to overwrite. Rename or remove the existing directory first.
Definition of Done
- The scaffold script has run and the directory exists.
- SKILL.md has valid frontmatter with name, description, and metadata.
- At least 3 example prompts are present.
- A Workflow section documents the skill's process.
- A Definition of Done section states measurable completion criteria.
- skill-test scores the new skill at 85 or above with no critical findings.
Resources
- Skill structure and cross-platform spec: references/skill-anatomy.md
- Writing rules, templates, and anti-patterns: references/writing-guide.md
- Good/bad comparison examples: references/examples.md
Commands
# Generate a new instruction-only skill
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/init_skill.py my-skill --path /path/to/output
# Generate a script-backed skill
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/init_skill.py my-skill --path /path/to/output --type script
# Generate an asset-backed skill
python3 {baseDir}/scripts/init_skill.py my-skill --path /path/to/output --type asset
Files
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