Overview

OpenSkills Skill Authoring provides a structured approach to creating and refining SKILL.md-based skills. It enforces strong metadata, clear activation triggers, and reliable execution guidance to ensure consistent discovery and runtime behavior across skill directories.

How This Skill Works

Authors prepare a skill directory containing SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter (name and description) and a concise body. They then use the validation flow to verify that the directory name matches the skill semantics, activation triggers are explicit, and any scripts or resources have correct paths before publishing.

When to Use It

• When creating a brand-new OpenSkills skill under examples/skills
• When updating an existing OpenSkills-compatible skill to improve metadata and activation
• When standardizing activation triggers and execution flow across skills
• When adding optional resources (scripts/references/assets) to a skill
• When validating discovery, activation, and runtime behavior before deployment

Quick Start

1. Step 1: Create or open the skill directory (examples/skills/your-skill)
2. Step 2: Add SKILL.md with YAML frontmatter (name, description) and a concise body describing inputs/outputs and activation
3. Step 3: Run the validation flow to confirm metadata, activation behavior, and script paths

Best Practices

• Keep YAML frontmatter concise with name and description
• Use deterministic, testable scripts for repetitive steps
• Define explicit input/output expectations in the body
• Avoid vague activation phrases; make triggers explicit and unique
• Place detailed guidance in a references/ folder and keep SKILL.md focused on flow

Example Use Cases

• Create a new skill directory under examples/skills with a SKILL.md that defines name, description, and a concrete activation trigger
• Refine an existing skill by updating its metadata and clarifying activation flow for reliability
• Add stable scripts under scripts/ and reference them in the body with clear I/O
• Verify that the directory name semantically matches the skill name
• Run the validation flow to ensure discovery and execution behave as expected

Frequently Asked Questions