remove-old-skills-from-workflow
npx machina-cli add skill nicepkg/ai-workflow/remove-old-skills-from-workflow --openclawRemove Skills from Workflow
Guide for removing skills from an existing workflow and updating all related documentation.
When to Use
- User wants to remove a skill from a workflow
- User says "remove skill", "delete skill", "移除技能", "删除技能"
- Cleaning up unused or deprecated skills from a workflow
Removal Workflow
Step 1: Identify the Skill
Search for the skill name across the workflow to understand its usage:
# Find all references to the skill
grep -r "skill-name" /path/to/workflow/
Step 2: Delete Skill Folder
Remove the skill directory from the workflow:
rm -rf /path/to/workflow/.claude/skills/skill-name/
Step 3: Update skill-source.json (if exists)
Remove the skill entry from /path/to/workflow/.claude/skill-source.json
Step 4: Update All Related Documentation
After removing a skill, you MUST update these files:
Files to Update (7 files)
| File | What to Update |
|---|---|
workflows/<workflow-name>/README.md | Skill count, skill table, pipeline stages, skill combinations |
workflows/<workflow-name>/README_cn.md | Same as above (Chinese version) |
workflows/<workflow-name>/AGENTS.md | Available skills list, recommended sequences |
website/content/en/workflows/<workflow>.mdx | Skill count, skill table, pipeline, skill combinations |
website/content/zh/workflows/<workflow>.mdx | Same as above (Chinese version) |
README.md (root) | Workflow table skill count |
README_cn.md (root) | Workflow table skill count (Chinese version) |
Documentation Update Checklist
For each documentation file, update:
- Skill count: Decrease the total skill count (e.g., "20 skills" → "19 skills")
- Skill tables: Remove the skill row from any skill listing tables
- Pipeline/stages: Remove skill references from pipeline diagrams or stage descriptions
- Skill combinations: Remove any skill chains that include the removed skill
- Example workflows: Remove or update examples that reference the skill
Example
Removing ppt-creator skill from talk-to-slidev-workflow:
# 1. Search for references
grep -r "ppt-creator" workflows/talk-to-slidev-workflow/
# 2. Delete skill folder
rm -rf workflows/talk-to-slidev-workflow/.claude/skills/ppt-creator/
# 3. Update skill-source.json
# Remove the ppt-creator entry
# 4. Update documentation files
# - Update skill count from 20 to 19
# - Remove ppt-creator from skill tables
# - Remove from pipeline Stage 6
# - Remove from skill combinations table
Important Notes
- Always search for skill references before removal to understand impact
- The root READMEs only need skill count updates in the workflow table
- Leave
references/skill-sources.mdunchanged (it documents ecosystem skills, not workflow-specific installations) - If the skill is referenced in example workflows, either remove the example or update it to use alternative skills
Source
git clone https://github.com/nicepkg/ai-workflow/blob/main/.claude/skills/remove-old-skills-from-workflow/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
This skill guides removing an existing skill from a workflow and updating all related documentation. It helps keep workflows clean, accurate, and free of deprecated capabilities. It covers code, docs, and examples to ensure consistency.
How This Skill Works
First, locate all references to the skill across the workflow. Then delete the skill folder and remove its entry from the skill-source.json. Finally, update documentation and check pipelines and skill tables for consistency.
When to Use It
- User wants to remove a skill from a workflow
- User says remove skill or delete skill
- 移除技能 or 删除技能
- Cleaning up unused or deprecated skills from a workflow
- Preparing a workflow refresh by removing obsolete skills
Quick Start
- Step 1: Identify the skill references across the workflow
- Step 2: Delete the skill folder and remove from skill-source.json
- Step 3: Update all related documentation and verify consistency
Best Practices
- Always search for references before removal to understand impact
- Update the skill count in all affected docs after removal
- Remove the skill from skill tables, pipelines, and skill combinations
- Remove or update examples that reference the removed skill
- Verify that root READMEs reflect the new total skill count
Example Use Cases
- Removing ppt-creator skill from talk-to-slidev-workflow
- Cleaning up deprecated ppt-creator after launching talk-to-slidev-workflow
- Deleting the ppt-creator reference in talk-to-slidev-workflow docs
- Update pipeline when ppt-creator is removed from talk-to-slidev-workflow
- Revise AGENTS.md after removing the ppt-creator skill from talk-to-slidev-workflow