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skill-developer

npx machina-cli add skill parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/skill-developer --openclaw
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SKILL.md
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Skill Developer

Meta-skill for creating new Claude Code skills, including skills that wrap MCP pipelines.

When to Use

  • "Create a skill for X"
  • "Help me make a new skill"
  • "Turn this script into a skill"
  • "How do I create a skill?"

Skill Structure

Skills live in .claude/skills/<skill-name>/:

.claude/skills/my-skill/
├── SKILL.md          # Required: Main skill definition
├── scripts/          # Optional: Supporting scripts
└── templates/        # Optional: Templates, examples

SKILL.md Format

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description (shown in skill list)
allowed-tools: [Bash, Read, Write]  # Optional: restrict tools
---

# Skill Name

## When to Use
[When Claude should discover this skill]

## Instructions
[Step-by-step instructions for Claude to follow]

## Examples
[Usage examples]

Creating an MCP Pipeline Skill

To create a new MCP chain script and wrap it as a skill:

Step 1: Use the Template

Copy the multi-tool-pipeline template:

cp $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/scripts/multi_tool_pipeline.py $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/scripts/my_pipeline.py

Reference the template pattern:

cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/skills/multi-tool-pipeline/SKILL.md
cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/scripts/multi_tool_pipeline.py

Step 2: Customize the Script

Edit your new script to chain the MCP tools you need:

async def main():
    from runtime.mcp_client import call_mcp_tool
    args = parse_args()

    # Chain your MCP tools (serverName__toolName)
    result1 = await call_mcp_tool("server1__tool1", {"param": args.arg1})
    result2 = await call_mcp_tool("server2__tool2", {"input": result1})

    print(result2)

Step 2: Create the Skill

Create .claude/skills/my-pipeline/SKILL.md:

---
name: my-pipeline
description: What the pipeline does
allowed-tools: [Bash, Read]
---

# My Pipeline Skill

## When to Use
- [Trigger conditions]

## Instructions

Run the pipeline:

\`\`\`bash
uv run python -m runtime.harness scripts/my_pipeline.py --arg1 "value"
\`\`\`

### Parameters
- `--arg1`: Description

## MCP Servers Required
- server1: For tool1
- server2: For tool2

Step 3: Add Triggers (Optional)

Add to .claude/skills/skill-rules.json:

{
  "skills": {
    "my-pipeline": {
      "type": "domain",
      "enforcement": "suggest",
      "priority": "medium",
      "description": "What it does",
      "promptTriggers": {
        "keywords": ["keyword1", "keyword2"],
        "intentPatterns": ["(pattern).*?(match)"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Reference Files

For full details, read:

cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/rules/skill-development.md
cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/rules/mcp-scripts.md

Quick Checklist

  • SKILL.md has frontmatter (name, description)
  • "When to Use" section is clear
  • Instructions are copy-paste ready
  • MCP servers documented if needed
  • Triggers added to skill-rules.json (optional)

Examples in This Repo

Look at existing skills for patterns:

ls $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/skills/
cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/skills/commit/SKILL.md
cat $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR/.claude/skills/firecrawl-scrape/SKILL.md

Source

git clone https://github.com/parcadei/Continuous-Claude-v3/blob/main/.claude/skills/skill-developer/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Skill Developer is a meta-skill for creating Claude Code skills and MCP pipeline wrappers. It defines the SKILL.md structure, file organization, templates, and the workflow to turn scripts into reusable skills.

How This Skill Works

It enforces a standardized SKILL.md format and a .claude/skills/<skill-name>/ directory. For MCP pipelines, it guides copying the multi-tool pipeline template, customizing the script to chain MCP tools, and registering the new skill in skill-rules.json.

When to Use It

  • Create a new Claude Code skill for a task or tool
  • Turn an existing script into a Claude Code skill
  • Wrap an MCP pipeline as a skill
  • Define or refine the SKILL.md frontmatter and sections
  • Document MCP servers and trigger rules for a skill

Quick Start

  1. Step 1: Create .claude/skills/<your-skill>/ with SKILL.md
  2. Step 2: If using MCP, copy and customize the multi_tool_pipeline.py template
  3. Step 3: Add your skill to skill-rules.json and test with the runner

Best Practices

  • Keep the SKILL.md frontmatter accurate with name and description
  • Write clear When to Use, Instructions, and Examples
  • Document MCP servers and tool requirements (allowed-tools)
  • Test the skill locally and verify MCP or external tool calls
  • Update skill-rules.json when adding triggers or intents

Example Use Cases

  • Create a 'commit' skill following the repository's SKILL.md pattern
  • Wrap a two-tool MCP pipeline into a single skill using the template
  • Convert a bash maintenance script into a Claude Code skill
  • Add a new MCP-enabled skill with server1__tool and server2__tool calls
  • Add triggers for a skill so Claude can discover it via keywords

Frequently Asked Questions

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