Create Skill

This skill helps you scaffold new agent skills that conform to the Agent Skills specification and the dotnet/skills repository conventions.

When to Use

• Creating a new skill from scratch
• Generating a SKILL.md file with proper frontmatter
• Setting up the skill directory structure with optional folders
• Ensuring compliance with agentskills.io specification

When Not to Use

• Modifying existing skills (edit directly instead)
• Creating custom agents (use the agents/ directory pattern)

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
Skill name	Yes	Lowercase, alphanumeric, hyphens only (e.g., code-review, ci-triage)
Description	Yes	What the skill does and when agents should use it (1-1024 chars)
Purpose	Yes	One paragraph describing the outcome
Workflow steps	Recommended	Numbered steps the agent should follow

Workflow

Step 1: Validate the skill name

Ensure the name:

• Contains only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
• Does not start or end with a hyphen
• Does not contain consecutive hyphens
• Is between 1-64 characters

Step 2: Create the skill directory

skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md

Step 3: Generate SKILL.md with frontmatter

Create the file with required YAML frontmatter:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <description of what the skill does and when to use it>
---

Step 4: Add body content sections

Include these recommended sections:

1. Purpose: One paragraph describing the outcome
2. When to Use: Bullet list of appropriate scenarios
3. When Not to Use: Boundaries and exclusions
4. Inputs: Table of required and optional inputs
5. Workflow: Numbered steps with checkpoints
6. Validation: How to confirm the skill worked correctly
7. Common Pitfalls: Known traps and how to avoid them

Step 5: Add optional directories (if needed)

skills/<skill-name>/
├── SKILL.md
├── scripts/       # Executable code agents can run
├── references/    # Additional documentation loaded on demand
└── assets/        # Templates, images, data files

Step 6: Update CODEOWNERS

Add entries in .github/CODEOWNERS for the new skill and its test directory:

/plugins/<plugin>/skills/<skill-name>/  @owner-team
/tests/<plugin>/<skill-name>/           @owner-team

Match the owner pattern used by sibling skills in the same plugin.

Step 7: Validate the skill

• Confirm frontmatter fields are valid
• Ensure SKILL.md is under 500 lines
• Check that file references use relative paths
• Verify instructions are actionable and specific

SKILL.md Template

Use this template when creating a new skill:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <1-1024 char description of what the skill does and when to use it>
---

# <Skill Title>

<One paragraph describing the skill's purpose and outcome.>

## When to Use

- <Scenario 1>
- <Scenario 2>

## When Not to Use

- <Exclusion 1>
- <Exclusion 2>

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| <input-name> | Yes/No | <description> |

## Workflow

### Step 1: <Action>

<Instructions for this step>

### Step 2: <Action>

<Instructions for this step>

## Validation

- [ ] <Verification step 1>
- [ ] <Verification step 2>

## Common Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| <Problem> | <How to avoid or fix> |

Validation Checklist

After creating a skill, verify:

• Skill name matches directory name exactly
• Skill name is lowercase with hyphens only
• Description is non-empty and under 1024 characters
• SKILL.md body is under 500 lines
• Instructions are specific and actionable
• Workflow has numbered steps with clear checkpoints
• Validation section exists with observable success criteria
• No secrets, tokens, or internal URLs included
• .github/CODEOWNERS has entries for the new skill and its test directory

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Solution
Name contains uppercase letters	Use only lowercase: code-review not Code-Review
Description is vague	Include what it does AND when to use it
Instructions are ambiguous	Use numbered steps with concrete actions
Missing validation steps	Add checkpoints that verify success
SKILL.md too long	Move detailed content to references/ files
Hardcoded environment assumptions	Document requirements in compatibility field
Missing CODEOWNERS entry	Add entries for both /plugins/<plugin>/skills/<skill-name>/ and /tests/<plugin>/<skill-name>/ matching sibling skills' owner pattern

References

• Agent Skills Specification
• Repository README
• Contributing Guidelines