detecting-skill-gaps
Identifies missing capabilities that warrant new skills. Analyzes repeated friction patterns, failed tasks, and user workarounds to recommend skill creation. Use when discovering-skills finds nothing suitable.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Detecting Skill Gaps skill is a meta-analytical tool designed to monitor agent performance and identify missing functional capabilities. By analyzing repeated friction patterns, manual user workarounds, and failed task executions, it provides structured recommendations for creating new skills. This ensures the agent evolves intelligently, closing the gap between current abilities and user requirements to enhance overall autonomy and efficiency.
Use Cases
- Workflow Optimization: Identifying instances where a user repeatedly provides the same complex instructions, suggesting the creation of a dedicated automation skill to streamline the process.
- Capability Expansion: Detecting when internal tool discovery fails to find a solution for a recurring task, signaling the specific need for a new specialized connector or knowledge-based skill.
- Friction Analysis: Monitoring 'manual patterns' and workarounds used by the user to overcome Claude's current limitations, then drafting a specification for a skill that eliminates that friction.
- Strategic Development: Generating structured 'Gap Reports' that prioritize which new capabilities will provide the highest ROI based on the frequency and impact of observed failures.
| name | detecting-skill-gaps |
|---|---|
| description | Identifies missing capabilities that warrant new skills. Analyzes repeated friction patterns, failed tasks, and user workarounds to recommend skill creation. Use when discovering-skills finds nothing suitable. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Glob, WebSearch |
Detecting Skill Gaps
Identify when a new skill should be created.
Signals of a Gap
- Repeated friction - Same workaround applied multiple times
- Failed searches - discovering-skills found nothing suitable
- Manual patterns - User repeatedly provides the same instructions
- Capability boundaries - Task requires approach Claude struggles with
Detection Process
- Observe task execution patterns
- Note where friction occurs
- Classify the friction type
- Determine if skill would address it
- Recommend creation or external delegation
Friction Classification
| Type | Example | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | "How do I configure X?" | Documentation skill |
| Process | Multi-step workflow repeated | Automation skill |
| Convention | Same style corrections | Standards skill |
| Integration | External service patterns | Connector skill |
| Capability | Beyond Claude's abilities | connecting-agents |
When to Recommend New Skill
Create skill when:
- Pattern appears 3+ times
- Friction is addressable via instructions
- Benefit exceeds creation effort
- No existing skill is adaptable
Don't create when:
- One-off task
- External capability required (use connecting-agents)
- Existing skill can be adapted (use adapting-skills)
Gap Report Format
Gap Identified: [short name]
Friction Type: [knowledge/process/convention/integration/capability]
Occurrences: [count or "recurring"]
Impact: [time lost, errors caused, user frustration]
Recommended Action: [create skill / adapt X / delegate to Y]
Suggested Skill Name: [if creating]
Reference Documentation
Integration
- Gap addressable locally → draft skill specification
- Gap requires external capability → suggest connecting-agents
- Similar skill exists → suggest adapting-skills
- Multiple related gaps → suggest consolidated skill