skill-builder
Use when user asks to "create a skill", "build a skill", or "design a skill". Guides through requirements, solution design, and implementation of token-efficient Claude Code skills.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Skill Builder is a specialized meta-skill designed to streamline the creation of high-quality, token-efficient Claude Code capabilities. It solves the complexity of agent development by providing a structured framework for requirement gathering, architectural pattern selection, and implementation, ensuring all new skills are optimized for performance and reliability.
Use Cases
- Case 1: Rapidly prototyping new AI agent capabilities using 'Quick Mode' for simple automation tasks.
- Case 2: Designing complex, multi-file skills that require interactive requirement gathering and specific tool permissions.
- Case 3: Standardizing development workflows by converting repetitive manual prompts into structured, reusable Claude skills.
- Case 4: Optimizing existing agent tools for better token efficiency and clearer trigger conditions to improve response accuracy.
| name | skill-builder |
|---|---|
| description | Use when user asks to "create a skill", "build a skill", or "design a skill". Guides through requirements, solution design, and implementation of token-efficient Claude Code skills. |
Skill Builder
Create high-quality, token-efficient Claude skills.
Current structure:
!tree -L 1 ~/.claude/skills/skill-builder -I 'example-*'
Quick Mode vs. Guided Mode
Quick Mode (for simple skills):
- Ask: Purpose, trigger conditions, freedom level
- Use template.md and create immediately
Guided Mode (for complex skills): Follow 3-phase process below
Guided Process
Phase 1: Requirements (via AskUserQuestion tool)
Use AskUserQuestion tool for all requirement gathering. Interactive buttons prevent ambiguity and force clear decisions. Ask as many questions as needed to clarify requirements and design decisions.Core questions (always ask):
- What & When: Purpose and trigger conditions
- Freedom level: High (creative) / Medium (pattern) / Low (scripted)
- Scope: Personal (~/.claude/skills) or project (.claude/skills)
Additional questions (ask when relevant):
- Tool permissions needed?
- Expected token budget?
- Multiple modes/approaches?
- Integration with other skills?
- Example scenarios to handle?
Example using AskUserQuestion:
question: "What level of freedom should this skill have?"
options:
- label: "High (creative)"
description: "Skill makes autonomous decisions, adapts to context"
- label: "Medium (pattern)"
description: "Follows established patterns with some flexibility"
- label: "Low (scripted)"
description: "Strictly follows predefined steps"
Phase 2: Propose Pattern
Choose based on complexity:
- Simple (<200 lines): Single SKILL.md | See example-simple.md
- Modular (needs examples): SKILL.md + supporting files | See example-modular.md
- Scripted (fragile ops): Add helper scripts | See example-scripted.md
Phase 3: Create
- Create directory and SKILL.md using template.md
- Add supporting files if modular/scripted
- Verify: description has triggers, TOC added if >100 lines
Critical Rules
- Description MUST include trigger conditions ("Use when user asks to...") - Files >100 lines MUST have table of contents - One level deep only (SKILL.md → supporting files, no subdirectories) - SKILL.md should be <200 lines - Use reference.md not @reference.md (load on-demand)Resources
Examples (real-world patterns):
- example-simple.md - Single file, high freedom
- example-modular.md - Multi-file with examples
- example-scripted.md - Helper scripts for fragile ops
Guides (details on-demand):
- template.md - Blank SKILL.md starter
- patterns.md - Common patterns and anti-patterns
- reference.md - Complete options reference