authoring-skills

To write effective YAML frontmatter for Claude skills, generate a valid name and description that match formatting constraints and clearly state when to use the skill, ensuring proper discovery and activation by Claude.

Progressive disclosure in skill authoring keeps the SKILL.md file as a concise overview while linking to deeper guidance in reference files one level deep. This structure reduces cognitive load and improves context efficiency for Claude.

Claude skill descriptions must use third-person formatting and follow specific naming and length constraints defined in the authoring rules. The description must be specific enough to explain when to use the skill without being verbose or misleading.

Validate a Claude skill by running it against a quality-focused validation checklist that checks frontmatter formatting, naming conventions, reference file links, and anti-pattern guidance to ensure the content is not verbose or misleading before sharing.

Common anti-patterns in Claude skill instructions include writing verbose or misleading content, creating overly deep reference file links beyond one level, and skipping the validation checklist. Align with quality guidance to avoid these structural mistakes.

Yes, you can incorporate reusable patterns like templates, examples, and workflows into your skill. Keep the SKILL.md concise and link to these deeper guidance files one level deep to maintain progressive disclosure and context efficiency.