authoring-skills

Create, revise, and validate agent skill directories with portable SKILL.md frontmatter.

1|Updated Oct 25, 2020
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/bfairkun/dotfiles --skill authoring-skills-bfairkun
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: authoring-skills
Source: https://github.com/bfairkun/dotfiles/tree/main/agents/.agents/skills/authoring-skills
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/bfairkun/dotfiles --skill authoring-skills-bfairkun

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Writing agent skills that are portable, concise, and correctly triggered is error-prone: frontmatter gets bloated, descriptions miss triggering conditions, and stale or redundant content accumulates. This Skill provides the rules for creating, revising, organizing, and auditing agent skills so they stay discoverable and maintainable. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Skill creation guidance: Defines where skills live (global ~/.agents/skills/<name>/SKILL.md vs repository-specific), naming conventions, and frontmatter rules limited to name and description. - Content and resource rules: Specifies when to add scripts/, references/, and assets/, and prohibits duplicative README or changelog files. - Revision and validation workflow: Instructs reading existing skills before editing, removing stale or contradictory content, and validating frontmatter, links, and scripts. - Use Case: When a recurring workflow emerges, ask the agent to convert it into a global skill; it will create a hyphen-case directory with minimal frontmatter and capability-based instructions. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to turn this recurring workflow into a global skill stored under the dotfiles agents skills directory.

Frequently Asked Questions about authoring-skills

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a new agent skill?▼

Create a lowercase hyphen-case directory containing a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter holding only name and description. Put all triggering conditions in the description, then write capability-based instructions in the body.

Where should global agent skills be stored?▼

Global skills belong in ~/.agents/skills/<name>/SKILL.md. On this dotfiles setup, edit the resolved source under ~/dotfiles/agents/.agents/skills/ rather than creating per-client copies.

When should I add scripts or references to a skill?▼

Add scripts/ only for repeated deterministic operations that have been tested, references/ for conditional detail linked directly from SKILL.md, and assets/ for templates or output materials. Avoid files that duplicate the skill content.

What belongs in the SKILL.md description field?▼

The description holds all triggering conditions, since the body loads only after the skill triggers. Machine-specific descriptions should be prefixed with their scope, such as an HPC cluster name.

How do I clean up a stale or redundant skill?▼

Read the existing skill and its referenced resources first, then remove or correct stale, redundant, contradictory, or non-actionable content. Preserve uncertain historical information unless its replacement is verified, and validate frontmatter, links, and scripts afterward.