create-agent-skills

To structure a Claude Skill and reduce token usage, apply progressive disclosure by loading only needed references and workflows. This approach uses an XML-first structure to minimize cognitive load and optimize token consumption during skill invocation.

The best way to build a router-pattern skill is to split your project into SKILL.md, workflows/, references/, templates/, and scripts/ directories. This modular structure enables scalable skill design and consistent quality across complex implementations.

Create a simple one-file Claude Skill by placing a SKILL.md file at the root with YAML frontmatter. Include minimal XML components like <objective>, <quick_start>, and <success_criteria> to define the skill's core functionality.

Yes, you can use a single SKILL.md file for simple tasks instead of a router pattern. The skill framework supports both simple single-file implementations and complex router patterns with multiple workflows, allowing easy growth as complexity increases.

Verify and audit the health of Claude Skills using built-in workflows for auditing, upgrading, and verifying skill health. These workflows enforce clear verification standards and ensure consistent quality across your skill repository.

Split domain knowledge into separate references when you need to share patterns, anti-patterns, and best practices across multiple skills. This progressive disclosure approach loads only needed references, reducing token usage and cognitive load during invocation.