create-skill

To create a custom skill in Cursor, you author a SKILL.md file with mandatory frontmatter (name and description) at the root of your Skill Unit. You can then scaffold optional directories like scripts/, references/, and assets/ as needed.

The required frontmatter format for a SKILL.md file must include name and description fields at the Skill Unit root. This mandatory markdown frontmatter ensures skills are easy to discover and apply across personal or project scopes.

The recommended directory structure for Cursor skill authoring includes optional scripts/, references/, and assets/ directories organized around your SKILL.md root. This structure coordinates supplementary resources according to your skill's design phases.

The Discovery to Verification workflow streamlines skill creation by providing a reusable three-phase process. It guides you from conceptualizing the skill's purpose, through designing its structure, to verifying its function and documentation.

Yes, you can use this skill creation process for both personal and project scopes. The SKILL.md format and the Discovery to Verification workflow are designed to ensure consistent structure and clear metadata regardless of the skill's intended scope.

When documenting best practices for skill authoring, limitations arise if mandatory SKILL.md frontmatter is ignored or if optional directories like scripts/ and references/ are poorly coordinated, which reduces skill discoverability and application.