creating-agent-skills

To create Claude Code Skills, draft a minimal SKILL.md with valid YAML frontmatter and a pure XML body to ensure predictable parsing and loading. This structure forms the foundation before adding workflows or references.

Progressive disclosure in skill design splits content into SKILL.md, references, and scripts. This pattern loads content on demand by linking references, keeping the main file minimal while scaling complexity as requirements grow.

Validating Claude Code Skills involves checking YAML frontmatter correctness, ensuring pure XML body structure, and running validation checks. Testing strategies confirm skills remain correct over time by reporting errors clearly during the authoring lifecycle.

Use a router pattern for skill authoring when requirements grow beyond simple tasks. A single-file SKILL.md works for minimal drafts, but progressive-disclosure router patterns enable scalable skills by splitting content into references and scripts loaded on demand.

Yes, you can refine existing Claude Code Skills by adding workflows and linking references. The skill authoring lifecycle supports expanding a minimal SKILL.md draft into structured references and scripts as requirements grow.

Claude Code Skill parsing fails when the SKILL.md contains invalid YAML frontmatter or non-XML body content. Ensuring a pure XML body and valid frontmatter structure guarantees predictable parsing and loading behavior.