hermes-agent-skill-authoring

Author and validate in-repo SKILL.md files with correct frontmatter and structure.

Updated Jun 5, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/xu1713/openhorse --skill hermes-agent-skill-authoring-xu1713
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: hermes-agent-skill-authoring
Source: https://github.com/xu1713/openhorse/tree/main/openhorse/openhorse/skills/software-development/hermes-agent-skill-authoring
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/xu1713/openhorse --skill hermes-agent-skill-authoring-xu1713

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Creating a new skill inside the hermes-agent repository requires matching strict validator rules and peer conventions; this Skill documents the exact frontmatter requirements, size limits, directory placement, and workflow so new SKILL.md files pass validation and look consistent with existing peers. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Validator Requirements: Documents the enforced rules from tools/skill_manager_tool.py, including frontmatter starting at byte 0, name and description fields, the 1024-character description limit, and the 100,000-character file cap. - Peer-Matched Structure: Defines the conventional sections (Overview, When to Use, Common Pitfalls, Verification Checklist) and the metadata.hermes tags and related_skills block every in-repo skill carries. - Authoring Workflow: Covers surveying peer skills, drafting with write_file, local YAML validation, git commit, and the distinction between in-repo skills and user-local skills created via skill_manage. - Use Case: When asked to add a reusable workflow skill to the hermes-agent repo on a branch, follow this Skill to place the file under skills/<category>/<name>/SKILL.md, validate it, and commit it correctly. ## Quick Start Create a new in-repo skill named my-workflow under the software-development category with valid frontmatter and commit it to the current branch.

Frequently Asked Questions about hermes-agent-skill-authoring

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a new skill in the hermes-agent repository?

Write the file to skills/<category>/<name>/SKILL.md using write_file, then git add and commit it on your branch. Do not use skill_manage(action='create'), which targets the user-local ~/.hermes/skills/ tree instead of the repo.

What frontmatter fields are required in a SKILL.md file?

The validator requires the file to start with --- at byte 0, parse as a YAML mapping, and include name and description fields, with description under 1024 characters. Version, author, license, and metadata are not enforced but every peer skill includes them.

Why does my SKILL.md fail validation?

Common causes are a leading blank line or BOM before the opening ---, a missing name or description field, a description over 1024 characters, or an empty body after the closing ---. The validator checks content.startswith("---") strictly.

Can I reference user-local skills from an in-repo skill?

Yes, related_skills unions both trees at load time, but a reference to a user-local skill will not resolve for other users who clone the repo fresh. Prefer referencing only in-repo skills, or promote the user-local skill into the repository.

Why doesn't my new skill appear in skills_list after creating it?

The skill loader is initialized at session start and cached, so the current session will not see newly added skills. Verify the skill in a fresh session or via skill_view using the exact path; this is expected behavior, not a bug.