skill-authoring

Create reusable SKILL.md instruction files that extend agent capabilities across sessions.

Updated Mar 6, 2026

Search Tags:#markdown #workflow automation #skill creation #agent instructions #yaml frontmatter #reusable prompts

Ready to run

npx skills add https://github.com/gopaljilab/Gupta-Portfolio --skill skill-authoring-gopaljilab

💬 Prompt for ChatGPT / Claude Chat▼

Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: skill-authoring
Source: https://github.com/gopaljilab/Gupta-Portfolio/tree/main/.local/skills/skill-authoring
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/gopaljilab/Gupta-Portfolio --skill skill-authoring-gopaljilab

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? It captures reusable knowledge, procedures, and workflows as persistent skills so an AI agent can repeat tasks consistently across sessions without re-explaining instructions. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Skill Creation Workflow: Guides naming conventions (lowercase, hyphens) and writes SKILL.md files to the correct skills directory. - Frontmatter Standards: Enforces required `name` and `description` fields with character limits and discovery-focused writing guidance. - Writing Best Practices: Provides rules for conciseness, examples, file organization, and skill composition. - Use Case: When a user says "teach yourself how to review PRs," this skill produces a complete, well-structured SKILL.md with frontmatter, process steps, and output format that future sessions can load. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to create a skill that saves a repeatable workflow, such as "create a skill for reviewing pull requests."

Frequently Asked Questions about skill-authoring

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

FAQPage Schema

How do I create a reusable skill for an AI agent?▼

Write a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter containing a name and description, followed by markdown instructions. Save it to the .agents/skills/SKILLNAME/ directory so the agent can discover and load it in future sessions.

What frontmatter fields does a SKILL.md file require?▼

A SKILL.md file requires a name field (max 64 chars, lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens) and a description field (max 1024 chars) stating what the skill does and when to use it. The description is critical for discovery.

Where should skill files be stored?▼

User-created skills go in .agents/skills/, which is editable and mutable. The ~/.local/skills/ directory contains platform-provided skills that are read-only and managed by the system.

How long should a SKILL.md file be?▼

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. For longer content, organize reference material into separate files in subfolders and link to them from the main SKILL.md file.

Can a skill reference or update other skills?▼

Yes, skills can invoke or build upon other skills to compose complex workflows. Skills in .agents/skills/ are mutable and should be updated as better patterns emerge.