Skill Builder

Claude Code Skills require a top-level directory named after your skill, containing a SKILL.md file with mandatory YAML frontmatter fields for name and description to ensure safe activation and autonomous discovery.

Progressive disclosure in Claude Code Skills is a structure that organizes skill folders with optional scripts, references, and assets for on-demand loading, keeping the top-level SKILL.md clean while enabling safe activation.

Structure a Claude Code Skill directory by creating a top-level folder named after your skill, adding a SKILL.md with required YAML frontmatter, and organizing optional scripts, references, and assets into subdirectories for on-demand loading.

Scripts, references, and assets are optional components in a Claude Code Skill directory structure, allowing you to enforce the required YAML frontmatter rules while recognizing these supplementary files only as needed.

Claude Code Skill autonomous discovery and safe activation fail when the SKILL.md file lacks the required YAML frontmatter fields for name and description, which are mandatory for the consistent skill template schema.

The best way to standardize YAML frontmatter across multiple Claude Code Skills is to apply a repeatable template that enforces required name and description fields while maintaining a clean top-level directory structure for progressive disclosure.