Skill Development

Create Claude Code plugin skills with progressive disclosure and trigger-based descriptions.

Updated Aug 7, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/valeratrades/plugin-dev --skill skill-development-valeratrades
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: Skill Development
Source: https://github.com/valeratrades/plugin-dev/tree/main/skills/skill-development
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/valeratrades/plugin-dev --skill skill-development-valeratrades

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Developers building Claude Code plugins often write skills with weak trigger descriptions, bloated SKILL.md files, or inconsistent writing style, causing skills to load at the wrong time or waste context. This Skill provides a structured process for creating well-organized, discoverable plugin skills. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Six-Step Creation Process: Guides through understanding use cases, planning reusable resources, creating structure, editing SKILL.md, validating, and iterating. - Progressive Disclosure Guidance: Defines what belongs in SKILL.md versus references/, examples/, and scripts/ to keep context usage lean (1,500-2,000 words target). - Description and Style Rules: Enforces third-person frontmatter descriptions with specific trigger phrases and imperative/infinitive body writing, with good and bad examples. - Use Case: When adding a new skill to a plugin, follow the workflow to draft a frontmatter description with concrete trigger phrases, move detailed patterns into references/, and validate against the included checklist. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to create a new skill for your plugin that triggers on specific user phrases and follows progressive disclosure best practices.

Frequently Asked Questions about Skill Development

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

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a skill for a Claude Code plugin?▼

Create a directory under your plugin's skills/ folder containing a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter (name and description) and a Markdown instruction body. Follow the six-step process: understand use cases, plan resources, create structure, edit, validate, and iterate.

How to write a good skill description for triggering?▼

Write the description in third person starting with "This skill should be used when..." and include specific trigger phrases users would actually say, such as "create a hook" or "configure settings". Avoid vague descriptions like "provides guidance" without concrete scenarios.

What is progressive disclosure in Claude skills?▼

Progressive disclosure is a three-level loading system: metadata (name and description) stays always in context, the SKILL.md body loads when the skill triggers, and bundled resources like references and scripts load only as needed. This keeps context usage efficient.

How long should a SKILL.md file be?▼

Target 1,500-2,000 words for the SKILL.md body, with a hard limit under 5,000 words. Move detailed patterns, API references, and migration guides into references/ files so they load only when needed.

When should I use scripts versus references in a skill?▼

Use scripts/ for executable code requiring deterministic reliability or that gets rewritten repeatedly, such as validation utilities. Use references/ for documentation Claude should read while working, like schemas, API docs, or detailed workflow guides.