writing-skills

Skill documentation uses a RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle to baseline tests, draft a minimal SKILL.md, and refactor loopholes. This ensures documentation is reusable, auditable, and aligned with deployment readiness.

Progressive disclosure in skill documentation is a structuring technique that points Claude to lightweight inline content first, then references heavier details as needed. This improves discovery and ensures efficient skill execution.

YAML frontmatter for skill creation should be concise, containing only the name and description fields. This enforces a strict frontmatter contract that improves skill discovery and maintains reliability across deployments.

Yes, creating skills requires an understanding of test-driven development principles. You must apply baseline testing and the RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle to verify behavior and ensure the skill meets post-deployment validation criteria.

The best way to validate skill behavior before deployment is to enforce post-deployment validation criteria through baseline testing. Draft a minimal skill, run tests, and iterate until all validation requirements are met.

Use cross-skill references in documentation when you need to support progressive disclosure by pointing Claude to related skills. This provides lightweight inline content while linking heavier references as needed for broader context.