writing-skills

Test-driven documentation uses a RED-GREEN-REFACTOR workflow to write failing tests first, implement minimal skill guidance to pass them, and refactor to close loopholes before deployment. This structured approach reduces ambiguity and deployment risk in process documentation.

The best way to structure SKILL.md files is by including YAML frontmatter with name and description fields, followed by inline guidance. This structure supports discovery and ensures agents load only the necessary content for quality assurance.

You verify skill behavior by running baseline tests to capture agent rationalizations, then iteratively refining the skill content. This evaluation pattern enforces consistent quality and prevents repeat failures in pressure scenarios before deployment.

Yes, you can standardize skill authoring across teams by applying a disciplined TDD workflow with explicit trigger conditions and evaluation patterns. This approach makes process documentation reusable and auditable without requiring external dependencies.

You should avoid test-driven skill authoring when rapid prototyping without quality assurance is needed, or when explicit trigger conditions and structured YAML frontmatter are unnecessary for your team's documentation workflow.

Writing skills with test-driven development improves documentation quality by enforcing a structured workflow that drives content from failing tests, implements minimal guidance, and closes gaps through refactoring. This prevents ambiguity and reduces deployment risk.