Create Skill

Create Skill

This skill helps you scaffold new agent skills that conform to the Agent Skills specification and the dotnet/​skills repository conventions.

When to Use

• Creating a new skill from scratch
• Generating a SKILL.md file with proper frontmatter
• Setting up the skill directory structure with optional folders
• Ensuring compliance with agentskills.io specification

When Not to Use

• Modifying existing skills (edit directly instead)
• Creating custom agents (use the agents/ directory pattern)

Inputs

Workflow

Step 1: Validate the skill name

Ensure the name:

• Contains only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
• Does not start or end with a hyphen
• Does not contain consecutive hyphens
• Is between 1-64 characters

Step 2: Create the skill directory

skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md

Step 3: Generate SKILL.md with frontmatter

Create the file with required YAML frontmatter:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <description of what the skill does and when to use it>
---

Step 4: Add body content sections

Include these recommended sections:

1. Purpose: One paragraph describing the outcome
2. When to Use: Bullet list of appropriate scenarios
3. When Not to Use: Boundaries and exclusions
4. Inputs: Table of required and optional inputs
5. Workflow: Numbered steps with checkpoints
6. Validation: How to confirm the skill worked correctly
7. Common Pitfalls: Known traps and how to avoid them

Step 5: Add optional directories (if needed)

skills/<skill-name>/
├── SKILL.md
├── scripts/       # Executable code agents can run
├── references/    # Additional documentation loaded on demand
└── assets/        # Templates, images, data files

Step 6: Update CODEOWNERS

Add entries in .github/​CODEOWNERS for the new skill and its test directory:

/​plugins/<plugin>/​skills/<skill-name>/  @owner-team
/​tests/<plugin>/<skill-name>/           @owner-team

Match the owner pattern used by sibling skills in the same plugin.

Step 7: Validate the skill

• Confirm frontmatter fields are valid
• Ensure SKILL.md is under 500 lines
• Check that file references use relative paths
• Verify instructions are actionable and specific

SKILL.md Template

Use this template when creating a new skill:

---
name: <skill-name>
description: <1-1024 char description of what the skill does and when to use it>
---

# <Skill Title>

<One paragraph describing the skill's purpose and outcome.>

## When to Use

- <Scenario 1>
- <Scenario 2>

## When Not to Use

- <Exclusion 1>
- <Exclusion 2>

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| <input-name> | Yes/​No | <description> |

## Workflow

### Step 1: <Action>

<Instructions for this step>

### Step 2: <Action>

<Instructions for this step>

## Validation

- [ ] <Verification step 1>
- [ ] <Verification step 2>

## Common Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| <Problem> | <How to avoid or fix> |

Validation Checklist

After creating a skill, verify:

• Skill name matches directory name exactly
• Skill name is lowercase with hyphens only
• Description is non-empty and under 1024 characters
• SKILL.md body is under 500 lines
• Instructions are specific and actionable
• Workflow has numbered steps with clear checkpoints
• Validation section exists with observable success criteria
• No secrets, tokens, or internal URLs included
• .github/​CODEOWNERS has entries for the new skill and its test directory

Common Pitfalls

References

• Agent Skills Specification
• Repository README
• Contributing Guidelines