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skill-authoring

Helps agents author cross-platform, portable skills following best practices

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SKILL.md

Full skill instructions

Skill Authoring Skill

This skill helps you author new skills that are cross-platform and agent-agnostic. Use this when creating or reviewing skill definitions.

Prerequisites

Required Reading: Review the SKILL_AUTHORING.md guidelines for comprehensive authoring practices.

Workflow

Phase 1: Understand the Goal

Before writing a skill, clarify:

  1. What capability does this skill provide?
  2. What prerequisites are needed (env vars, runtime, MCP servers)?
  3. What scripts are needed to perform the work?
  4. What output should the agent produce?

Phase 2: Create the SKILL.md Structure

Every skill needs a SKILL.md file with frontmatter:

---
name: skill-name
description: Brief description
version: 1.0.0
mcp-servers: ["server-name"]  # Required MCP servers, use [] if none needed
allowed-tools: [tool1, tool2] # Tools the skill uses, enables lazy loading
tags: [category, ...]
---

[!IMPORTANT] Always specify mcp-servers and allowed-tools!

  • If your skill needs NO MCP servers, use mcp-servers: []
  • If your skill only needs specific tools, list them in allowed-tools

Without these fields, the agent falls into "Legacy Mode" which connects to ALL MCP servers, wasting resources and causing unnecessary connection errors.

Phase 3: Write the Workflow

Use these core principles:

  1. Describe WHAT, not HOW - Say what needs to happen, not tool-specific syntax
  2. Use natural language - Any agent should be able to read and follow
  3. Bundle self-contained scripts - No external dependencies
  4. Declare requirements - Use frontmatter for machine-readable deps
  5. Provide platform hints - But as suggestions, not requirements

Phase 4: Create Bundled Scripts

Place scripts in the scripts/ subdirectory. Scripts should:

  • Use only built-in runtime features (Node.js fetch, fs, path)
  • Accept input via command-line arguments and environment variables
  • Output JSON to stdout
  • Use proper exit codes (0 = success, 1 = error)

Phase 5: Add Platform Adaptation Notes

If your skill has platform-specific considerations (like MCP configuration), add a section:

## Platform Adaptation Notes

### Dynamic MCP Support
For agents that can add MCP servers during a session...

### Static MCP Configuration
For agents requiring config file + restart...

Patterns to Avoid

❌ Avoid✅ Use Instead
create_sandbox({ skillId: "..." })"Run the bundled script"
jq '.mcpServers = ...' ~/​.claude.json"Add to your MCP configuration"
Specific config file paths"Update your agent's MCP settings"
Tool-specific syntaxNatural language descriptions

Patterns to Use

PatternExample
Script execution"Run scripts/​check-auth.js hubspot"
JSON contracts"The script outputs JSON with {status, data}"
Declarative MCP"Requires the 'nango' MCP server (HTTP transport)"
Capability hints"For agents with dynamic MCP support..."
User-blocking actions"Present the auth URL, then STOP AND WAIT for user confirmation"

Example: Good vs Bad

❌ Bad (Platform-Specific)

Create a Vercel sandbox using create_sandbox tool, then run:
run_command({ command: "node", args: ["scripts/​auth.js"] })

✅ Good (Portable)

Run the bundled `scripts/​auth.js` script with the provider name.
The script outputs JSON indicating authentication status.

Checklist Before Publishing

  • mcp-servers specified (use [] if none needed)
  • allowed-tools specified (enables lazy loading)
  • No platform-specific tool syntax in SKILL.md
  • No hardcoded config file paths
  • Scripts use only standard runtime features
  • MCP requirements documented declaratively
  • Natural language workflow descriptions
  • Platform Adaptation Notes included (if applicable)
  • User-blocking actions have explicit STOP AND WAIT instructions
  • Tested on at least one agent platform

Resources