skill-creator · aiskillstore — Claude Code skill: write your own skills
Walks you through building a new skill or reworking an old one: what belongs in SKILL.md, what goes into scripts and references.
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a claude-codeWhat skill-creator does
This skill is a set of rules for writing instructions an agent will follow. The core idea: skip anything the model already knows. Only guidance that changes its decisions earns a place in SKILL.md.
The layout is folder-based. SKILL.md is required and carries name and description in its frontmatter; scripts/, references/, assets/ and agents/openai.yaml are optional. How much detail you write depends on the risk. Where several approaches make sense, leave the choice open. Fixed step sequences belong to fragile operations only. Long procedures, schemas and examples are meant to live in references/, not in the entrypoint.
Scope gets its own section. Approval to do a job does not widen that job or grant rights to touch anything outside it, and retrying or mutating workflows need a stopping condition set in advance. Without one, a skill starts editing neighbouring files and configs.
What it helps with
- draft a new skill the agent will actually route to
- move lengthy procedures out of
SKILL.mdintoreferences/ - strip generic advice the model already has
- set a stopping condition for retrying or mutating workflows
- sort a skill's files into
scripts/,references/andassets/
Example prompts for the agent
- Create a skill for our database migrations and tell me what goes in
SKILL.mdversusreferences/ - Rewrite this skill's
SKILL.md: drop the generic advice, keep only what changes your decisions - Add a script under
scripts/for the repeated step and describe when to run it
How to install skill-creator
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/skill-creator/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install aiskillstore/marketplace skill-creator2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace --path skills/skill-creatorManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about skill-creator
How do I install skill-creator in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add aiskillstore/marketplace --skill skill-creator -a claude-code. The skill instructions then sit at ~/.claude/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md.
What does skill-creator do?
It guides you through creating or updating a skill: what to put in SKILL.md, which material to move into references/, and which operations to wrap in scripts.
How is it different from just writing instructions myself?
It ties the level of detail to the risk of the task and warns against turning one example or past failure into a universal rule. Retrying and mutating workflows are expected to carry a stopping condition.
Similar skills
All skills for Agent setup: memory, context, orchestration →skill-creator by other authors comes first.
