Creating Skills
Write discoverable, scannable Claude skills with proper structure and CSO optimization
What You Can Do
You can create new Claude skills from scratch or improve existing ones by following proven structural patterns, frontmatter standards, and discoverability best practices. This skill teaches you how to write skills that future Claude instances can quickly locate, scan, and effectively apply to real problems—ensuring your techniques get reused instead of forgotten.
Features
write YAML headers with proper naming conventions, descriptions, and tag structures that make skills discoverable
follow the proven layout of Overview, When to Use, Quick Reference, Implementation, and Common Mistakes sections
craft titles and descriptions that help Claude find and evaluate your skill efficiently
use gerund forms and avoid reserved words to keep skill names scannable and consistent
see working examples of well-structured skills across different domains and complexity levels
learn to distinguish between skills (broad patterns) and project conventions so you create the right artifact type
organize common operations in tables or bullet lists for fast evaluation by future Claude instances
Example Output
Well-Structured Skill Output
Frontmatter:
---
name: analyzing-performance-metrics
description: Use when debugging slow endpoints or tracking system bottlenecks - breaks down analysis patterns, common bottleneck sources, and measurement techniques
tags: performance, debugging, optimization
---
Quick Reference Table:
| Metric Type | What It Measures | Red Flag Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Response Time | End-to-end latency | >500ms for user requests |
| Memory Usage | Heap allocation | >80% capacity |
| CPU Utilization | Processing load | >85% sustained |
Implementation Section: Shows 3-4 concrete code patterns or analysis approaches with inline examples, then links to a detailed reference document if needed.
What's Included
- SKILL.md instruction file with complete frontmatter and structure standards:
- Naming conventions checklist for gerund forms and reserved-word avoidance:
- When-to-use decision framework distinguishing skills from project conventions:
- Frontmatter template ready to copy for new skills:
- Document structure template with section guidelines and formatting examples:
- CSO optimization guide for crafting discoverable titles and descriptions:
Who It's For
- Claude skill authors and maintainers building reusable reference guides
- Engineering team leads establishing skill documentation standards across projects
- Documentation specialists improving discoverability and structure of existing skills
- AI workflow designers creating skill libraries for multi-agent systems
- Technical architects standardizing patterns and techniques across codebases
Best For
- Writing new skills from scratch with proper structure and frontmatter
- Auditing and improving existing skills for discoverability and clarity
- Establishing skill documentation standards within teams or organizations
- Creating skill naming conventions and tagging systems
- Distinguishing between skills, project conventions, and one-off solutions
You might also like
You get expert analysis of endorsement opportunities, detailed contract structuring advice, and negotiation strategies tailored to your athlete's market position. The skill evaluates deal terms against market comparables, identifies hidden risks, aligns brand partnerships with career goals, and provides actionable recommendations to maximize revenue while protecting your client's interests.
by pr-pm
You can develop comprehensive promotion campaigns for sports events that align stakeholders, optimize budgets, and measurably track return on investment. Get structured strategy documents, budget allocation frameworks, ROI forecasts, and performance dashboards that turn promotion budgets into predictable results.
by pr-pm
Create and manage systematic recruitment funnels that identify, evaluate, and develop athlete talent in sync with your club's goals and infrastructure capacity. You'll build data-driven talent evaluation frameworks, design multi-stage recruitment workflows, and establish metrics to track pipeline health and conversion rates.
by pr-pm
You can generate comprehensive licensing agreements tailored to sports partnerships, automatically calculate royalty structures based on various metrics, and verify compliance with jurisdiction-specific regulations. This skill ensures your licensing documents are legally sound, financially transparent, and audit-ready.
by pr-pm
You can develop comprehensive multi-year strategic plans for your athletic department, ensuring alignment across all programs. Claude helps you navigate state athletic regulations and compliance requirements, reducing administrative burden. You coordinate complex multi-sport schedules, budgets, facility usage, and staffing across your entire athletic program.
by pr-pm
You can analyze salary cap scenarios, evaluate contract structures, and identify roster optimization opportunities across different spending strategies. The skill helps you model trade scenarios, compare multi-year financial impacts, and ensure roster construction aligns with your competitive window. You'll receive detailed breakdowns of cap constraints, contract flexibility, and strategic spending recommendations.
by pr-pm
You get clause-by-clause contract analysis that identifies hidden leverage points, market inequities, and risk exposure specific to your sport and position. Claude benchmarks your deal against comparable contracts, flags unfavorable terms, and develops a negotiation roadmap that protects your interests while maximizing value.
by pr-pm
Discover what tools, workflows, specialist agents, and automation hooks are available in your workspace through interactive prompts and organized catalogs. Based on your goal—whether exploring codebases, fixing bugs, building features, or proving mathematical theorems—the skill surfaces the exact capabilities you need.
by parcadei