gh-cskiro-claudex/skills/meta/skill-creator/examples/standard-skill/README.md

Standard Skill Structure Example

This example shows the standard structure used by most skills in the marketplace.

Directory Structure

standard-skill/
├── SKILL.md           # Agent manifest (required)
├── README.md          # User documentation (required)
├── plugin.json        # Marketplace metadata (required)
├── CHANGELOG.md       # Version history (required)
├── data/              # Reference materials, standards (optional)
│   ├── best-practices.md
│   ├── standards.yaml
│   └── references.md
├── examples/          # Sample outputs (optional)
│   ├── example-1.md
│   └── example-2.md
└── templates/         # Reusable templates (optional)
    ├── report-template.md
    └── output-template.json

When to Use Standard Structure

Use this structure when:

• Sequential workflow with clear phases
• Needs reference materials or standards
• Provides templates for outputs
• Examples help users understand
• Medium complexity

Examples of Standard Skills

• Codebase Auditor: Analyzes code against standards
• CLAUDE.md Auditor: Validates configuration files
• Documentation Generator: Creates docs from code

Characteristics

• Complexity: Medium
• Files: 4 required + 3 optional directories
• Pattern: Phase-based or validation
• Modes: Usually single mode, sequential phases
• Scripts: Rarely needed (pure LLM skill)
• Dependencies: Minimal

SKILL.md Template

---
name: skill-name
version: 0.1.0
description: Brief description of what this skill does
author: Your Name
---

# Skill Name

## Overview

Detailed description of capabilities.

## When to Use This Skill

**Trigger Phrases:**
- "phrase 1"
- "phrase 2"
- "phrase 3"

**Use Cases:**
- Use case 1
- Use case 2
- Use case 3

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Discovery
- Identify scope
- Gather context
- Validate prerequisites

### Phase 2: Analysis
- Apply standards from data/
- Check compliance
- Detect issues

### Phase 3: Reporting
- Generate report using templates/
- Provide examples from examples/
- Offer recommendations

### Phase 4: Remediation
- Guide user through fixes
- Verify improvements
- Update documentation

## Success Criteria

- [ ] All phases completed
- [ ] Report generated
- [ ] Recommendations provided

## Reference Materials

- `data/` - Standards and best practices
- `examples/` - Sample outputs
- `templates/` - Reusable templates

Directory Purposes

data/

Contains reference materials the skill consults:

• Standards documents (YAML, MD)
• Best practices guides
• Lookup tables
• Configuration defaults

examples/

Shows users what to expect:

• Sample outputs
• Before/after comparisons
• Success stories
• Common scenarios

templates/

Reusable output formats:

• Report templates (Jinja2 or Markdown)
• JSON schemas
• Configuration files
• Document structures

Best Practices

1. Organized references: Put all standards in data/
2. Concrete examples: Show real usage in examples/
3. Reusable templates: DRY principle for outputs
4. Progressive disclosure: Start simple, add detail as needed
5. Clear phases: Each phase has specific purpose
6. Documentation: Reference materials are well-documented