Skill Write

Write the SKILL.md content for an initialized skill by synthesizing its references into actionable guidance.

Arguments

• $1 - Path to the skill directory (e.g., plugins/meta/meta-claude/skills/coderabbit)

Usage

# Write content for an initialized skill
/meta-claude:skill:write plugins/meta/meta-claude/skills/coderabbit

Prerequisites

The skill must already be initialized with:

• SKILL.md file (even if template with TODOs)
• references/ directory with source materials

If not initialized, run /meta-claude:skill:create first.

Instructions

Step 1: Inventory the Skill

List the skill contents:

ls -la $1/
ls -la $1/references/

Read the current SKILL.md to understand the template structure.

Step 2: Read All References

Read every file in references/ to understand the domain:

• What is this skill about?
• What are the key concepts, commands, configurations?
• What workflows or processes does it enable?
• What are common use cases and examples?

Step 3: Write the Frontmatter

The frontmatter is the most critical part - it determines when the skill triggers.

---
name: <skill-name>
description: >
  <What the skill does>. Use when <specific triggers>: (1) <trigger 1>,
  (2) <trigger 2>, (3) <trigger 3>, or <other contexts>.
---

Description requirements:

• Include BOTH what the skill does AND when to use it
• List specific trigger phrases users might say
• Include file types, tools, or contexts that should activate this skill
• Be comprehensive - the body is only loaded AFTER triggering

Example:

description: >
  Configure and use CodeRabbit for automated code reviews. Use when setting up
  .coderabbit.yaml, configuring review rules, understanding CodeRabbit commands,
  or integrating CodeRabbit with CI/CD pipelines.

Step 4: Write the Body

Structure the body with these sections (adapt as needed):

# <Skill Name>

<1-2 sentence overview of what this skill enables>

## Quick Start

<Most common use case with concrete example>

## Key Concepts

<Essential concepts extracted from references - only what Claude doesn't know>

## Common Workflows

<Step-by-step workflows for primary use cases>

## Configuration

<Key configuration options with examples>

## References

<Links to reference files for detailed documentation>

Writing principles:

1. Concise is key - Claude is smart. Only add what Claude doesn't already know.
2. Prefer examples over explanations - Show, don't tell.
3. Use imperative form - "Configure X" not "You can configure X"
4. Progressive disclosure - Essential info first, details in references
5. Actionable content - Every section should help Claude DO something

Step 5: Validate Content

After writing, self-check:

• Description includes trigger phrases?
• Quick Start has a concrete, runnable example?
• Content is domain-specific (not general knowledge)?
• References are linked appropriately?
• No placeholder TODOs remain?

Output

After writing the content, report:

✅ SKILL.md content written for <skill-name>

Summary:
- Description: <brief summary of triggers>
- Sections: <list of main sections added>
- References linked: <count>

Next: Run /meta-claude:skill:review-content to validate quality

Error Handling

If SKILL.md not found:

❌ Error: SKILL.md not found at <skill-path>
Run /meta-claude:skill:create first to initialize the skill.

If no references found:

⚠️ Warning: No references found in <skill-path>/references/
Writing content from general knowledge only.
Consider running /meta-claude:skill:research to gather source materials.

If references are empty/minimal:

⚠️ Warning: References contain minimal content.
Content quality may be limited. Consider adding more research materials.

Examples

Write content for coderabbit skill:

/meta-claude:skill:write plugins/meta/claude-dev-sandbox/skills/coderabbit

# Reads all references in references/
# Synthesizes into comprehensive SKILL.md
# Reports completion with summary

Notes

• This command performs the "Edit the Skill" step from skill-creator workflow
• Focus on synthesizing references, not copying them verbatim
• The goal is actionable guidance that helps Claude accomplish tasks
• Reference files remain available for detailed lookups