Mode: Script-First - Use scripts/create.cjs as the canonical path for new skill creation, then use this guide for research, review, and integration follow-through.

Skill Creator

Create, validate, install, and convert skills for the multi-agent ecosystem without skipping routing, catalog, and registry integration.

Purpose

Use this skill to:

1. Create a new skill from scratch.
2. Convert MCP servers or external codebases into skills.
3. Install a skill from GitHub.
4. Validate an existing skill definition.
5. Assign or register related hooks, schemas, and companion artifacts.

Reference Docs

• Research gate details - preserved research gate, security scan, evidence-quality, and typed-artifact-search guidance.
• Enterprise bundle details - preserved scaffold defaults, action reference, and directory/layout guidance.
• Integration reference - preserved pre/post-creation workflow, catalog/routing/index updates, and creator-ecosystem cross-links.
• Examples and evaluation - preserved reference skill notes, worked examples, system impact checklists, and optional evaluation material.

Actions

Core Creation Workflow

Step 0: Existence Check and Updater Delegation

Before creating any skill file, check whether the skill already exists.

test -f .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md && echo "EXISTS" || echo "NEW"

• If the skill exists, stop creation and delegate to artifact-updater.
• If the skill is new, continue to Step 0.1.
• Do not bypass this step with direct writes; unified-creator-guard.cjs is expected to block unsafe creation paths.

Step 0.1: Smart Duplicate Detection

Run the duplicate detector before proceeding:

const { checkDuplicate } = require('.claude/lib/creation/duplicate-detector.cjs');
const result = checkDuplicate({
  artifactType: 'skill',
  name: proposedName,
  description: proposedDescription,
  keywords: proposedKeywords || [],
});

Handle results exactly as before:

• EXACT_MATCH -> stop and route to skill-updater
• REGISTRY_MATCH -> investigate registry/file drift before creating
• SIMILAR_FOUND -> review candidates and decide whether to create or update
• NO_MATCH -> continue to Step 0.5

Step 0.5: Companion Check

Run the companion check before creation:

1. Load .claude/lib/creators/companion-check.cjs.
2. Call checkCompanions("skill", "{skill-name}").
3. Record required and recommended companion artifacts.
4. Capture any skipped companions in the post-creation notes.

If the skill provides behavioral guidance that should persist outside explicit invocation, confirm whether it also needs .claude/rules/<skill-name>.md.

Step 1: Choose the Correct Action

Pick the narrowest action that matches the request:

• create for a brand-new skill
• convert for MCP server conversion
• install for importing a GitHub skill
• convert-codebase for lifting an external tool or codebase into a skill
• validate when the artifact already exists and only needs verification

Step 2: Run the Research Gate Before Finalizing Content

Complete the preserved research workflow in research gate details before you finalize the skill body. That reference keeps the original VoltAgent, Exa, arXiv, typed-artifact-search, evidence-quality, and external-content safety material.

Step 3: Run the Canonical Create Script

For a brand-new skill, start with the managed scaffold:

node .claude/skills/skill-creator/scripts/create.cjs --name <skill-name> --description "<summary>"

Use the template below as the contract that the generated SKILL.md must satisfy. The detailed format notes, action examples, and layout guidance remain preserved in enterprise bundle details.

Step 4: Review the Requested Scaffold

The enterprise bundle is now opt-in. Start from the minimal scaffold by default, and only add enterprise files when the request explicitly asks for --enterprise or the capability truly needs them. At minimum, decide whether the skill needs:

• scripts/ for executable helpers
• hooks/ for pre/post execution enforcement
• schemas/ for typed interfaces
• templates/ or references/ for reusable authoring material
• a companion tool in .claude/tools/<skill-name>/
• a workflow in .claude/workflows/

The original bundle breakdown and acceptance checklist are preserved in enterprise bundle details.

Step 5: Validate and Integrate

Before completion:

1. Run the post-creation checklist below.
2. Run node .claude/tools/cli/validate-integration.cjs .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
3. Regenerate the skill index if the artifact is new or materially changed.
4. Re-run any targeted validators needed for the touched surface.
5. If the new skill reveals companion artifact work for another creator, record it as a Follow-Up item instead of invoking another creator inline from this flow.

Router Gap Detection

After scaffolding or updating a skill, verify the routing layer can still discover it. Treat any no matching agent/skill result as a routing gap that must be resolved before handoff.

• Check whether the skill needs a new or updated agent assignment.
• Regenerate indexes and registries when discoverability metadata changed.
• Record unresolved routing follow-ups explicitly instead of assuming another creator will infer them.

Template Reference

Use this baseline structure in SKILL.md:

---
name: skill-name
description: What the skill does
version: 1.0.0
model: sonnet
invoked_by: user | agent | both
user_invocable: true | false
tools: [Read, Write, Bash]
args: "<required> [optional]"
agents: [developer, qa]
category: "Validation & Quality"
tags: [testing, validation]
frontmatter:
  triggers:
    - <pattern or trigger phrase that should invoke this skill>
  token_budget: 10000  # estimated token cost for invoking this skill
  # output_schema_ref: (set if a skill-*-output.schema.json exists for this skill)
  # requires_skills: []  # list dependent skill names here
---

# Skill Name

## Purpose
What this skill accomplishes.

## Usage
How the skill is invoked and applied.

## Examples
Concrete invocation or workflow examples.

Required frontmatter fields that must stay explicit: name, description, version, agents, category, tags, tools, invoked_by, and user_invocable.

v3.1.0 Schema Addition: frontmatter block

The frontmatter object is an optional, machine-parseable metadata block introduced in v3.1.0. Agents can inspect it without parsing full prose. The create action emits it by default in all new SKILL.md files.

All frontmatter fields are optional. Existing SKILL.md files without the frontmatter block remain valid — the schema uses additionalProperties: true at the root level, and the frontmatter property is not in required. Do NOT add frontmatter to existing skills during unrelated updates; add it only when the skill is being intentionally refreshed or verified.

Post-Creation Checklist

• The right action path was used (create, convert, install, validate, or another supported action).
• The research gate was completed or explicitly documented with preserved evidence.
• The skill file exists at .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
• Required frontmatter fields are present, especially agents, category, and tags.
• At least one relevant agent assignment was confirmed.
• CLAUDE.md, routing notes, and the skill catalog were updated if required.
• node .claude/tools/cli/validate-integration.cjs .claude/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md passes.
• node .claude/tools/cli/generate-skill-index.cjs was run when discoverability metadata changed.
• npm run gen:all-registries was run for new or re-registered skills.
• README footprint or catalog updates were completed when the creation flow requires them.
• Companion artifacts, memory notes, and follow-up items were recorded.

Ecosystem Alignment Contract (MANDATORY)

This creator skill must keep every new or updated skill aligned with the broader creator ecosystem:

• agent-creator for ownership and execution paths
• tool-creator for executable helpers
• hook-creator for enforcement and guardrails
• rule-creator and semgrep-rule-creator for policy coverage
• template-creator for reusable scaffolds
• workflow-creator for orchestration
• command-creator for user-facing shortcuts

Cross-Creator Handshake (Required)

Before handoff, verify the related ecosystem updates:

1. Routing and discovery metadata were updated where required.
2. Companion agents, hooks, tools, templates, rules, or workflows were created or explicitly waived.
3. validate-integration.cjs passes for the skill artifact.
4. Skill indexes and registries were regenerated when metadata changed.
5. Any unresolved ecosystem gaps were recorded as follow-up work.

Research Gate (Exa + arXiv — BOTH MANDATORY)

For new skill patterns, packaging approaches, or AI-adjacent methodologies:

1. Use Exa to review current ecosystem patterns and implementation examples.
2. Search arXiv when the topic touches AI agents, evaluation, orchestration, memory/RAG, security, or other emerging methods.
3. Record the decisions, constraints, and non-goals that shaped the skill contract.
4. Prefer the smallest validated change that satisfies the request.

Regression-Safe Delivery

• Follow RED -> GREEN -> REFACTOR for behavior changes.
• Run targeted tests for the touched skill and creator surfaces.
• Run required format and validation commands before handoff.
• Keep changes scoped to the failing contract instead of bundling unrelated cleanup.

Notes

• Direct creation outside the creator flow risks invisible skills and broken registry state.
• If the new skill implies a new agent or other companion artifact, capture that as a Follow-Up for the next creator workflow rather than chaining creators inline.
• Use integration reference for the preserved verbose Step 6-13 guidance.
• Use examples and evaluation for the preserved reference skill, example creation walkthrough, and optional evaluation add-ons.