Skill Creation Workbook & Templates

Interactive Planning Guide

This workbook helps you plan and create a Claude skill step-by-step.

PHASE 1: DISCOVERY

1.1 Define Your Skill

What problem does your skill solve?

Example: Enable Claude to create and manage Spotify playlists intelligently

Your answer:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Who will use this skill?

Example: Users who need music automation without manual playlist management

Your answer:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

In one sentence, what does your skill do?

Example: Enables intelligent Spotify playlist creation from artists, themes, lyrics, or song lists

Your answer:
_____________________________________________________________

1.2 Identify Use Cases

Fill in 5-10 concrete examples of how users will use your skill:

Use Case #1
Trigger: ________________________________________________________
Goal: ________________________________________________________
Required Skills: ________________________________________________________

Use Case #2
Trigger: ________________________________________________________
Goal: ________________________________________________________
Required Skills: ________________________________________________________

Use Case #3
Trigger: ________________________________________________________
Goal: ________________________________________________________
Required Skills: ________________________________________________________

Use Case #4
Trigger: ________________________________________________________
Goal: ________________________________________________________
Required Skills: ________________________________________________________

Use Case #5
Trigger: ________________________________________________________
Goal: ________________________________________________________
Required Skills: ________________________________________________________

1.3 Identify Constraints

Rate Limits/Quotas:

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Authentication Requirements:

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Environment/System Requirements:

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Known Limitations:

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

PHASE 2: PLANNING

2.1 Resource Inventory

Based on your use cases, what resources do you need?

Scripts You'll Need

Script Name: ____________________
Purpose: ____________________
Functionality: ____________________
□ Core functionality (must have)
□ Helper utility (nice to have)

Script Name: ____________________
Purpose: ____________________
Functionality: ____________________
□ Core functionality (must have)
□ Helper utility (nice to have)

Script Name: ____________________
Purpose: ____________________
Functionality: ____________________
□ Core functionality (must have)
□ Helper utility (nice to have)

Reference Documents Needed

Document Name: ____________________
Content: ____________________
Size Estimate: ____ KB
□ Essential (must have)
□ Reference (nice to have)

Document Name: ____________________
Content: ____________________
Size Estimate: ____ KB
□ Essential (must have)
□ Reference (nice to have)

Document Name: ____________________
Content: ____________________
Size Estimate: ____ KB
□ Essential (must have)
□ Reference (nice to have)

Assets You'll Need

Asset Name: ____________________
Type: ____________________
Usage: ____________________
□ Required in output
□ Template/boilerplate

Asset Name: ____________________
Type: ____________________
Usage: ____________________
□ Required in output
□ Template/boilerplate

2.2 Feature Matrix

Scope	Complexity	Priority	Status
High/Med/Low	High/Med/Low	1-10	To-do

2.3 Documentation Structure

Sketch your SKILL.md structure:

# Skill Title

## Overview
[1-2 sentences]

## Core Capabilities
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3

## Quick Start
[Code example]

## Workflows
### Workflow 1: [Name]
### Workflow 2: [Name]
### Workflow 3: [Name]

## References
- references/api_guide.md
- references/setup.md

PHASE 3: DEVELOPMENT

3.1 Skill Configuration

Skill Name: ____________________

Description (be specific and include keywords):

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Python Version Required:

☐ 3.7+  ☐ 3.8+  ☐ 3.9+  ☐ 3.10+  ☐ 3.11+

External Dependencies:

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

3.2 Script Template

Use this template for each script you create:

"""
[Module name]

[Description of what this module does]
"""

from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Any


class [ClassName]:
    """[Brief description]."""
    
    def __init__(self, [parameters]):
        """Initialize.
        
        Args:
            [param]: [description]
            
        Raises:
            [ExceptionType]: [when]
        """
        self.attribute = value
    
    def method_one(self, param: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        """Do something.
        
        Args:
            param: Description
            
        Returns:
            Dictionary with results
            
        Raises:
            ValueError: If invalid
        """
        # Implementation
        return result
    
    def method_two(self) -> List[str]:
        """Do another thing.
        
        Returns:
            List of items
        """
        # Implementation
        return items

3.3 Reference Document Template

# [Topic] Reference

## Table of Contents
1. [Section 1](#section-1)
2. [Section 2](#section-2)
3. [Section 3](#section-3)

## Section 1: [Name]

Description...

### Subsection 1.1
Details...

## Section 2: [Name]

Description...

### Subsection 2.1
Details...

## Section 3: [Name]

Description...

3.4 SKILL.md Template

---
name: your-skill-name
description: Comprehensive description including what it does 
and specific scenarios for when to use it. Include key terms 
that make it discoverable.
---

# Skill Title

## Overview

[1-2 sentences explaining what this enables]

## Core Capabilities

1. **Capability 1** - What it does
2. **Capability 2** - What it does
3. **Capability 3** - What it does

## Quick Start

```python
# Minimal working example
from your_module import YourClass

obj = YourClass(param="value")
result = obj.do_something()
print(result)

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: [Name]

[Description of what this workflow accomplishes]

# Code example
result = obj.workflow_1(param="value")

Workflow 2: [Name]

[Description of what this workflow accomplishes]

# Code example
result = obj.workflow_2(option="value")

Workflow 3: [Name]

[Description of what this workflow accomplishes]

# Code example
result = obj.workflow_3()

Advanced Usage

See references/advanced_guide.md for detailed patterns.

References

references/api_reference.md - Complete API documentation
references/authentication.md - Setup and credentials
references/examples.md - Additional code examples


---

## PHASE 4: TESTING

### 4.1 Script Testing Checklist

For each script, verify:

Script: ____________________

□ Imports work correctly □ Class/function instantiation works □ Core methods execute without errors □ Error handling works as expected □ All docstrings are present □ Code follows style guidelines □ Example code from docs runs □ Performance is acceptable □ No security issues □ Dependencies are documented


### 4.2 Documentation Validation

SKILL.md □ YAML frontmatter is valid □ name field present □ description field present □ Description is specific and clear □ Overview section present □ Quick start code example works □ All references exist □ No broken links □ Grammar/spelling checked

References □ All referenced files exist □ Content is accurate □ Examples are correct □ No duplication with SKILL.md □ Clear and organized

Assets □ All files needed for output □ Templates are production-ready □ No unnecessary files


### 4.3 Packaging Validation

```bash
# Run this command and verify
python3 /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py ./your-skill

# Expected output:
# ✅ Skill is valid!
# ✅ Successfully packaged skill to: your-skill.skill

# Then verify contents:
unzip -l your-skill.skill

# Should show:
# your-skill/SKILL.md
# your-skill/scripts/...
# your-skill/references/...

PHASE 5: DOCUMENTATION

5.1 Quick Start Guide Template

# [Skill Name] - Quick Start

## 5-Minute Setup

1. [First step]
2. [Second step]
3. [Third step]

## First Command

```python
[Working example]

Common Tasks

[5-10 common task examples]

Troubleshooting

[Common issues and solutions]


### 5.2 Overview Document Template

```markdown
# [Skill Name] - Project Overview

## What's Included

[List all components]

## Key Features

[5-10 main features]

## Use Cases

[5-10 example use cases]

## Getting Started

[Quick instructions]

## File Structure

[Directory layout explanation]

PHASE 6: PACKAGING

6.1 Pre-Packaging Checklist

Before running package_skill.py:

☐ All scripts tested and working
☐ All references verified
☐ SKILL.md complete and error-free
☐ Removed unused template files
☐ All docstrings present
☐ No broken imports
☐ No hardcoded credentials
☐ Error handling implemented
☐ Performance acceptable
☐ Documentation clear
☐ Examples tested
☐ No typos in descriptions

6.2 Packaging Commands

# Initialize (only if starting fresh)
python3 /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/init_skill.py your-skill-name --path ~/skills

# Package when ready
python3 /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py ~/skills/your-skill-name

# Package to specific output
python3 /mnt/skills/examples/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py ~/skills/your-skill-name ./dist

# Verify the package
unzip -l your-skill-name.skill

# Create complete bundle (optional)
zip -r your-skill-complete.zip your-skill-name.skill documentation.md quick_start.md

PHASE 7: ITERATION

7.1 Feedback Collection

After releasing your skill, track feedback:

Issue #1
Reported: ____________________
Impact: High / Medium / Low
Fix: ____________________
Status: ☐ Fixed ☐ Won't fix ☐ Pending

Issue #2
Reported: ____________________
Impact: High / Medium / Low
Fix: ____________________
Status: ☐ Fixed ☐ Won't fix ☐ Pending

Issue #3
Reported: ____________________
Impact: High / Medium / Low
Fix: ____________________
Status: ☐ Fixed ☐ Won't fix ☐ Pending

7.2 Versioning

Track your skill versions:

Version 1.0 (Initial Release)
- Features: [list]
- Date: [date]

Version 1.1 (Improvements)
- Added: [feature]
- Fixed: [bug]
- Date: [date]

Version 2.0 (Major Update)
- Breaking changes: [list]
- New features: [list]
- Date: [date]

7.3 Improvement Cycle

Usage → Feedback → Analysis → Implementation → Testing → Repackage

Repeat for each major iteration

Example: Spotify Skill

Completed PHASE 1

Problem: Users can't easily create intelligent playlists programmatically

Users: Music automation enthusiasts, app developers

One sentence: Enable Claude to create and manage Spotify playlists intelligently

5 Use Cases:

Create playlist from artist name → Get top tracks
Create playlist from theme → Search keywords
Add specific songs → Manual song list
List playlists → Organize music
Control playback → Manage playback

Completed PHASE 2

Scripts:

spotify_client.py (40+ methods)
playlist_creator.py (6 methods)

References:

authentication_guide.md (OAuth setup)
api_reference.md (All endpoints)

Assets: None

Completed PHASE 3-7

Result: spotify-api.skill (production-ready)

Quick Decision Tree

Should this be a script or reference?

Is it code that gets executed?
├─ YES → scripts/
└─ NO → references/

Is it large (>5k words)?
├─ YES → references/ (separate file)
└─ NO → SKILL.md (can include inline)

Will it be modified by users?
├─ YES → assets/
└─ NO → scripts/ or references/

Should this be in SKILL.md or references?

Is it essential for quick start?
├─ YES → SKILL.md
└─ NO → references/

Is it used frequently?
├─ YES → SKILL.md
└─ NO → references/

Is it more than 1000 words?
├─ YES → references/
└─ NO → Can be in SKILL.md

Resources

Notes Section

Use this space for your own notes:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Happy skill creating! 🚀

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Skill Creation Workbook & Templates

Interactive Planning Guide

PHASE 1: DISCOVERY

1.1 Define Your Skill

1.2 Identify Use Cases

1.3 Identify Constraints

PHASE 2: PLANNING

2.1 Resource Inventory

Scripts You'll Need

Reference Documents Needed

Assets You'll Need

2.2 Feature Matrix

2.3 Documentation Structure

PHASE 3: DEVELOPMENT

3.1 Skill Configuration

3.2 Script Template

3.3 Reference Document Template

3.4 SKILL.md Template

Common Workflows

Workflow 1: [Name]

Workflow 2: [Name]

Workflow 3: [Name]

Advanced Usage

References

PHASE 5: DOCUMENTATION

5.1 Quick Start Guide Template

Common Tasks

Troubleshooting

PHASE 6: PACKAGING

6.1 Pre-Packaging Checklist

6.2 Packaging Commands

PHASE 7: ITERATION

7.1 Feedback Collection

7.2 Versioning

7.3 Improvement Cycle

Example: Spotify Skill

Completed PHASE 1

Completed PHASE 2

Completed PHASE 3-7

Quick Decision Tree

Resources

Notes Section