Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Haiku house style agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Haiku house style agent skill is a short set of writing rules that tells an AI agent how to write haiku in a consistent, traditional form. It is aimed at people who want haiku with a fixed style, developers building a poetry or greeting-card bot, and students learning the 5-7-5 form and kigo season words. This guide explains what the skill changes, how to install it, how to trigger it, and where its limits are.
Haiku house styleagno-agi/agno · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the haiku skill ZIP from the page where you found this guide.
- 2Choose a location. Pick ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Unzip the skill. Extract the archive so the haiku folder with SKILL.md sits inside the skills folder.
- 4Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 5Ask for a haiku. Request a haiku about a concrete scene in plain language.
- 6Check the syllables. Count each line yourself if an exact 5-7-5 count matters for your use.
What the Haiku skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions the agent reads when a task matches. This skill contains only writing instructions. It is not a program and it does not run code.
When the skill applies, the agent follows four conventions: strict 5-7-5 syllable structure, concrete everyday imagery instead of abstract ideas, at least one season word (kigo) where it fits naturally, and output of only the poem with no emojis, introduction, or closing remarks.
- Strict 5-7-5 syllable structure
- Concrete imagery over abstraction
- At least one season word (kigo) when natural
- Poem only: no emojis, preamble, or closing remarks
Install the Haiku skill
Download the skill ZIP from the page where you found this guide. Then choose one of two routes.
For Claude Code, unzip the file into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill only for that project. For the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
The skill's files are a single SKILL.md, so after unzipping you should see a haiku folder containing that file.
- Claude Code, personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Claude Code, single project: .claude/skills/ inside the project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Ask for a haiku in plain language, and the agent can apply the skill when the request matches its purpose. Be explicit about the subject so the imagery is concrete.
If you want a season word, you can say so, though the skill only asks for one when it fits naturally.
- Write a haiku about the first frost on a bicycle.
- Give me a haiku for my mum's birthday, keep it gentle.
- Write a haiku about rain on the train window in autumn.
What to expect from the output
Because the skill asks for poem-only output, the reply should be three lines with no introduction or sign-off. Syllable counting is done by the agent's judgment, not by a counter, so lines can occasionally be off by one. Check the count yourself if it matters.
The skill covers haiku only. If you ask for a sonnet, free verse, or limerick, these rules do not help.
- Expect three lines, no emojis, no preamble
- Verify syllables yourself when accuracy matters
Safety notes: scripts and network
The skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. It consists of one SKILL.md file with writing conventions. It lists no requirements.
Because it is plain text instructions, reviewing SKILL.md before installing is a quick way to confirm what it asks the agent to do.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Requires: nothing listed
- Licence: Apache-2.0
Tips for better haiku
Give a concrete scene rather than an idea. A specific object and season tend to produce stronger lines than a broad theme such as love or time.
If you are building a bot, state the output format in your own instructions as well, so the fixed format does not depend on one skill alone.
- Name a concrete object and a season
- Ask for one haiku at a time to keep the output clean
- Use the skill as a style guide, then check syllables by hand
What people use it for
- A greeting-card bot that returns one haiku per card with a fixed format
- A classroom exercise where students compare drafts against the 5-7-5 and kigo rules
- A personal assistant that writes short seasonal poems for messages
- A social media tool that posts one haiku per day in a consistent style
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the haiku agent skill?
Download the skill ZIP from the page, then unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the haiku skill need any requirements?
The listing shows no requirements. The skill is a single SKILL.md file of writing instructions, and it runs no scripts and uses no network.
Is the haiku skill free to use?
The skill is licensed under Apache-2.0. The source does not list a price, so check the licence text for the terms that apply to you.
Will the agent always get the syllable count right?
No. The agent counts syllables by judgment rather than a counter, so lines can occasionally be off. Check the count yourself if accuracy matters.
Can this skill write other poetry forms?
No. The rules cover only haiku. For free verse, sonnets, or limericks, the skill does not help and you need different instructions.
What is a kigo and why does the skill mention it?
A kigo is a season word used in traditional haiku. The skill asks the agent to include at least one when it fits naturally.
New agent skills, repos and AI tools — every week
The best new skills and open-source projects, the fastest-growing repos, and one free prompt. Five minutes to read. Unsubscribe anytime.
Our verdict
Use this skill if you want consistent, traditional haiku from an AI agent or need a fixed output format for a poetry or greeting-card bot. Pick something else if you need other poetry forms or guaranteed exact syllable counts.
Download the skill