Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Skill Creator agent skill (skill-creator)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Skill Creator is an agent skill that teaches the agent how to write its own add-on skills. It covers how to write the metadata that decides when a skill activates, how to keep instructions short, and when to split material into scripts, reference files, or templates. After this guide you will know how to install it, how to ask the agent to create or review a skill, and what the skill does and does not do.
Skill Creatorsipeed/picoclaw · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill-creator ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Ask for a skill in plain language. Request a new skill, a SKILL.md edit, or a review using words like SKILL.md, skill or workflow.
- 5Review the output. Check the frontmatter, the length of SKILL.md and any extra files the agent added.
What the skill-creator skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives the agent specialized knowledge or a repeatable workflow. The skill-creator skill is a set of house rules for building those folders. When you ask the agent to write a new skill, change an existing SKILL.md, or organize a skill's files, it follows this guidance instead of improvising.
The guidance centres on a few principles: the frontmatter fields name and description are the only things the agent reads to decide when a skill is used, so they must be clear; the body should only contain information the agent does not already have; and optional scripts/, references/ and assets/ folders should be used only when they are needed.
- Writes the name and description metadata that controls when a skill triggers
- Keeps SKILL.md short and moves detailed material into reference files
- Decides when to use scripts, reference files or assets
- Discourages extra files such as README.md or CHANGELOG.md
Install the skill-creator skill
Download the ZIP from this page. You can install it in either of two ways.
Option 1: For Claude Code, unzip the file into ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available to you across projects, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
Option 2: In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe what you want in plain language that matches the skill's description. The skill is designed to activate when you are writing a new skill, modifying an existing SKILL.md, turning a repeated workflow into a reusable skill, or organizing scripts, references and assets for a skill.
Mention the skill or the file directly if you want to be sure it is used. Use specific nouns such as SKILL.md, skill or workflow so the request matches the description.
- Create a new skill for "..." from the steps we just followed
- Review this SKILL.md and tell me if it is too long
- Turn this repeated workflow into a reusable skill
- Should this skill have a scripts folder, or do I only need SKILL.md?
- Tidy up the references in this skill and remove unneeded files
Examples of what the agent produces
Given a request to build a skill, the agent should produce a folder whose SKILL.md begins with YAML frontmatter containing name and description, followed by Markdown instructions. Only add scripts/ when code must run reliably or is rewritten repeatedly, references/ for documentation to load on demand, and assets/ for files copied into the output.
When reviewing an existing skill, expect feedback on length (the guidance suggests keeping the body under 500 lines), on whether details belong in a reference file, and on whether extra documentation files should be deleted.
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
├── scripts/
├── references/
└── assets/What the skill needs and safety notes
The skill lists no requirements. It does not run scripts and does not use the network. The only file included is SKILL.md, and it contains guidance text rather than executable code.
The skill only shapes how new skills are written. It does not perform your task, and it does not fetch or publish skills automatically. Its guidance was written for Picoclaw-style SKILL.md skills, so review the output before using it in another agent runtime, where it may need adjustment.
- Requires: nothing listed
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Files: SKILL.md only
Tips for getting better skills
Give the agent a concrete example of the task the skill should handle, since the description is what triggers it. Ask for a short SKILL.md first, then add reference files only where the guidance says detail belongs. Review any scripts the agent creates before running them, because the guidance itself notes scripts may need adjustment for your environment.
- Write the description to say both what the skill does and when to use it
- Keep the body focused on procedures, not background
- Check that every file the skill references is named in SKILL.md
What people use it for
- Writing a new SKILL.md for a repeated team workflow
- Shortening a long SKILL.md and moving detail into reference files
- Deciding whether a skill needs a scripts/ folder or only instructions
- Reviewing a skill's description so it triggers at the right times
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the skill-creator skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ in a project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, Capabilities, then Skills.
Does skill-creator require anything else to run?
The skill lists no requirements. It runs no scripts and uses no network, and its only file is SKILL.md.
Is skill-creator free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not state pricing for anything beyond that licence.
Does skill-creator build or publish skills automatically?
No. It only guides how new skills are written. It does not fetch, publish or perform the task the skill is meant for.
Will it work outside Picoclaw?
The guidance was written for Picoclaw-style SKILL.md skills. It can be wrong for other agent runtimes without adjustment, so check its output carefully.
Why isn't my skill triggering?
The agent decides based on the name and description in the frontmatter. Make the description specific about what the skill does and when to use it, and mention SKILL.md or the skill's topic in your request.
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Our verdict
Choose skill-creator if you are writing your own SKILL.md-format skills, turning a workflow into a reusable skill, or reviewing a skill for length and clarity. Pick something else if you only want an agent to finish a task, because this skill does not perform tasks, and it may need adjustment for agent runtimes other than Picoclaw.
Download the skill