Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Skill Creator agent skill: build and validate SKILL.md skills
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Skill Creator is an agent skill that guides an agent through building, reviewing and improving other agent skills. An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file, with optional scripts and reference files, that teaches the agent how to handle a specific task. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and how to use its bundled validator before you share a skill.
Skill CreatorXiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it to get the skill folder.
- 2Place the folder. Move the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Ask for a skill. Make a natural request such as 'create a skill for X' or 'write a SKILL.md'.
- 4Define use cases. Let the agent help you list 2-3 use cases with trigger phrases, steps and results.
- 5Write the frontmatter. Write a kebab-case name and a description stating what the skill does and when to use it.
- 6Run the validator. Run python scripts/validate_skill.py on the folder and fix every ERROR until it reports PASS with 0 errors.
- 7Test triggering. Check that the skill loads on target phrasings and stays silent on unrelated ones.
What does the Skill Creator skill make the agent do?
Once installed, the agent walks you through building a new skill. It helps you pin down use cases, choose literal trigger phrases, write the SKILL.md frontmatter and instructions, and decide which optional scripts and reference files the skill needs.
It can also review an existing skill that never triggers or triggers too often, and it runs a bundled Python validator, scripts/validate_skill.py, that checks naming, frontmatter format and length, forbidden content, missing linked files and body size.
- Define 2-3 concrete use cases written as Trigger, Steps, Result.
- Plan the folder structure, with SKILL.md as the required file.
- Write a frontmatter description that says what the skill does and when to use it.
- Validate the folder and test triggering and function.
How do you install the Skill Creator skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the resulting skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available to you, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to make it available only inside that project.
Alternatively, upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
What do you need before you start?
The skill requires Python, because the validation step runs scripts/validate_skill.py. You also need an agent runtime that loads SKILL.md skills.
The workflow assumes you are comfortable with folder and file editing. If you only want to use an existing skill rather than author one, this skill is not the right fit.
- Python (to run scripts/validate_skill.py)
- An agent runtime that loads SKILL.md skills
- Basic comfort editing folders and files
- Platforms listed: linux, macos, windows
How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
Ask for what you want in plain language. The skill is meant to load when you want to build a new skill, review or improve an existing one, fix a skill that never triggers or triggers too often, or validate a skill folder before sharing it.
Phrases the description lists as triggers include 'create a skill', 'make a skill for X', 'write a SKILL.md' and 'turn this workflow into a skill'. It is not meant for general prompt writing, MCP server development or editing arbitrary markdown files.
- "Create a skill that formats our weekly sprint notes."
- "Turn this workflow into a skill."
- "My skill never triggers, can you review its description?"
- "Validate this skill folder before I share it."
How do you write a skill with the validator?
Follow the workflow the skill describes. Name the folder in kebab-case so it matches the frontmatter name, keep the file named exactly SKILL.md, and avoid a README.md inside the skill folder. The description must state both what the skill does and when to use it, under 1024 characters, with no XML angle brackets.
When the folder is ready, run the validator on it. The skill says to fix every ERROR and treat WARNINGs as review prompts. Expected output on success is PASS with 0 errors.
- Keep SKILL.md under about 5,000 words and move detail into references/.
- Prefer a bundled script over prose for critical validations.
- Reserved name prefixes "claude" and "anthropic" are not allowed in name.
python scripts/validate_skill.py /path/to/your-skill-nameWhat safety points should you know about?
This skill runs scripts: yes, because it includes scripts/validate_skill.py. It does not use the network. Read the validator before you run it on folders you did not write, as with any script.
The skill also describes a user-only option, disable-model-invocation: true, which hides the skill from the agent so only /skill-name can invoke it. The skill suggests this for long or side-effecting workflows.
- Runs scripts: yes (scripts/validate_skill.py)
- Uses network: no
- Use disable-model-invocation: true for workflows with side effects such as deploys
What tips help you get better skills?
Iterate on a single challenging task until the agent succeeds, then extract the winning approach into the skill. Then test triggering with obvious phrasing, paraphrases and unrelated queries.
A quick debugging check is to ask the agent, 'When would you use the skill-creator skill?' It will paraphrase the description back, so you can see what is missing.
- Put critical instructions at the top of SKILL.md.
- Replace prose validations with a script when correctness matters.
- If a skill triggers too often, add negative triggers such as 'Do NOT use for...'.
- If a real failure happens, encode the fix as an explicit instruction or troubleshooting entry.
What people use it for
- Packaging a repeated team workflow, such as a sprint or release routine, as a reusable skill.
- Fixing a skill whose description is too generic to ever load.
- Narrowing a skill that fires on unrelated requests by adding negative triggers.
- Checking a skill folder for naming, frontmatter and size problems before sharing it with others.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Skill Creator skill free?
The skill is listed under the MIT licence. The source does not state any price, so check the licence text on the source repository for the terms.
What do I need to install Skill Creator?
You need Python to run scripts/validate_skill.py and an agent runtime that loads SKILL.md skills. Install by unzipping into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/, or by uploading it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
Does Skill Creator use the internet?
No. The skill is listed as not using the network, but it does run scripts, specifically the bundled Python validator, so review the script before running it on untrusted folders.
Can Skill Creator write prompts or edit normal markdown files?
No. The skill says it should not be used for general prompt writing, MCP server development or editing arbitrary markdown files. It is for building and reviewing SKILL.md skill folders.
Why does my agent skill never trigger?
The most common cause is a description that is too generic or lacks user-facing trigger phrases. Rewrite the description with literal phrases users would say, then ask the agent when it would use the skill to check what it understood.
Is there an alternative for building agent skills?
The source does not compare this skill with other options. You can write a SKILL.md by hand using the frontmatter and structure described in the skill, and run the validator on the result.
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Our verdict
Skill Creator is a good choice for developers and teams who want to package a repeated workflow as an agent skill, fix skills that load at the wrong times, or check a skill folder before sharing it. If you only want to use existing skills, or you need prompt writing, MCP server development or general markdown editing, pick something else.
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