SOP 003: Add Supporting Files

Fresh

Field	Value
SOP ID	003
Version	1.0
Status	Active
Last Updated	2026-02-14

Purpose

Structure multi-file skills with supporting documents, templates, examples, and scripts to keep SKILL.md focused while giving Claude access to detailed reference material.

Directory Structure

Procedure

Step 1: Plan Your File Structure

my-skill/
  SKILL.md           # Main instructions (required, keep under 500 lines)
  reference.md       # Detailed API docs (loaded when needed)
  examples.md        # Usage examples (loaded when needed)
  templates/
    template.md      # Template for Claude to fill in
  scripts/
    helper.py        # Script Claude can execute
    validate.sh      # Validation script

Step 2: Keep SKILL.md Focused

SKILL.md should contain:

• Overview and navigation
• Core instructions
• References to supporting files

Size Limit

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Move detailed reference material to separate files.

Step 3: Reference Supporting Files

Add a section in SKILL.md that tells Claude about each file:

## Additional Resources

- For complete API details, see [reference.md](reference.md)
- For usage examples, see [examples.md](examples.md)
- For the output template, see [templates/template.md](templates/template.md)

Step 4: Organize by Purpose

File Type	Purpose	When Claude Loads
SKILL.md	Core instructions	Always (when skill invoked)
reference.md	Detailed docs	When Claude needs specifics
examples.md	Sample outputs	When Claude needs format guidance
templates/	Fill-in templates	When generating structured output
scripts/	Executable code	When skill instructs to run them

Verification Checklist

• [ ] SKILL.md exists and is under 500 lines
• [ ] Supporting files are referenced from SKILL.md
• [ ] Each reference tells Claude what the file contains and when to use it
• [ ] Scripts have correct permissions (chmod +x if needed)
• [ ] File paths in references are relative to the skill directory

See Also

• SOP 001 - Create First Skill
• SOP 008 - Visual Output