Workflow 001: Skill Development Lifecycle

Fresh

Overview

The complete lifecycle from skill idea to production deployment.

Lifecycle Stages

Stage Details

1. Ideate

Identify a repeatable task or knowledge pattern:

• Repetitive coding patterns you explain often
• Deployment procedures you run frequently
• Code review checklists you apply consistently
• Background knowledge Claude should always have

2. Scaffold

# Personal skill
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/my-skill

# Project skill
mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-skill

3. Write Instructions

Create SKILL.md with clear, step-by-step instructions. Think about:

• Reference content: Knowledge applied to current work
• Task content: Actions with specific steps

4. Configure Frontmatter

Choose the right settings (see SOP 002):

• name and description (always)
• disable-model-invocation (for manual-only tasks)
• context: fork (for isolated execution)
• allowed-tools (for restricted tool access)

5. Add Supporting Files

If the skill needs detailed references, templates, or scripts (see SOP 003).

6. Test Locally

/my-skill              # Direct invocation
/my-skill some args    # With arguments

7. Refine Description

Optimize the description for auto-invocation:

• Include keywords users would naturally say
• Be specific about when to use the skill
• Test with "What skills are available?"

8. Test Auto-Invocation

Ask questions that should trigger the skill without using /name.

9. Share

Choose distribution method (see SOP 009):

• Project: commit .claude/skills/
• Plugin: create skills/ in plugin
• Enterprise: managed settings

10. Monitor & Iterate

• Check if skill triggers when expected
• Refine description if triggering too often/rarely
• Update instructions based on usage patterns