Add Skill

VerifiedSafe

Create and populate a skill guide for recurring tasks by analyzing the codebase and gathering context.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DocumentationIntermediate
107/23/2026
Claude Code
#skill-creation#meta-skill#documentation#codebase-analysis

Recommended for

Our review

Creates and populates new skill guides for recurring tasks by analyzing the codebase and gathering context.

Strengths

  • Provides a structured template for documentation.
  • Integrates codebase analysis for concrete examples.
  • Includes anti-patterns and examples to avoid common mistakes.

Limitations

  • Requires an existing codebase with identifiable patterns.
  • Relies on user input to define the initial topic.
  • Limited to text-based skill definitions, no support for rich formats.
When to use it

Use this skill when you need to document a recurring task or pattern in a standardized format for AI agents.

When not to use it

Do not use it for one-off tasks or when the pattern is not yet clear or well understood.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score85/100

The skill only creates a directory and a markdown file using 'mkdir -p', which is non-destructive. It does not execute arbitrary code, exfiltrate data, or disable safety features.

No concerns found

Examples

Create a skill for running tests
/add-skill Running tests with pytest
Document a deployment pattern
/add-skill Deploying to production with Docker
Add a coding convention skill
/add-skill Naming conventions for React components

Add Skill

Create and populate a new skill guide for recurring tasks.

Usage: /add-skill [name or topic]

Process

1. Get Skill Topic

If $ARGUMENTS is empty, use AskUserQuestion tool to ask:

  • "What task or pattern should this skill document?"

2. Analyze Codebase

Search the codebase to find:

  • Existing patterns related to this skill
  • Code examples that demonstrate the pattern
  • Common files/modules involved

3. Gather Context

Use AskUserQuestion tool to ask 2-3 clarifying questions:

  • When should developers use this pattern?
  • Are there any anti-patterns or common mistakes to avoid?
  • Any project-specific conventions for this task?

4. Create Skill Structure

mkdir -p .context/skills/[skill-slug]

5. Populate SKILL.md

Create .context/skills/[skill-slug]/SKILL.md:

# Skill: [Name]

## When to Use

- [Situation 1 - based on analysis]
- [Situation 2]
- [Situation 3]

## Step by Step

### 1. [First Step]

[Explanation]

```[language]
# Code example from this codebase
[actual code found in the project]

2. [Second Step]

[Explanation]

[code example]

3. [Third Step]

[Explanation]

[code example]

Anti-Patterns

Don't:

  • [Bad practice 1 - why it's bad]
  • [Bad practice 2 - why it's bad]

Do:

  • [Good practice 1]
  • [Good practice 2]

Examples from This Codebase

[Example 1 Name]

Located at: [file path]

[relevant code snippet]

[Example 2 Name]

Located at: [file path]

[relevant code snippet]

Related

  • [Link to related ADR if applicable]
  • [Link to related skill if applicable]

## Output

Created: .context/skills/[slug]/SKILL.md

Skill: [Name]

Steps documented: X Examples included: X from codebase Anti-patterns: X identified


## If You Get Stuck

If you cannot make progress after 3 attempts at the same step:
1. Stop immediately
2. Explain what you're trying to do and what's blocking you
3. **Use AskUserQuestion tool** to ask the user how to proceed

Never loop indefinitely. If you find yourself repeating the same actions without progress, stop and ask for help.
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