skill-development

What this skill does

# Skills Meta

## 🚨 MANDATORY: Invoke docs-management First

> **STOP - Before providing ANY response about Claude Code skills or slash commands:**
>
> 1. **INVOKE** `docs-management` skill
> 2. **QUERY** using keywords: skills, skill creation, YAML frontmatter, progressive disclosure, skill best practices, slash commands, command frontmatter, or related topics
> 3. **BASE** all responses EXCLUSIVELY on official documentation loaded
>
> **Skipping this step results in outdated or incorrect information.**

### Verification Checkpoint

Before responding, verify:

- [ ] Did I invoke docs-management skill?
- [ ] Did official documentation load?
- [ ] Is my response based EXCLUSIVELY on official docs?

If ANY checkbox is unchecked, STOP and invoke docs-management first.

## Overview

This meta-skill provides workflows, templates, keyword registries, and patterns for working with Claude Code skills and slash commands. Since v2.1.3+, slash commands and skills are unified -- both are invoked via the `Skill` tool. This skill covers both. It does NOT duplicate official documentation - instead, it teaches you how to efficiently query the `docs-management` skill for any skills or commands-related information you need.

**What this skill provides:**

- Skill template (5 structural patterns to choose from)
- Creation and validation workflows
- Keyword registry for efficient documentation lookups (skills and commands)
- Naming conventions and common patterns
- Quick decision trees for navigation
- Slash command keyword registry, decision tree, and troubleshooting

**What this skill does NOT provide:**

- Duplicated official documentation (use `docs-management` skill instead)
- YAML frontmatter specifications (query `docs-management`)
- Progressive disclosure details (query `docs-management`)
- Complete best practices lists (query `docs-management`)

## When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:

- **Creating a new skill** → Provides template and creation workflow
- **Validating an existing skill** → Provides validation workflow and patterns
- **Auditing skill quality** → Provides comprehensive audit checklist and workflow
- **Understanding skill architecture** → Directs you to right official docs
- **Needing skill templates** → Provides 5 structural pattern options
- **Learning YAML frontmatter** → Shows you how to query docs-management
- **Troubleshooting activation** → Provides diagnostic patterns
- **Distributing skills** → Provides distribution workflow
- **Creating custom slash commands** → Provides command keyword registry and decision tree
- **Configuring command frontmatter** → Directs to docs-management with correct keywords
- **Using command arguments** → Provides keyword lookups for $ARGUMENTS, $1, $2
- **Working with plugin/MCP commands** → Provides keyword registry for command types
- **Choosing skills vs commands** → Provides comparison keyword lookups

## Quick Decision Tree

**What do you want to do?**

1. **Create a new skill from scratch** → See [workflows/creating-skills-workflow.md](references/workflows/creating-skills-workflow.md)
2. **Validate an existing skill** → See [workflows/validating-skills-workflow.md](references/workflows/validating-skills-workflow.md)
3. **Audit skill quality and compliance** → See [quality/skill-audit-guide.md](references/quality/skill-audit-guide.md) or use `/audit-skills` command
4. **Test skill activation** → See [workflows/testing-skills-workflow.md](references/workflows/testing-skills-workflow.md)
5. **Share or distribute a skill** → See [workflows/distributing-skills-workflow.md](references/workflows/distributing-skills-workflow.md)
6. **Understand skill architecture** → Query `docs-management` for "agent skills architecture progressive disclosure"
7. **Fix activation issues** → See Troubleshooting section below
8. **Create a custom slash command** → Query `docs-management`: "slash commands", "skill commands"
9. **Configure command frontmatter** → Query `docs-management`: "command frontmatter", "allowed-tools"
10. **Use arguments in commands** → Query `docs-management`: "$ARGUMENTS", "command arguments"
11. **Choose skills vs commands** → Query `docs-management`: "skills vs slash commands"
12. **Work with plugin/MCP commands** → Query `docs-management`: "plugin commands", "MCP slash commands"

## Official Documentation Discovery

### How to Query docs-management for Skills Documentation

The `docs-management` skill contains all official Claude Code skills documentation. Use natural language queries to access it:

**For creation guidance:**

```text
Find documentation about creating skills with best practices
```

**For YAML frontmatter requirements:**

```text
Locate the official YAML frontmatter specification for skills
```

**For progressive disclosure patterns:**

```text
Get the official progressive disclosure documentation for skills
```

**For tool restrictions:**

```text
Find documentation about allowed-tools configuration for skills
```

### Keyword Registry for Efficient Searches

Use these keyword combinations with the `docs-management` skill for specific topics:

**Creation & Structure:**

- Keywords: `skills`, `skill creation`, `skill structure`, `YAML frontmatter`
- Use case: Understanding how to create skills and required structure

**Validation & Quality:**

- Keywords: `skill validation`, `skill best practices`, `skill patterns`
- Use case: Ensuring skill quality and following conventions

**Architecture & Patterns:**

- Keywords: `progressive disclosure`, `skill composition`, `agent skills`
- Use case: Understanding architectural patterns and advanced topics

**Tool Configuration:**

- Keywords: `allowed-tools`, `tool restrictions`, `skills`
- Use case: Configuring which tools Claude can use within a skill

**Activation & Discovery:**

- Keywords: `skill description`, `skill activation`, `skill triggers`
- Use case: Ensuring Claude discovers and uses your skill correctly

**Distribution & Sharing:**

- Keywords: `plugin skills`, `skill locations`, `personal skills`, `project skills`
- Use case: Understanding where skills live and how to share them

**Execution Context (v2.1.x):**

- Keywords: `context fork`, `forked context`, `skill context`, `agent type skill`
- Use case: Running skills in isolated sub-agent context

**Lifecycle Hooks (v2.1.x):**

- Keywords: `skill hooks`, `hooks frontmatter`, `PreToolUse skill`, `PostToolUse skill`
- Use case: Adding hooks scoped to skill lifecycle

**Visibility Control (v2.1.x):**

- Keywords: `user-invocable`, `skill visibility`, `disable-model-invocation`, `skill menu`
- Use case: Controlling how skills appear in menus and can be invoked

**Variable Substitution (v2.1.9+):**

- Keywords: `CLAUDE_SESSION_ID`, `variable substitution`, `skill variables`, `session ID substitution`
- Use case: Using `${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID}` in skill frontmatter for session-aware configuration
- Query pattern: `docs-management: "skills.md CLAUDE_SESSION_ID variable substitution"`

**Nested Skills Discovery (v2.1.6+):**

- Keywords: `nested skills`, `.claude/skills discovery`, `skill directory nesting`, `recursive skill loading`
- Use case: Skills in nested `.claude/skills/` directories are discovered and loaded
- Query pattern: `docs-management: "skills.md nested skills discovery directories"`

**Slash Commands - Core:**

- Keywords: `slash commands`, `command overview`, `built-in commands`, `custom slash commands`
- Use case: Understanding command types, creating custom commands, viewing built-in commands

**Slash Commands - Types:**

- Keywords: `project commands`, `.claude/commands`, `personal commands`, `~/.claude/commands`, `plugin commands`, `MCP slash commands`, `mcp__server__prompt`
- Use case: Understanding project vs personal vs plugin vs MCP command locations and patterns

**Slash Commands - Configuration:**

- Keywords: `command frontmatter`, `allowed-tools`, `argument-hint`, `description`, `command model`, `model frontmatter`
- Use case: Configurin