An interactive Claude skill that guides you through creating new Claude skills — from use-case definition to a validated, ready-to-install skill folder.
Skill Builder is itself a Claude skill. When activated, it runs a structured two-phase process:
- Interview — Walks you through 5 stages of questions to define your skill's purpose, triggers, dependencies, workflow, and error handling.
- Build — Generates the complete skill folder (
SKILL.md, references, scripts, assets) and validates it against a comprehensive checklist.
The result is a skill folder you can install in Claude.ai, Claude Code, or use via the API — no manual file wiring required.
Copy the skill-builder folder into your skills directory:
cp -r skill-builder ~/.claude/skills/- Zip the
skill-builderfolder - Go to Settings > Capabilities > Skills
- Upload the zip file
Use the /v1/skills endpoint with the container.skills parameter (requires Code Execution Tool beta).
Once installed, trigger the skill with natural language:
"Build a skill"
"Create a new skill"
"Help me write a skill"
"Make a skill for [your use case]"
Skill Builder will start the interview process and guide you through every step.
Skill Builder supports three categories of skills:
| Category | Use Case | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Document/Asset Creation | Consistent output generation (docs, code, designs) | API documentation generator |
| Workflow Automation | Multi-step processes with validation gates | Project scaffolder |
| MCP Enhancement | Workflow guidance on top of MCP server connections | Linear project manager |
skill-builder/
SKILL.md # The skill definition (frontmatter + instructions)
references/
best-practices-guide.md # Condensed guide for building Claude skills
validation-checklist.md # Every validation check run after generation
The-Complete-Guide-to-Building-Skill-for-Claude.pdf # Original Anthropic guide
- Purpose & Category — What the skill does, use cases, MCP requirements
- Triggers & Naming — Activation phrases, kebab-case name, negative triggers
- Tools & Dependencies — Scripts, references, assets, tool restrictions, target environment
- Domain Knowledge & Workflow — Embedded expertise, step-by-step workflow, success criteria
- Error Handling & Polish — Failure modes, metadata, license, final review
After each stage, Skill Builder summarizes your answers and asks for confirmation before continuing.
- Output location — Where to create the skill folder
- Folder structure — Creates only the directories your skill needs
- SKILL.md generation — Frontmatter + body following the [What] + [When] + [Capabilities] formula
- Supplementary files — Scripts, references, and assets identified in the interview
- Validation — Runs through the full checklist (structural, frontmatter, content, trigger quality)
- Next steps — Test queries, iteration advice, distribution options
Every generated skill is checked against 50+ validation criteria covering:
- Structural — Folder naming, required files, no forbidden files
- Frontmatter — Field presence, format, security (no XML injection, no reserved names)
- Content — Instruction quality, error handling, examples, size limits (<5,000 words)
- Trigger quality — Natural language coverage, negative triggers, scope clarity
The references/ directory contains the knowledge base that Skill Builder consults during generation:
- best-practices-guide.md — Complete reference covering skill structure rules, YAML frontmatter, description writing, instruction patterns, five workflow archetypes, testing guidance, and distribution
- validation-checklist.md — The full pre-build and post-build validation checklist
- The-Complete-Guide-to-Building-Skill-for-Claude.pdf — The original Anthropic guide on building skills for Claude
MIT