make-skill-template

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Create new Agent Skills for GitHub Copilot from prompts or by duplicating this template. Use when asked to "create a skill", "make a new skill", "scaffold a skill", or when building specialized AI capabilities with bundled resources. Generates SKILL.md files with proper frontmatter, directory structure, and optional scripts/references/assets folders.

7.5kinstalls

Sourcegithub/awesome-copilot

Added on2026-02-04

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add github/awesome-copilot make-skill-template

SKILL.md Content

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Make Skill Template

A meta-skill for creating new Agent Skills. Use this skill when you need to scaffold a new skill folder, generate a SKILL.md file, or help users understand the Agent Skills specification.

When to Use This Skill

User asks to "create a skill", "make a new skill", or "scaffold a skill"
User wants to add a specialized capability to their GitHub Copilot setup
User needs help structuring a skill with bundled resources
User wants to duplicate this template as a starting point

Prerequisites

Understanding of what the skill should accomplish
A clear, keyword-rich description of capabilities and triggers
Knowledge of any bundled resources needed (scripts, references, assets, templates)

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Create the Skill Directory

Create a new folder with a lowercase, hyphenated name:

skills/<skill-name>/
└── SKILL.md          # Required

Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter

Every skill requires YAML frontmatter with

name

and

description

:

yaml

---
name: <skill-name>
description: '<What it does>. Use when <specific triggers, scenarios, keywords users might say>.'
---

Frontmatter Field Requirements

Field	Required	Constraints
`name`	Yes	1-64 chars, lowercase letters/numbers/hyphens only, must match folder name
`description`	Yes	1-1024 chars, must describe WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it
`license`	No	License name or reference to bundled LICENSE.txt
`compatibility`	No	1-500 chars, environment requirements if needed
`metadata`	No	Key-value pairs for additional properties
`allowed-tools`	No	Space-delimited list of pre-approved tools (experimental)

Description Best Practices

CRITICAL: The

description

is the PRIMARY mechanism for automatic skill discovery. Include:

WHAT the skill does (capabilities)
WHEN to use it (triggers, scenarios, file types)
Keywords users might mention in prompts

Good example:

yaml

description: 'Toolkit for testing local web applications using Playwright. Use when asked to verify frontend functionality, debug UI behavior, capture browser screenshots, or view browser console logs. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit.'

Poor example:

yaml

description: 'Web testing helpers'

Step 3: Write the Skill Body

After the frontmatter, add markdown instructions. Recommended sections:

Section	Purpose
`# Title`	Brief overview
`## When to Use This Skill`	Reinforces description triggers
`## Prerequisites`	Required tools, dependencies
`## Step-by-Step Workflows`	Numbered steps for tasks
`## Troubleshooting`	Common issues and solutions
`## References`	Links to bundled docs

Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)

Folder	Purpose	When to Use
`scripts/`	Executable code (Python, Bash, JS)	Automation that performs operations
`references/`	Documentation agent reads	API references, schemas, guides
`assets/`	Static files used AS-IS	Images, fonts, templates
`templates/`	Starter code agent modifies	Scaffolds to extend

Example: Complete Skill Structure

my-awesome-skill/
├── SKILL.md                    # Required instructions
├── LICENSE.txt                 # Optional license file
├── scripts/
│   └── helper.py               # Executable automation
├── references/
│   ├── api-reference.md        # Detailed docs
│   └── examples.md             # Usage examples
├── assets/
│   └── diagram.png             # Static resources
└── templates/
    └── starter.ts              # Code scaffold

Quick Start: Duplicate This Template

Copy the
```
make-skill-template/
```
folder
Rename to your skill name (lowercase, hyphens)
Update
```
SKILL.md
```
:
- Change
```
name:
```
  to match folder name
- Write a keyword-rich
```
description:
```
- Replace body content with your instructions
Add bundled resources as needed
Validate with
```
npm run skill:validate
```

Validation Checklist

Folder name is lowercase with hyphens
```
name
```
field matches folder name exactly
```
description
```
is 10-1024 characters
```
description
```
explains WHAT and WHEN
```
description
```
is wrapped in single quotes
Body content is under 500 lines
Bundled assets are under 5MB each

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Skill not discovered	Improve description with more keywords and triggers
Validation fails on name	Ensure lowercase, no consecutive hyphens, matches folder
Description too short	Add capabilities, triggers, and keywords
Assets not found	Use relative paths from skill root

References

Agent Skills official spec: https://agentskills.io/specification

make-skill-template

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Make Skill Template

When to Use This Skill

Prerequisites

Creating a New Skill

Step 1: Create the Skill Directory

Step 2: Generate SKILL.md with Frontmatter

Frontmatter Field Requirements

Description Best Practices

Step 3: Write the Skill Body

Step 4: Add Optional Directories (If Needed)

Example: Complete Skill Structure

Quick Start: Duplicate This Template

Validation Checklist

Troubleshooting

References