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Step 1: Create the directory

mkdir my-skill && cd my-skill

Step 2: Write SKILL.md

Every skill starts with a SKILL.md file. This is what the agent reads to understand your skill.
# My Skill Name

One-line description of what this skill does.

## Description

A longer explanation if needed. Include context about
when this skill is useful and any prerequisites.

## When to use

- Trigger condition 1
- Trigger condition 2

## Usage

\`\`\`bash
./run.sh <argument>
\`\`\`

## Examples

\`\`\`bash
# Example: do the thing
./run.sh "hello world"
# Output: Hello, World!
\`\`\`

## Notes

Any caveats, limitations, or important details.

Writing good descriptions

The description is the most important part. It’s how the agent decides whether to use your skill. Be specific:
# ❌ Vague
Search the internet for information.

# ✅ Specific
Search Hacker News for recent posts matching a query.
Returns top 5 results with title, score, and URL.

Step 3: Add a script (optional)

If your skill needs to run code, add an executable:
#!/bin/bash
# run.sh — Search Hacker News
QUERY="${1:?Usage: run.sh <query>}"
curl -s "https://hn.algolia.com/api/v1/search?query=${QUERY}&hitsPerPage=5" \
  | jq -r '.hits[] | "[\(.points)] \(.title)\n  \(.url)\n"'
chmod +x run.sh
Any language works. Use whatever makes sense:
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# run.py
import sys
print(f"Hello, {sys.argv[1]}!")

Step 4: Test locally

# Just run it
./run.sh "test query"
That’s the whole debugging experience. No inspector needed. No protocol trace to parse.

Step 5: Install it

skills add ./my-skill
The skill is now available to any SCP-compatible agent on your system.

Directory structure reference

my-skill/
  SKILL.md          # Required: description + usage
  run.sh            # Optional: main executable
  config.json       # Optional: structured metadata
  lib/              # Optional: supporting code
  templates/        # Optional: template files
  examples/         # Optional: usage examples
  README.md         # Optional: human docs (not read by agent)
The only required file is SKILL.md. Everything else is optional and depends on what your skill needs to do.