Summary
Highlights
Beyond basic name and description, the AgentSkills.io open standard offers fields like 'allowed tools' to restrict Claude's tool usage, and 'model' to specify the Claude model for a skill. Explicit instructions in the description are crucial for Claude to understand when and how to use the skill.
A good skill description answers 'What does this skill do?' and 'When should Claude use it?'. Adding keywords can improve triggering. The 'allowed tools' field allows for security-sensitive workflows by restricting actions, for example, to read-only tasks, ensuring Claude only uses specified tools.
To manage Claude's context window efficiently, use progressive disclosure. Put essential instructions in 'skill.md' and detailed reference material in separate files that Claude reads only when needed. Organize supporting files in 'scripts', 'references', and 'assets' folders, linking them within 'skill.md'. Keep 'skill.md' under 500 lines.
Scripts in your skill directory can run without loading their contents into Claude's context, with only the output consuming tokens. This is beneficial for environment validation, consistent data transformations, and reliable, tested operations, improving efficiency and context management.
Remember to use required name and description fields, and leverage 'allowed tools' and 'model' for advanced configuration. Craft specific and trigger-rich descriptions. For larger skills, employ progressive disclosure, keeping 'skill.md' concise and linking to supporting files. Utilize scripts for execution without context loading.