A basic Skill template

A short structure that turns an action that repeats twice into a workflow an agent can run again.

What you get

A SKILL.md template you can copy into your project

Who it is for

For anyone who explains the same process to an agent over and over and wants to stop managing it by hand.

1. When to turn a prompt into a skill

The action has repeated at least twice.
There is a clear input that starts the work.
There are boundaries you cannot afford to forget.
There is a completion check that repeats every time.

2. What the skill must have

Trigger: when to use it.
Input: what you need before you start.
Steps: the order of work.
Tools: what is allowed to run.
Stops: what requires approval.
Done: how you prove the work is finished.

3. SKILL.md template

Copy box

---
name: your-skill-name
description: Use when [specific trigger].
---

# Your Skill Name

## Input
- Required: [input]
- Optional: [context]

## Workflow
1. Read [source].
2. Check [constraints].
3. Do [smallest useful action].
4. Verify with [test / screenshot / output].
5. Report [exact result].

## Stop And Ask
- Before deleting data.
- Before sending anything externally.
- Before changing production config.

## Done Means
- [observable result]
- [verification command or proof]
- [remaining risk named]

4. Quality check

If the skill is too general, it is not a skill. It is a lecture.
If there is no completion check, it will come back with a nice summary instead of work.
If there are no stops, it is dangerous.

How to use this now

The simple rule: a prompt solves a moment. A Skill solves the next time.