Minimal Skill Example

This is an example skill demonstrating the minimal required structure for Claude Code skills.

Purpose

This skill serves as a reference implementation showing:

• Required YAML frontmatter fields
• Token-efficient design (<500 lines)
• Clear instruction structure
• Auto-activation triggers

When This Skill Activates

Automatically activates when you mention:

• "example" or "template"
• "show me an example"
• "create from template"
• "minimal-skill"

What This Skill Does

When activated, Claude should:

1. Acknowledge the skill activation
2. Provide relevant examples or templates
3. Explain how to adapt the example
4. Offer next steps

Instructions

Core Behavior

When this skill is active, follow these patterns:

For Example Requests:

• Identify what type of example is needed
• Provide complete, working code
• Include inline comments explaining key parts
• Suggest related examples

For Template Requests:

• Show the template structure
• Explain each section's purpose
• Provide adaptation instructions
• Link to related documentation

Response Format

Use this structure for responses:

Here's [what was requested]:

[Code/template with comments]

**Key points:**

- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3

**To adapt this:**

1. Step 1
2. Step 2
3. Step 3

**Related:**

- [Link to related resource]

Examples

Example 1: Providing Code Template

When user asks: "Show me a TypeScript function example"

/**
 * Example function demonstrating TypeScript patterns
 * @param input - The input value
 * @returns Processed result
 */
export function processData(input: string): string {
  // Validate input
  if (!input || input.trim().length === 0) {
    throw new Error('Input cannot be empty');
  }

  // Process and return
  return input.trim().toLowerCase();
}

Key points:

• JSDoc comments for documentation
• Type annotations for safety
• Input validation
• Clear error handling

Example 2: Providing File Structure

When user asks: "Show me a minimal skill structure"

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # Main skill file (<500 lines)
├── API_REFERENCE.md      # Advanced topics (optional)
└── EXAMPLES.md           # Detailed examples (optional)

Key points:

• SKILL.md is required
• Resource files are optional
• Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines

Guidelines

Do's

• ✅ Provide complete, working examples
• ✅ Include explanatory comments
• ✅ Suggest adaptation steps
• ✅ Link to related resources
• ✅ Keep responses focused and concise

Don'ts

• ❌ Provide incomplete or broken examples
• ❌ Skip error handling
• ❌ Use overly complex patterns unnecessarily
• ❌ Forget to explain why, not just what
• ❌ Include unrelated information

Advanced Topics

For more complex patterns, consider:

• Progressive disclosure (SKILL.md + API_REFERENCE.md)
• Universal executor pattern for test frameworks
• Token optimization strategies
• Context-aware triggers

See API_REFERENCE.md for details.

Related Skills

• skill-creator - Generate new skills with proper structure
• command-creator - Create custom slash commands
• agent-creator - Build specialized agents

Troubleshooting

Skill not activating?

• Check trigger keywords in your message
• Verify frontmatter is valid YAML
• Use explicit skill name if needed

Examples not helpful?

• Be more specific about what you need
• Provide context about your use case
• Ask for alternative approaches

Integration with Other Tools

This skill works well with:

• scripts/validate-skill-structure.ts - Validate your skills
• /plugin install meta - Access skill-creator
• OpenSpec workflow - Plan and implement features

Best Practices

Token Efficiency

• Keep core instructions in SKILL.md
• Move advanced topics to API_REFERENCE.md
• Target 300-400 lines for frequently-used skills
• Use progressive disclosure for complex skills

Auto-Activation

• Choose specific, relevant keywords
• Use patterns for flexible matching
• Avoid overly broad triggers
• Test with realistic user messages

Maintainability

• Use clear, descriptive names
• Include version in frontmatter
• Document breaking changes
• Update examples when patterns change

Version History

• 1.0.0 (2025-11-06) - Initial minimal example

References

• ADR-0009: Token-Efficient Skill Design
• ADR-0007: Skill Auto-Activation
• Skill Activation Guide