Create Skill

Create Skill Wizard

This skill helps you create new Agent Zero skills that follow the SKILL.md standard.

Quick Start

To create a new skill, I'll guide you through these steps:

1. Name & Purpose - What should this skill do?
2. Trigger Patterns - When should this skill activate?
3. Content Structure - What instructions should the agent follow?
4. Supporting Files - Any scripts or templates needed?

SKILL.md Format

Every skill needs a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter:

---
name: "skill-name"
description: "Clear description of what this skill does and when to use it"
version: "1.0.0"
author: "Your Name"
tags: ["category1", "category2"]
trigger_patterns:
  - "keyword1"
  - "phrase that triggers this"
---

# Skill Title

Your skill instructions go here...

Required Fields

| Field | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | name | Unique identifier (lowercase, hyphens) | "code-review" | | description | When/why to use this skill | "Review code for quality and security issues" |

Optional Fields

| Field | Description | Example | |-------|-------------|---------| | version | Semantic version | "1.0.0" | | author | Creator name | "Jane Developer" | | tags | Categorization keywords | ["review", "quality"] | | trigger_patterns | Words/phrases that activate skill | ["review", "check code"] | | allowed_tools | Tools this skill can use | ["code_execution", "web_search"] |

Skill Directory Structure

/a0/usr/skills/
└── my-skill/
   ├── SKILL.md           # Required: Main skill file
   ├── scripts/           # Optional: Helper scripts
   │   ├── helper.py
   │   └── process.sh
   ├── templates/         # Optional: Templates
   │   └── output.md
   └── docs/              # Optional: Additional docs
      └── examples.md

Writing Good Skill Instructions

Be Specific and Actionable

# Good
When reviewing code:
1. Check for security vulnerabilities
2. Verify error handling
3. Assess test coverage

# Bad
Review the code and make it better.

Include Examples

## Example Usage

**User**: "Review my Python function for issues"

**Agent Response**:
> I'll review your function using the code review checklist:
>
> 1. **Security**: No user input validation detected
> 2. **Error Handling**: Missing try-catch for file operations
> 3. **Testing**: Function is testable but no tests found

Provide Checklists

## Review Checklist
- [ ] Input validation present
- [ ] Error handling complete
- [ ] Tests included
- [ ] Documentation updated

Creating Your Skill: Step by Step

Step 1: Define Purpose

Answer these questions:

• What problem does this skill solve?
• When should the agent use it?
• What's the expected output?

Step 2: Choose a Name

• Use lowercase letters and hyphens
• Be descriptive but concise
• Examples: code-review, data-analysis, deploy-helper

Step 3: Write Trigger Patterns

List words/phrases that should activate this skill:

trigger_patterns:
  - "review"
  - "check code"
  - "code quality"
  - "pull request"

Step 4: Structure Your Content

Organize with clear sections:

# Skill Title

## When to Use
Describe the trigger conditions

## The Process
Step-by-step instructions

## Examples
Show sample interactions

## Tips
Additional guidance

Step 5: Add Supporting Files (Optional)

If your skill needs scripts or templates:

# Create directory structure
mkdir -p /a0/usr/skills/my-skill/{scripts,templates,docs}

Example: Complete Skill

---
name: "python-optimizer"
description: "Optimize Python code for performance and readability. Use when asked to improve or optimize Python code."
version: "1.0.0"
author: "Agent Zero Team"
tags: ["python", "optimization", "performance"]
trigger_patterns:
  - "optimize python"
  - "improve performance"
  - "make faster"
  - "python optimization"
---

# Python Optimizer

## When to Use
Activate when user asks to optimize, improve, or speed up Python code.

## Optimization Process

### Step 1: Profile First
Before optimizing, understand where time is spent:
```python
import cProfile
cProfile.run('your_function()')

Step 2: Common Optimizations

1. Use List Comprehensions

```python # Slow result = [] for x in data: result.append(x * 2)

# Fast result = [x * 2 for x in data] ```

1. Use Sets for Lookups

```python # Slow: O(n) if item in large_list:

# Fast: O(1) if item in large_set: ```

1. Use Generators for Large Data

```python # Memory-heavy data = [process(x) for x in huge_list]

# Memory-efficient data = (process(x) for x in huge_list) ```

Step 3: Verify Improvement

Always measure before and after:

import time
start = time.perf_counter()
# code to measure
elapsed = time.perf_counter() - start
print(f"Took {elapsed:.4f} seconds")

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Premature optimization
• Optimizing without profiling
• Sacrificing readability for tiny gains

## Skill Installation

### Local Installation

1. Create skill directory:
   ```bash
   mkdir -p /a0/usr/skills/my-skill
   ```

2. Create SKILL.md:
   ```bash
   touch /a0/usr/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md
   ```

3. Add content and save

4. Skills are automatically loaded on next agent initialization

### Sharing Skills

To share skills with others:

1. Create a GitHub repository
2. Include the skill directory structure
3. Add a README with installation instructions
4. Users can copy to their `/a0/usr/skills/` directory

## Testing Your Skill

After creating a skill:

1. Start a new conversation
2. Use one of your trigger patterns
3. Verify the agent follows your instructions
4. Iterate and improve based on results

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [Gen-Verse](https://github.com/Gen-Verse)
- **Source:** [Gen-Verse/PAST-Bench](https://github.com/Gen-Verse/PAST-Bench)
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Homepage:** https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.04003

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.