skill-builder
Build Claude skills from extracted documentation. Use after doc-scraper/pdf-extractor to generate uploadable skill packages.
Best use case
skill-builder is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
It is a strong fit for teams already working in Codex.
Build Claude skills from extracted documentation. Use after doc-scraper/pdf-extractor to generate uploadable skill packages.
Teams using skill-builder should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/skill-builder/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How skill-builder Compares
| Feature / Agent | skill-builder | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Codex | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Build Claude skills from extracted documentation. Use after doc-scraper/pdf-extractor to generate uploadable skill packages.
Which AI agents support this skill?
This skill is designed for Codex.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
Related Guides
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AI Agents for Coding
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SKILL.md Source
# Skill Builder Skill
## Purpose
Single responsibility: Transform extracted documentation into properly structured Claude skill packages ready for upload. (BP-4)
## Grounding Checkpoint (Archetype 1 Mitigation)
Before executing, VERIFY:
- [ ] Input data directory exists and contains extracted content
- [ ] Content format is recognized (JSON pages, markdown, etc.)
- [ ] Output directory is writable
- [ ] Skill name follows Claude conventions (lowercase, alphanumeric, hyphens)
**DO NOT build without verifying input data quality.**
## Uncertainty Escalation (Archetype 2 Mitigation)
ASK USER instead of guessing when:
- Multiple input formats detected - which to prioritize?
- Category structure unclear from content
- Skill description ambiguous
- Target audience undefined
**NEVER generate placeholder content without user guidance.**
## Context Scope (Archetype 3 Mitigation)
| Context Type | Included | Excluded |
|--------------|----------|----------|
| RELEVANT | Input data, skill config, output path | Other skills |
| PERIPHERAL | Similar skill examples | Unrelated documentation |
| DISTRACTOR | Previous build attempts | Source scraping details |
## Workflow Steps
### Step 1: Validate Input (Grounding)
```bash
# Check input data exists
ls -la output/<skill-name>_data/
# Verify page count
find output/<skill-name>_data/pages -name "*.json" | wc -l
# Check summary
cat output/<skill-name>_data/summary.json
```
### Step 2: Generate Skill Structure
Standard Claude skill structure:
```
output/<skill-name>/
├── SKILL.md # Main skill file (required)
├── references/ # Reference documentation
│ ├── index.md # Category index
│ ├── getting_started.md
│ ├── api_reference.md
│ └── guides.md
├── scripts/ # Optional automation scripts
└── assets/ # Optional images, diagrams
```
### Step 3: Create SKILL.md
Template for SKILL.md:
```markdown
# <Skill Name>
## Description
<When to use this skill - clear, specific>
## Key Features
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
- Feature 3
## Quick Reference
### Common Patterns
<Most frequently used patterns with code examples>
### API Overview
<Key API methods/functions>
## Navigation
| Topic | File | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| Getting Started | references/getting_started.md | Installation and setup |
| API Reference | references/api_reference.md | Complete API documentation |
| Guides | references/guides.md | How-to guides and tutorials |
## Code Examples
<3-5 practical code examples from documentation>
## Common Questions
<FAQ section based on documentation>
## Version Information
- Documentation version: <version>
- Last updated: <date>
- Source: <url>
```
### Step 4: Generate Reference Files
Categorize extracted content:
```python
# Categories and their keywords
categories = {
"getting_started": ["intro", "install", "setup", "quickstart"],
"api_reference": ["api", "reference", "method", "function", "class"],
"guides": ["guide", "tutorial", "how-to", "example"],
"concepts": ["concept", "overview", "architecture"],
"advanced": ["advanced", "internals", "extend", "customize"]
}
```
### Step 5: Validate Output
```bash
# Check required files exist
test -f output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md || echo "Missing SKILL.md"
test -d output/<skill-name>/references || echo "Missing references/"
# Verify SKILL.md structure
grep "^# " output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
grep "^## " output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
# Check reference files
ls -la output/<skill-name>/references/
```
## Recovery Protocol (Archetype 4 Mitigation)
On error:
1. **PAUSE** - Preserve partial build
2. **DIAGNOSE** - Check error type:
- `Missing input data` → Re-run extraction
- `Invalid content format` → Check parser compatibility
- `Categorization failed` → Manual category mapping
- `Template error` → Check SKILL.md syntax
3. **ADAPT** - Adjust build configuration
4. **RETRY** - Rebuild affected sections (max 3 attempts)
5. **ESCALATE** - Present partial build, ask for guidance
## Checkpoint Support
State saved to: `.aiwg/working/checkpoints/skill-builder/`
```
checkpoints/skill-builder/
├── build_config.json # Build configuration
├── categorization.json # Category assignments
├── skill_md_draft.md # SKILL.md draft
└── progress.json # Build progress
```
## Quality Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement | Validation |
|-----------|-------------|------------|
| SKILL.md present | Required | File exists check |
| Description clear | Required | Non-empty, specific |
| References organized | Required | At least 2 categories |
| Code examples | Recommended | 3+ examples in SKILL.md |
| Navigation table | Recommended | Links to all references |
## Output Validation
Run quality check after build:
```bash
# Use quality-checker skill
# Or manual validation:
# 1. SKILL.md structure
grep -E "^#{1,2} " output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
# 2. Code examples present
grep -c '```' output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md
# 3. References populated
for f in output/<skill-name>/references/*.md; do
echo "$f: $(wc -l < $f) lines"
done
# 4. No broken links
grep -oE '\[.*\]\(.*\)' output/<skill-name>/SKILL.md | head -10
```
## Configuration Options
```json
{
"name": "myskill",
"description": "When to use this skill",
"input_dir": "output/myskill_data/",
"output_dir": "output/myskill/",
"template": "standard",
"options": {
"extract_examples": true,
"max_examples": 10,
"generate_faq": true,
"include_navigation": true,
"min_category_pages": 5
}
}
```
## Templates
### Standard Template
Full-featured skill with all sections.
### Minimal Template
Just SKILL.md and one reference file.
### API Reference Template
Optimized for API documentation.
### Tutorial Template
Optimized for learning content.
## Troubleshooting
| Issue | Diagnosis | Solution |
|-------|-----------|----------|
| Missing input data | Data directory not found | Run doc-scraper or pdf-extractor first |
| Empty SKILL.md | Template failed | Check input format, verify JSON structure |
| No categories | Keywords not matched | Provide custom category mapping |
| Build hangs | Large dataset | Use doc-splitter first for 10K+ pages |
| Invalid structure | Wrong template | Verify template compatibility with content |
## References
- Claude Skills Format: https://docs.anthropic.com/skills
- Skill Seekers Builder: https://github.com/jmagly/Skill_Seekers
- REF-001: Production-Grade Agentic Workflows (BP-4, BP-5)
- REF-002: LLM Failure Modes (Archetype 1-4 mitigations)Related Skills
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