Skill Development FAQs

Question 1

When should I use a script versus a reference file?

Accepted Answer

Use scripts for executable tasks that require deterministic reliability or are repeatedly rewritten. Use reference files for documentation, schemas, and policies that Claude needs to read to inform its logic.

Question 2

What is a Claude Code Skill?

Accepted Answer

A Skill is a modular package that extends Claude's capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools, transforming it into a domain-specific agent.

Question 3

Why is the skill description frontmatter important?

Accepted Answer

The name and description in the YAML frontmatter determine when Claude will trigger and use the skill. It should include specific phrases a user might say to invoke that capability.

Question 4

What is the Progressive Disclosure principle in skill design?

Accepted Answer

It is a strategy to manage context window efficiency by organizing data into three levels: Metadata (discovery), SKILL.md (instructions), and Bundled Resources (deep reference material loaded only as needed).

Question 5

How should I write the instructions in a SKILL.md file?

Accepted Answer

Use the imperative or infinitive form (verb-first) rather than the second person. This objective, instructional language is optimized for AI consumption and maintains consistency.

Skill Development

Key Features

Use Cases

Skill Development

Key Features

Use Cases