Writing Skills for Claude Code FAQs

Question 1

What is the Iron Law of skill creation?

Accepted Answer

The Iron Law states that no skill should be created or edited without a failing test case first, proving the documentation actually solves a specific failure mode.

Question 2

How do I keep my Claude skills token-efficient?

Accepted Answer

Focus on 'Use when...' triggers, move heavy references to separate files, and use explicit cross-references instead of repeating instructions across multiple skills.

Question 3

What is a Claude Code Skill?

Accepted Answer

A skill is a specialized reference guide that provides Claude with proven techniques, patterns, or tools to improve its performance and consistency in specific domains.

Question 4

What is Claude Search Optimization (CSO)?

Accepted Answer

CSO is the practice of optimizing skill descriptions and keywords so that Claude can accurately find and load the most relevant skills for a given task based on triggering conditions.

Question 5

Why use TDD for writing documentation?

Accepted Answer

TDD ensures a skill actually works by requiring you to witness an agent failing a task before the documentation is written and passing it once the skill is applied.

Writing Skills for Claude Code

Key Features

Use Cases

Writing Skills for Claude Code

Key Features

Use Cases