When to Create a Skill
Create a skill when:
- A pattern is used repeatedly and AI needs guidance
- Project-specific conventions differ from generic best practices
- Complex workflows need step-by-step instructions
- Decision trees help AI choose the right approach
Don't create a skill when:
- Documentation already exists (create a reference instead)
- Pattern is trivial or self-explanatory
- It's a one-off task
Skill Structure
textskills/{skill-name}/ ├── SKILL.md # Required - main skill file ├── assets/ # Optional - templates, schemas, examples │ ├── template.py │ └── schema.json └── references/ # Optional - links to local docs └── docs.md # Points to docs/developer-guide/*.mdx
SKILL.md Template
markdown--- name: {skill-name} description: > {One-line description of what this skill does}. Trigger: {When the AI should load this skill}. license: Apache-2.0 metadata: author: prowler-cloud version: "1.0" --- ## When to Use {Bullet points of when to use this skill} ## Critical Patterns {The most important rules - what AI MUST know} ## Code Examples {Minimal, focused examples} ## Commands ```bash {Common commands} ``` ## Resources - **Templates**: See [assets/](assets/) for {description} - **Documentation**: See [references/](references/) for local docs
Naming Conventions
| Type | Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Generic skill | {technology} | pytest, playwright, typescript |
| Prowler-specific | prowler-{component} | prowler-api, prowler-ui, prowler-sdk-check |
| Testing skill | prowler-test-{component} | prowler-test-sdk, prowler-test-api |
| Workflow skill | {action}-{target} | skill-creator, jira-task |
Decision: assets/ vs references/
textNeed code templates? → assets/ Need JSON schemas? → assets/ Need example configs? → assets/ Link to existing docs? → references/ Link to external guides? → references/ (with local path)
Key Rule: references/ should point to LOCAL files (docs/developer-guide/*.mdx), not web URLs.
Decision: Prowler-Specific vs Generic
textPatterns apply to ANY project? → Generic skill (e.g., pytest, typescript) Patterns are Prowler-specific? → prowler-{name} skill Generic skill needs Prowler info? → Add references/ pointing to Prowler docs
Frontmatter Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | Yes | Skill identifier (lowercase, hyphens) |
description | Yes | What + Trigger in one block |
license | Yes | Always Apache-2.0 for Prowler |
metadata.author | Yes | prowler-cloud |
metadata.version | Yes | Semantic version as string |
Content Guidelines
DO
- Start with the most critical patterns
- Use tables for decision trees
- Keep code examples minimal and focused
- Include Commands section with copy-paste commands
DON'T
- Add Keywords section (agent searches frontmatter, not body)
- Duplicate content from existing docs (reference instead)
- Include lengthy explanations (link to docs)
- Add troubleshooting sections (keep focused)
- Use web URLs in references (use local paths)
Registering the Skill
After creating the skill, add it to AGENTS.md:
markdown| `{skill-name}` | {Description} | [SKILL.md](skills/{skill-name}/SKILL.md) |
Checklist Before Creating
- Skill doesn't already exist (check
skills/) - Pattern is reusable (not one-off)
- Name follows conventions
- Frontmatter is complete (description includes trigger keywords)
- Critical patterns are clear
- Code examples are minimal
- Commands section exists
- Added to AGENTS.md
Resources
- Templates: See assets/ for SKILL.md template

