Agent Workflow Packager
Overview
Package a repeated coding-agent workflow into a reusable SKILL.md that another agent can follow without rediscovering context. The output should include clear activation triggers, bounded instructions, examples, and a verification checklist that proves the workflow worked.
Instructions
When a user asks to turn a prompt, checklist, runbook, AGENTS.md section, or repeated agent task into a skill, follow this process.
Step 1: Extract the recurring workflow
Identify:
- The user persona and recurring task.
- The input artifacts the agent needs, such as a PR URL, failing test output, issue, design screenshot, or repo path.
- The expected output artifact, such as a patch, review, migration plan, report, or generated file.
- The steps the user repeats manually.
- The failure modes the user keeps correcting.
- The command or inspection that proves the task is done.
If the workflow is a one-off request, say that it is not yet a good skill candidate and offer a shorter checklist instead.
Step 2: Define activation triggers
Write a description that includes both what the skill does and when to use it. Include specific trigger phrases from the user's workflow, such as:
- "review this PR for security issues"
- "turn this runbook into an agent skill"
- "replay our release checklist"
- "debug failing GitHub Actions"
- "convert this AGENTS.md workflow into SKILL.md"
Do not use broad triggers like "help with code" or "improve productivity".
Step 3: Bound the skill
Add constraints that prevent overreach:
- What the skill should do.
- What it should not do.
- When it must ask for missing inputs.
- Which files, commands, or tools are safe to use.
- Which user approvals are required before writes, deploys, purchases, or public posts.
Keep the skill focused on one reusable job. Split unrelated work into separate skills.
Step 4: Write the package
Create a SKILL.md with:
yaml--- name: short-kebab-case-name description: >- What the skill does and when to use it, including concrete trigger words. license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: "No special requirements" metadata: author: github-username version: "1.0.0" category: development tags: ["tag-one", "tag-two", "tag-three"] ---
Then add:
# Skill Name## Overview## Instructions## Examples## Guidelines
Use imperative, step-by-step instructions. Avoid long background essays.
Step 5: Add examples
Include at least two realistic examples. Each example should show:
- The user's input.
- The agent's action plan.
- The expected output shape.
- The verification step.
Use concrete repo names, files, commands, and outputs. Do not use placeholders like foo, bar, or lorem ipsum.
Step 6: Add verification
End with a checklist the agent can run before claiming success:
- Frontmatter parses as YAML.
- The skill has clear triggers.
- The workflow has a bounded input and output.
- The examples are realistic.
- The verification commands or review checks are explicit.
- The skill stays under the target length for the host catalog.
Examples
Example 1: Package a PR review workflow
User request: "We always ask agents to review payment PRs for auth, idempotency, Stripe webhook replay, and tests. Turn that into a reusable skill."
Agent output shape:
markdown--- name: payment-pr-reviewer description: >- Reviews payment-related pull requests for authorization, idempotency, webhook replay safety, money movement bugs, and test coverage. Use when reviewing PRs that touch Stripe, billing, subscriptions, invoices, or checkout code. license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: "Any repository with payment code" metadata: author: acme-dev version: "1.0.0" category: development tags: ["payments", "code-review", "stripe", "security"] ---
The skill includes a review checklist, severity format, and verification step: inspect changed payment files, read related tests, and confirm webhook replay cases are covered.
Example 2: Package a release checklist
User request: "Every release we paste the same steps: update changelog, run tests, build Docker image, tag, push, and draft GitHub release."
Agent output shape:
markdown--- name: release-checklist-runner description: >- Runs a project's release checklist from changelog update through tests, image build, git tag, push, and draft release notes. Use when preparing a versioned release or turning a manual release runbook into an agent workflow. license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: "Requires git and the project's build toolchain" metadata: author: acme-dev version: "1.0.0" category: devops tags: ["release", "changelog", "git", "ci"] ---
The skill requires the agent to detect the package manager, read existing release docs, run the repo's test and build commands, and stop before publishing unless the user approves.
Guidelines
- Prefer evidence from past prompts, commits, issues, and runbooks over guessing.
- Keep one skill scoped to one recurring workflow.
- Use host-agnostic language unless the workflow truly depends on one agent.
- Make destructive, public, or paid actions approval-gated.
- Include exact file paths and commands only when they are stable for the target project.
- If the workflow needs extra templates or scripts, mention those files in the skill and keep them next to
SKILL.md. - Do not package a vague preference as a skill. A good skill has repeated inputs, repeated steps, and a clear done condition.
