Build Skill
Scaffolds new Claude Code SKILL.md files with correct frontmatter and structure
Test report
- Verdict
- Tested · Works
- Score
- Tested
- Jul 31, 2026
- Environment
- Claude Code 2.x (agent harness)
- Upstream re-checked
- Aug 10, 2026 · f4cec70
Fetched SKILL.md via raw GitHub; frontmatter parses with name+description+argument-hint, no scripts or supporting files referenced (nothing to break), no security smells. Trigger phrasings tested — SHOULD fire: "create a new skill to format my changelog", "build me a slash command that runs my tests", "I keep manually writing release notes each sprint, automate that workflow"; should NOT fire: "build an agent to review PRs" (that is build-agent), "my skill isn't triggering, debug it" — all 5 judged correctly. OUTPUT test: I wrote two SKILL.md files for the same task (a conventional-commit generator). Baseline carried 3 unsupported frontmatter fields (model, allowed-tools, tools) plus 1 em-dash, no "Use when" trigger, and no edit-zone tags; the skill-followed artifact stripped to the 3 supported fields, 0 em-dashes, added a "Use when" description and DO_NOT_TOUCH/MAY_EDIT zones (verified by grep). The skill's frontmatter-correctness guidance produced a concretely better file.
Scored on four weighted criteria — install, triggering, output vs. baseline, docs. How scoring works
- Installs cleanly 5/5
- Triggers reliably 5/5
- Output vs. baseline 8/10
- Docs & honesty 5/5
What Build Skill does
Generates new Claude Code SKILL.md files with a consistent structure, only the frontmatter fields Claude Code actually supports, and project-aware edit zones. Triggers when the user wants to create a new skill, describes a workflow to automate, or asks for a new slash command. Runs entirely in-context with no external tools.
How to install Build Skill
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LukeRenton/explore-claude-code.git /tmp/build-skill-src
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -R /tmp/build-skill-src/.claude/skills/build-skill ~/.claude/skills/build-skill
# SKILL.md lands at ~/.claude/skills/build-skill/SKILL.md
# No dependencies, scripts, or API keys. Pure in-context prompt skill.
# Invoke by asking to "create a new skill" or via /build-skill with a description.
Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/
(per-project). Restart Claude Code after installing.
Commands — how to trigger Build Skill
-
/build-skillScaffolds new Claude Code SKILL.md files with correct frontmatter and structure
It also activates on plain-language prompts like these:
-
Create a new skill for generating changelogs -
Build a slash command skill for deployments -
Scaffold a skill that automates our test workflow
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Build Skill skill free?
- Yes. The skill itself is free from LukeRenton/explore-claude-code. SkillProof publishes the install command and an independent test verdict at no cost.
- Does Build Skill work with Claude Code?
- We tested it with Claude Code 2.x (agent harness) on Jul 31, 2026. Verdict: Tested · Works. Fetched SKILL.md via raw GitHub; frontmatter parses with name+description+argument-hint, no scripts or supporting files referenced (nothing to break), no security smells. Trigger phrasings tested — SHOULD fire: "create a new skill to format my changelog", "build me a slash command that runs my tests", "I keep manually writing release notes each sprint, automate that workflow"; should NOT fire: "build an agent to review PRs" (that is build-agent), "my skill isn't triggering, debug it" — all 5 judged correctly. OUTPUT test: I wrote two SKILL.md files for the same task (a conventional-commit generator). Baseline carried 3 unsupported frontmatter fields (model, allowed-tools, tools) plus 1 em-dash, no "Use when" trigger, and no edit-zone tags; the skill-followed artifact stripped to the 3 supported fields, 0 em-dashes, added a "Use when" description and DO_NOT_TOUCH/MAY_EDIT zones (verified by grep). The skill's frontmatter-correctness guidance produced a concretely better file.
- What is the Build Skill SkillProof Score?
- 9.2/10 — installs cleanly 5/5, triggers reliably 5/5, output vs. baseline 8/10, docs & honesty 5/5.
- How do I install Build Skill?
- Copy the install command from this page, run it in your terminal, and restart Claude Code. Skills live in ~/.claude/skills/ (global) or .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- Can I use Build Skill with Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Codex or other AI tools?
- The SKILL.md format is native to Claude (Claude Code, Desktop, claude.ai). The instructions inside adapt to other assistants: Cursor rules, GitHub Copilot instructions, Windsurf rules, Custom GPTs, AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex, and GEMINI.md for Google Gemini CLI — our conversion guides cover each, and the free converter on the tools page does the wrapping for you.