/microsoft-skill-creator

name: microsoft-skill-creator
description: Create agent skills for Microsoft technologies using official documentation. Use whenever the user wants to build, generate, or scaffold a skill for any Microsoft technology (Azure, .NET, M365, VS Code, Bicep, etc.)—even phrased casually like "make a skill for Cosmos DB." Investigates the topic via official docs, then generates a hybrid skill with essential knowledge stored locally and dynamic lookups for depth.
context: fork
compatibility: Primarily uses the Microsoft Learn MCP Server (https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp); if that is unavailable, fall back to the mslearn CLI (`npx @microsoft/learn-cli`).

Microsoft Skill Creator

Create hybrid skills for Microsoft technologies that store essential knowledge locally while enabling dynamic Learn MCP lookups for deeper details.

About Skills

Skills are modular packages that extend agent capabilities with specialized knowledge and workflows. A skill transforms a general-purpose agent into a specialized one for a specific domain.

Skill Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)     # Frontmatter (name, description) + instructions
├── references/             # Documentation loaded into context as needed
├── sample_codes/           # Working code examples
└── assets/                 # Files used in output (templates, etc.)

Key Principles

• **Frontmatter is critical**: `name` and `description` determine when the skill triggers—be clear and comprehensive
• **Concise is key**: Only include what agents don't already know; context window is shared
• **No duplication**: Information lives in SKILL.md OR reference files, not both

Learn MCP Tools

| Tool | Purpose | When to Use | |------|---------|-------------| | `microsoft_docs_search` | Search official docs | First pass discovery, finding topics | | `microsoft_docs_fetch` | Get full page content | Deep dive into important pages | | `microsoft_code_sample_search` | Find code examples | Get implementation patterns |

CLI Alternative

If the Learn MCP server is not available, use the `mslearn` CLI from the command line instead:

# Run directly (no install needed)
npx @microsoft/learn-cli search "semantic kernel overview"

# Or install globally, then run
npm install -g @microsoft/learn-cli
mslearn search "semantic kernel overview"

| MCP Tool | CLI Command | |----------|-------------| | `microsoft_docs_search(query: "...")` | `mslearn search "..."` | | `microsoft_code_sample_search(query: "...", language: "...")` | `mslearn code-search "..." --language ...` | | `microsoft_docs_fetch(url: "...")` | `mslearn fetch "..."` |

Generated skills should include this same CLI fallback table so agents can use either path.

Creation Process

Step 1: Investigate the Topic

Build deep understanding using Learn MCP tools in three phases:

**Phase 1 - Scope Discovery:**

microsoft_docs_search(query="{technology} overview what is")
microsoft_docs_search(query="{technology} concepts architecture")
microsoft_docs_search(query="{technology} getting started tutorial")

**Phase 2 - Core Content:**

microsoft_docs_fetch(url="...")  # Fetch pages from Phase 1
microsoft_code_sample_search(query="{technology}", language="{lang}")

**Phase 3 - Depth:**

microsoft_docs_search(query="{technology} best practices")
microsoft_docs_search(query="{technology} troubleshooting errors")

Investigation Checklist

After investigating, verify:

• [ ] Can explain what the technology does in one paragraph
• [ ] Identified 3-5 key concepts
• [ ] Have working code for basic usage
• [ ] Know the most common API patterns
• [ ] Have search queries for deeper topics

Step 2: Clarify with User

Present findings and ask: 1. "I found these key areas: [list]. Which are most important?" 2. "What tasks will agents primarily perform with this skill?" 3. "Which programming language should code samples prioritize?"

Step 3: Generate the Skill

Use the appropriate template from [skill-templates.md](references/skill-templates.md):

| Technology Type | Template | |-----------------|----------| | Client library, NuGet/npm package | SDK/Library | | Azure resource | Azure Service | | App development framework | Framework/Platform | | REST API, protocol | API/Protocol |

Generated Skill Structure

{skill-name}/
├── SKILL.md                    # Core knowledge + Learn MCP guidance
├── references/                 # Detailed local documentation (if needed)
└── sample_codes/               # Working code examples
    ├── getting-started/
    └── common-patterns/

Step 4: Balance Local vs Dynamic Content

**Store locally when:**

• Foundational (needed for any task)
• Frequently accessed
• Stable (won't change)
• Hard to find via search

**Keep dynamic when:**

• Exhaustive reference (too large)
• Version-specific
• Situational (specific tasks only)
• Well-indexed (easy to search)

Content Guidelines

| Content Type | Local | Dynamic | |--------------|-------|---------| | Core concepts (3-5) | ✅ Full | | | Hello world code | ✅ Full | | | Common patterns (3-5) | ✅ Full | | | Top API methods | Signature + example | Full docs via fetch | | Best practices | Top 5 bullets | Search for more | | Troubleshooting | | Search queries | | Full API reference | | Doc links |

Step 5: Validate

1. Review: Is local content sufficient for common tasks? 2. Test: Do suggested search queries return useful results? 3. Verify: Do code samples run without errors?

Common Investigation Patterns

For SDKs/Libraries

"{name} overview" → purpose, architecture
"{name} getting started quickstart" → setup steps
"{name} API reference" → core classes/methods
"{name} samples examples" → code patterns
"{name} best practices performance" → optimization

For Azure Services

"{service} overview features" → capabilities
"{service} quickstart {language}" → setup code
"{service} REST API reference" → endpoints
"{service} SDK {lang