/skill-creator

name: skill-creator
description: This skill should be used when the user wants to "add a skill", "create a skill", "make a new skill", "write a new skill", "improve skill description", "organize skill content", or needs guidance on skill structure, progressive disclosure, or skill development best practices. Use this (not add-skill) when authoring a new skill from scratch rather than importing one from a GitHub URL.

Skill Creator

This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills. Windows PowerShell equivalents for the Unix shell commands used in examples are in `references/windows.md`.

About Skills

Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend OpenHands's capabilities by providing specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific domains or tasks—they transform OpenHands from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.

What Skills Provide

1. Specialized workflows - Multi-step procedures for specific domains 2. Tool integrations - Instructions for working with specific file formats or APIs 3. Domain expertise - Company-specific knowledge, schemas, business logic 4. Bundled resources - Scripts, references, and assets for complex and repetitive tasks

Anatomy of a Skill

Every skill consists of a required SKILL.md file and optional bundled resources:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md (required)
│   ├── YAML frontmatter metadata (required)
│   │   ├── name: (required)
│   │   └── description: (required)
│   └── Markdown instructions (required)
└── Bundled Resources (optional)
    ├── scripts/          - Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.)
    ├── references/       - Documentation intended to be loaded into context as needed
    └── assets/           - Files used in output (templates, icons, fonts, etc.)

SKILL.md (required)

**Metadata Quality:** The `name` and `description` in YAML frontmatter determine when OpenHands will use the skill. Be specific about what the skill does and when to use it. Use the third-person (e.g. "This skill should be used when..." instead of "Use this skill when...").

**Slash commands vs keyword triggers:** SKILL.md frontmatter supports an optional `triggers:` field for keyword-based activation (e.g., `triggers: [docker, container]`). For **slash commands** (e.g., `/codereview`, `/init`), prefer creating a `commands/command-name.md` file in the plugin's `commands/` directory instead of using slash triggers in SKILL.md. Slash triggers still work for backward compatibility but are deprecated in favor of the `commands/` approach. See the [Plugins guide](https://docs.openhands.dev/sdk/guides/plugins) for details.

Bundled Resources (optional)

Scripts (`scripts/`)

Executable code (Python/Bash/etc.) for tasks that require deterministic reliability or are repeatedly rewritten.

• **When to include**: When the same code is being rewritten repeatedly or deterministic reliability is needed
• **Example**: `scripts/rotate_pdf.py` for PDF rotation tasks
• **Benefits**: Token efficient, deterministic, may be executed without loading into context
• **Note**: Scripts may still need to be read by OpenHands for patching or environment-specific adjustments
• **Python dependencies**: Use `uv` instead of `pip` or `pip3` for all Python dependency installs. `uv` is cross-platform, faster, and avoids the `pip`/`pip3` naming inconsistency across environments. Example: `uv venv .venv --quiet && uv pip install --quiet <package>`

References (`references/`)

Documentation and reference material intended to be loaded as needed into context to inform OpenHands's process and thinking.

• **When to include**: For documentation that OpenHands should reference while working
• **Examples**: `references/finance.md` for financial schemas, `references/mnda.md` for company NDA template, `references/policies.md` for company policies, `references/api_docs.md` for API specifications
• **Use cases**: Database schemas, API documentation, domain knowledge, company policies, detailed workflow guides
• **Benefits**: Keeps SKILL.md lean, loaded only when OpenHands determines it's needed
• **Best practice**: If files are large (>10k words), include grep search patterns in SKILL.md
• **Avoid duplication**: Information should live in either SKILL.md or references files, not both. Prefer references files for detailed information unless it's truly core to the skill—this keeps SKILL.md lean while making information discoverable without hogging the context window. Keep only essential procedural instructions and workflow guidance in SKILL.md; move detailed reference material, schemas, and examples to references files.

Assets (`assets/`)

Files not intended to be loaded into context, but rather used within the output OpenHands produces.

• **When to include**: When the skill needs files that will be used in the final output
• **Examples**: `assets/logo.png` for brand assets, `assets/slides.pptx` for PowerPoint templates, `assets/frontend-template/` for HTML/React boilerplate, `assets/font.ttf` for typography
• **Use cases**: Templates, images, icons, boilerplate code, fonts, sample documents that get copied or modified
• **Benefits**: Separates output resources from documentation, enables OpenHands to use files without loading them into context

Progressive Disclosure Design Principle

Skills use a three-level loading system to manage context efficiently:

1. **Metadata (name + description)** - Always in context (~100 words) 2. **SKILL.md body** - When skill triggers (<5k words) 3. **Bundled resources** - As needed by OpenHands (Unlimited*)

*Unlimited because scripts can be executed without reading into context window.

Skill Creation Process

To create a skill, follow the "Skill Creation Process" in order, skipping steps only if there is a clear reason why they are not applicable.

Step 1: Understanding the Skill wit