Guide · Agent skill
How to use the build agent skill for automated coding tasks
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The build skill is an instruction file for an AI agent that tells it to take a coding task you describe and carry it through from planning to completion. It is for developers who already have a well-defined task and want it done with little back-and-forth. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to phrase a request, and where the risks are.
Build (Automated Coding Pipeline)thedotmack/claude-mem · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install claude-mem skills. Make sure the claude-mem plugin with make-plan, do and babysit is installed, since build depends on them.
- 2Add the build skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Open a coding project. Work in a project the agent can read and modify.
- 4Describe the task. Write a specific request that names the goal, the code involved and what done looks like.
- 5Ask for the build skill. Tell the agent to use the build skill for that task so it runs make-plan, do and babysit in order.
- 6Review the output. Read the plan and every code diff, then run your own checks before merging.
What the build skill makes the agent do
The build skill tells the agent to deploy a subagent that fully automates a coding session, working as if it were typing the code itself rather than stopping for step-by-step guidance.
It does this by chaining three other claude-mem skills in a fixed order: make-plan first to write a plan, then do to carry it out, then babysit to monitor and keep the work moving. Your task description is passed in where the skill's $ARGUMENTS placeholder sits.
- 1. make-plan: write a plan for the task
- 2. do: carry the plan out
- 3. babysit: monitor the work and keep it moving
Install the build skill
Download the ZIP of the build skill from this page. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md, inside the plugin/skills/build folder of the claude-mem repository.
For Claude Code, unzip the download into your personal skills folder ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.
In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal use across projects: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project only: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Check the requirements before you start
The build skill does not work alone. It needs the claude-mem plugin with the make-plan, do and babysit skills installed, because those are the three skills it calls in order.
You also need a coding project the agent can read and modify. The skill does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its source.
- claude-mem plugin with make-plan, do and babysit installed
- A coding project the agent can read and modify
- Scripts run: no
- Network use: no
Trigger the skill with a natural request
Describe the coding task clearly and ask the agent to use the build skill for it. The task text is what fills the $ARGUMENTS placeholder, so the more specific the description, the better the plan the agent can write.
A good request names the goal, the area of the code involved and what finished looks like. Vague requests give the agent more room to make decisions you did not intend.
- Weak: "Improve the app."
- Better: "Use the build skill to add pagination to the orders list endpoint, keeping the existing response format and adding tests."
Review the work before you merge
The build skill is designed to proceed without checking in with you. That is the point, but it also means you are responsible for reviewing what it produced.
Read the plan the agent wrote and the code diffs it made before merging anything. Treat the output the way you would treat a pull request from a colleague you have not worked with before.
- Check that the plan matches what you asked for
- Read every diff, including tests the agent added or changed
- Run the project's own checks before merging
What people use it for
- Adding a well-scoped feature to an existing codebase where the requirements are already clear
- Making a contained refactor, such as renaming a module or moving functions, with a defined end state
- Working through a list of small, well-defined fixes in one session with less manual prompting
- Letting the agent plan and implement a change while you review the diff afterward
Frequently asked questions
Is the build skill free?
The source file is licensed under Apache-2.0, which the repository states. The skill itself is a text file, but it depends on the claude-mem plugin and the make-plan, do and babysit skills, so check those for their own terms.
What do I need to use the build skill?
You need the claude-mem plugin with the make-plan, do and babysit skills installed, plus a coding project the agent can read and modify. The skill runs no scripts and uses no network, according to its source.
How do I install the build skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps you can upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Why does the build skill need claude-mem?
Build does not contain planning or execution logic itself. It calls three claude-mem skills in order: make-plan, do and babysit. Without those installed, the chain cannot run.
Is it safe to let the agent run without checking in?
It is safe only if you review the result. The skill proceeds without checking in, so it may make decisions you would have wanted to approve. Read the plan and every diff before merging, and avoid it for ambiguous or high-stakes changes.
How does build compare with using make-plan, do and babysit separately?
Build gives you one entry point that runs the three skills in sequence. Using them separately lets you check in between stages, which is slower but gives you more control over each decision.
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Our verdict
Build suits developers who have a clearly defined coding task, already use claude-mem, and will review the diffs before merging. It is a poor fit for ambiguous or high-stakes changes, or for anyone who cannot review code, because the agent does not stop to ask. In those cases, run make-plan, do and babysit yourself and approve each stage.
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