How to use the CreateSkill Skill Manager agent skill

What an agent skill is and what CreateSkill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder built around a SKILL.md file that tells a SKILL.md-compatible agent such as Claude Code when and how to perform a task. CreateSkill is a skill about skills: once installed, it is the entry point for work on skills in the LifeOS system.

It routes requests to intent files. For creating skills it uses a template-based scaffold, and for checking them it runs code checks (IntentLint, SkillHygieneGate, SkillCoverage) before using judgment. It also ships TypeScript tools (Codemod.ts and ApplyIntentPlan.ts) that rewrite and migrate skill files mechanically, so existing text is moved rather than retyped.

Install CreateSkill: download the ZIP and unzip it

Download the CreateSkill ZIP from this page. Then choose one of two locations. For a personal install, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder.

If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
• Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills (upload)

Check the requirements before you run it

CreateSkill is not a standalone tool. It expects a LifeOS directory layout with LIFEOS/TOOLS scripts and the documentation its intents reference. It also needs Bun, the TypeScript runtime, to run the .ts tools, and Claude Code or another SKILL.md-compatible agent.

Many referenced scripts, including IntentLint, SkillHygieneGate and Scaffold, live outside this skill folder. Without them the workflow will fail.

• Bun (TypeScript runtime) to run the .ts tools
• The LifeOS directory layout with LIFEOS/TOOLS scripts and documentation
• Claude Code or another SKILL.md-compatible agent
• The skill runs scripts but makes no network calls

Trigger CreateSkill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. The skill's description lists the phrases that route to it. Ask in plain language and the intent that matches your request is chosen. Phrases from the routing table include create a new skill, validate skill, check skill, update skill, add intent, canonicalize, retire skill, test skill, improve skill, optimize description and skill not triggering.

Each intent file has a trigger line, so a request such as "validate skill" goes to ValidateSkill and "optimize description" goes to OptimizeDescription.

• "Create a skill for managing my recipes" (CreateSkill)
• "Check skill" or "validate skill" (ValidateSkill)
• "Add an intent" (UpdateSkill)
• "Canonicalize my legacy Recipes skill" (CanonicalizeSkill)
• "Test skill" or "does this skill work" (TestSkill)
• "Skill not triggering" or "optimize description" (OptimizeDescription)

Work through the examples

Creating a new skill: the agent records a SkillCoverage result (route, absorb or net-new), scaffolds SKILL.md and intents from the template, fills in Ideal State and Anti-criteria, then runs IntentLint with --strict and SkillHygieneGate. The announcement offers TestSkill against a no-skill baseline.

Fixing a skill that does not route: ValidateSkill runs the checks and returns a COMPLIANT or NON-COMPLIANT verdict with file and line evidence, and suggests OptimizeDescription for the trigger.

Safety notes before you let it change files

The codemod tools rewrite files in place. Check your skills in version control before running a migration, and review the diff afterwards.

The skill's own gotchas say that no hook enforces the no-handrolling rule any more, so a hand-written skill may only be caught after the fact by /ic. Also, the checks are invoked as bun commands with paths, so review what you run in your own install.

• Commit your skills to version control before any rewrite
• Review diffs from Codemod.ts and ApplyIntentPlan.ts before accepting them
• Run bun test with a ./ prefix (for example bun test ./skills/CreateSkill), since a bare relative path hides child process output in Bun 1.3.6

Tips for better results

Give the agent the real goal, such as a purpose for the skill and what it should do, and let the intents supply the structure. If you have your own preferences, put them in a customization folder under your config root at LIFEOS/USER/CUSTOMIZATIONS/SKILLS/CreateSkill/; when it exists, its PREFERENCES.md and resources override the defaults.

When you change several parts of a skill, rewrite SKILL.md first, then the intents, then do one consistency pass. Parallel edits inside one skill can break cross-file pointers.

• Start new skills from the scaffold rather than an empty file
• Use TestSkill to compare results with and without the skill
• Use OptimizeDescription when a skill fires too rarely or too often