Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Skill Creation Guide agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Skill Creation Guide is a set of instructions that teaches DeepTutor's built-in chat agent how to draft a new Skill when you are in Create mode. This page explains what a Skill is, how to install this guide, how to ask the agent for a draft, and what to check before you accept it. You do not need prior experience with agent skills to follow it.
Skill Creation GuideHKUDS/DeepTutor · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it on your machine.
- 2Place the folder. Move it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Open Create mode. In DeepTutor, open the chat agent in Create mode.
- 4Describe the Skill. Say what the Skill should do and when it should apply, in plain language.
- 5Answer one question if asked. If the agent asks a single short question with ask_user, answer it; otherwise it will draft immediately.
- 6Review the draft. Read the proposed name, description and content on the draft card. Nothing is saved yet.
- 7Request edits or approve. Ask for specific revisions, and the agent will propose an updated draft under the same name.
What a Skill is and what this guide makes the agent do
A Skill is a playbook that the chat agent loads only when it is relevant, so it can carry out a task the same way each time. Only a short name and description sit in every system prompt; the full body is read on demand.
This guide is the instruction set the agent follows while authoring a Skill. It tells the agent to write a concise trigger description that says what the skill does and when to use it, to write the body as an imperative step-by-step playbook, and to move long reference material into separate files. It also tells the agent to propose a draft for you to review rather than saving it directly.
- The guide only helps author new Skills. It does not perform tutoring or other tasks itself.
- If you want a voice or tone preset, such as always answering like a strict teaching assistant, the guide directs you to a Persona instead.
Install the Skill Creation Guide
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. You can then place the folder in one of two locations, or upload it through the Claude apps.
Use ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to one project. You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Check what the skill needs before you use it
The guide assumes DeepTutor is installed with its chat agent and Create mode available. The agent uses three tools: propose_creation, ask_user and read_skill.
The package includes two files, persona.md and skill.md. According to this listing, the guide runs no scripts and uses no network access.
- Requires: DeepTutor with its chat agent and Create mode
- Tools: propose_creation, ask_user, read_skill
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Files: persona.md, skill.md
Trigger the skill with natural requests
Open DeepTutor's chat in Create mode and describe the Skill you want in plain language. The agent will ask one short question only if a crucial detail is missing; otherwise it infers sensible defaults and drafts straight away.
Describe the task the Skill should handle and when it should apply. The agent turns that into a trigger description and a step-by-step body.
- "Create a skill that checks my students' lab reports against a marking rubric."
- "Make a skill for turning lecture notes into a five-question quiz, and use a reference file for the rubric."
- "I want the agent to always answer like a strict TA." (The guide will point you to a Persona instead.)
Review the draft and request changes
The agent calls propose_creation, which only produces a draft card. Nothing is saved at this stage, and the agent should not claim it has been saved. Read the name, description and content, then either approve it or ask for edits.
For revisions, the agent calls propose_creation again with the full revised package under the same name, so ask for specific changes such as a shorter description or a separate reference file.
- Check that the description says both what the skill does and when to use it.
- Check that the body is instructions, not a description of the skill.
- Check that long reference material sits in references/ files rather than the body.
What people use it for
- Drafting a Skill that applies a grading rubric to student work in a consistent way.
- Writing a Skill that turns lecture notes into quizzes, with a separate reference file for the marking criteria.
- Standardising how a team writes skill descriptions and file layout across several Skills.
- Separating a voice or tone request into a Persona, so the agent does not store a playbook where a preset was wanted.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Skill Creation Guide free to use?
The source does not state pricing or licence terms for the guide itself beyond its listing, which shows the Apache-2.0 licence. Check the repository's licence file for the full terms before you reuse or redistribute it.
What do I need to install the Skill Creation Guide?
You need the ZIP from this page and a place to unzip it, such as ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. To use it, DeepTutor needs its chat agent and Create mode.
Where do I put the skill folder after unzipping?
Place it in ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the guide run scripts or access the internet?
According to the listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. It relies on the agent tools propose_creation, ask_user and read_skill.
Will the agent save my new skill automatically?
No. The agent calls propose_creation, which only produces a draft card and never saves anything. You review the draft and approve or request changes.
What is the difference between a Skill and a Persona?
A Skill is a step-by-step playbook the agent loads when relevant. A Persona is a voice or behaviour preset injected into the system prompt. If you only want a tone, the guide will direct you to a Persona.
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Our verdict
This guide suits developers and teams who build custom DeepTutor Skills and want the agent to draft them with consistent descriptions and file layout. It is not useful if you want a ready-made capability or a voice preset, and it will not perform tutoring tasks itself.
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