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Writing Workflow Skills

Guides an agent through adding or changing workflow skills in the pi-thinkrail-workflow package.

Source Download skill
Repository
JetBrains/thinkrail
Stars
7,089
Licence
Apache-2.0
Files
1 file

What it does

This skill gives an AI agent a checklist for authoring workflow skills inside the pi-thinkrail-workflow package of the ThinkRail repo. Once installed, when a developer asks to add or restructure a workflow skill there, the agent follows the design, writing, registration, and red-flag steps, and defers to the workflow spec (skills/SPEC.md) whenever the two disagree. It does not run code or touch the network; it only shapes how the agent writes skill files.

Great for

  • Contributors to the JetBrains thinkrail repo who add or modify workflow skills in pi-thinkrail-workflow
  • Maintainers who want consistent naming, routing lines, and family-table updates for workflow skills
  • Developers who want an agent to check a workflow skill against the workflow system's meta-rules

Skip it if

  • Writing general-purpose skills outside this package, which the skill itself says it does not cover
  • Projects managed by ThinkRail where the skills are a read-only cache: the skill instructs the agent to stop in that case, so it will not help there
  • Users who need a skill that does work in their own domain, since this one only teaches how to build workflow skills

Try asking

  • “Add a new workflow skill for code review to pi-thinkrail-workflow”
  • “Change the trigger description of an existing workflow skill so it routes correctly”
  • “Check this workflow skill against the rules in skills/SPEC.md”
  • “Register a new branch skill under the nearest sub-router”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Writing Workflow SkillsInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 1 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.

    writing-workflow-skills.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip writing-workflow-skills.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip writing-workflow-skills.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Read skills/SPEC.md before using the checklist, since the checklist cites its meta-rules and the spec wins on conflicts
  • Confirm the pi-thinkrail-workflow package is in your current workspace first, or the skill will tell you to stop
  • Keep the description to triggering conditions only so routing stays accurate

What's inside

  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from JetBrains/thinkrail under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-11-02. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.