I Read Claude's Skill Docs So You Don't Have To
I’ve been writing Claude Code skills for months. And every time, I’d go back to the docs.
What’s the YAML frontmatter format again? Should the description be third person? Do I need a Quick Start section? Are my examples concrete enough, or too abstract?
The best practices exist, but they’re scattered. So I kept making the same mistakes. Wrong format. First-person descriptions when they should be third-person. Abstract explanations instead of concrete input/output pairs.
I got tired of it. So I extracted everything into a tool.
What I Built
SkillThis.ai is a free tool that transforms professional expertise into AI-ready skills. You describe what you do. AI generates a properly structured skill file, grades it, and tells you exactly how to improve.
The magic isn’t the generation. It’s what we baked into it.
We extracted Claude’s official best practices and embedded them directly into the prompts. You get the right structure without reading any documentation:
- Valid YAML frontmatter with name and description fields
- Third-person descriptions with trigger phrases (“Use when…”)
- Quick Start sections that provide immediate value
- Concrete examples with real input/output pairs
- Common pitfalls so the AI knows what NOT to do
The output works everywhere: Claude Code, ChatGPT Custom Instructions, Cursor rules, any system that accepts structured context.
Why Format Matters
Most people don’t realize this: the format of your skill dramatically affects how well AI uses it.
A wall of text describing your expertise? It works. Kind of.
A properly structured skill with examples, workflows, and documented pitfalls? It works dramatically better.
The difference isn’t subtle. Structured skills give AI clear patterns to follow. They provide concrete examples to reference. They call out common mistakes to avoid. The AI doesn’t have to guess at your intent.
Most people skip the structure because it’s tedious. Now you don’t have to.
The Grading Rubric
We don’t just generate skills. We grade them.
Every skill gets scored on a 100-point scale based on Claude’s actual best practices:
| Criteria | Points | What We Check |
|---|---|---|
| Format Compliance | 15 | Valid YAML, kebab-case name, third-person description |
| Conciseness | 15 | Doesn’t over-explain basics (Claude is smart) |
| Quick Start | 15 | Immediate actionable value, no preamble |
| Workflow Quality | 15 | Clear steps, checklists for complex processes |
| Examples | 20 | Concrete input/output pairs, not abstract descriptions |
| Completeness | 20 | Edge cases, pitfalls, templates where applicable |
The grading is harsh. Most skills score 40-70. If you hit 80+, you’ve got something genuinely useful.
More importantly, you get specific suggestions. Not “make it better” but “add concrete input/output examples to the API validation section.”
How It Works
- Go to skillthis.ai
- Describe your expertise in plain English
- Get a graded skill with actionable suggestions
- Copy and paste into your AI tool of choice
No signup. No credit card. Just describe what you’re good at.
Why I Built This
I’m obsessed with making AI agents better at specific tasks. And skills are the missing layer.
Everyone talks about prompting. “Just tell it what you want!” Sure. But structured context outperforms ad-hoc prompts every time. The format isn’t arbitrary. It’s what helps AI understand not just what you want, but how you think about it.
The problem is that writing good skills is tedious. You need to know the format. You need to write examples. You need to think about edge cases. Most people don’t bother.
I wanted to lower the barrier. Now anyone can turn their expertise into a skill that actually works.
What’s Next
This is v1. I want your feedback.
What worked? What didn’t? What expertise did you turn into a skill? What should I add?
If you build something good, share it with me. The best skills might get featured on the homepage.
And if you’re tired of copying and pasting skills between tools, we’re building something for that. Leave your email on the site to get early access.
Try it: skillthis.ai
I challenge you to describe your expertise and see what grade you get. You might be surprised how much structure helps.