<create|update|audit|optimize> Required Workflow
Required skill argument: create a new skill, update an existing one, audit routing/behavior, or optimize description and evals. Not an ak CLI subcommand.
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes Ctrl K
Quick Ref / Command
Engineer Kit
/ak:skill-creator
Skill Creator
Creates or updates Claude skills through intent capture, research, progressive-disclosure planning, scaffolding, SKILL.md/resources, evals, description optimization, packaging, and optional Kongming advice.
01
Capture intent
02
Research patterns
03
Plan resources
04
Initialize structure
Rule 01
Skills are practical instructions, not documentation
Rule 02
Metadata triggers first; details load progressively
Rule 03
Validation and evals drive iteration
Rule 04
Keep SKILL.md below 300 lines and references focused
Execution Map
Core lanes from input to output, aligned with the command's real execution path.
01
Start
Input, scope, route
- 1 Capture intent Use human-in-the-loop clarification to define what the skill does, when it should trigger, and what it should output.
- 2 Research patterns Use docs-seeker and research guidance to ground skill best practices before drafting.
- 3 Plan resources Choose which instructions stay in SKILL.md and which details belong in scripts, references, agents, or assets.
02
Work
Agent / skill execution
- 4 Initialize structure Create the skill folder with required SKILL.md and optional scripts, references, agents, and assets.
- 5 Write instructions Keep instructions imperative, concise, pushy in metadata, and free of duplicated material across references.
- 6 Test and evaluate Run validation and evals, then compare baseline behavior with and without the skill.
03
Verify
Gate, review, validation
- 7 Optimize description Refine pushy metadata, standard terminology, examples, and scope language for trigger accuracy and benchmark scoring.
- 8 Package Validate metadata, token use, script dependencies, structure, portability, and marketplace readiness before producing a zip.
- 9 Iterate from feedback Generalize from failures or user feedback instead of adding one-off workaround instructions.
Syntax, arguments, subcommands
How to invoke the skill: syntax, positional arguments, shared options, then each subcommand with its own syntax and outcome.
Syntax
/ak:skill-creator <create|update|audit|optimize> [skill-name|path|kit|--all] [--kit <kit>|--project|--user] [--long-horizon] [--apply] [--from-audit <report>] [--advice]Arguments
[skill-name|path|kit|--all] Target
Skill name, path, kit, or --all for audit/optimize across a kit. Combine with --kit, --project, or --user to set install scope.
/ak:skill-creator audit --all --kit engineerShared options
--kit Kit scope
Target a named kit instead of inferring from the current project.
/ak:skill-creator audit --all --kit engineer--project Project scope
Create or update the skill in the current project, not user-global.
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes --project--user User scope
Author into user-global skill storage only when the user explicitly asks for that scope.
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes --user--long-horizon Long-horizon create
Use the long-horizon creation workflow for skills that must stay durable across many sessions.
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes --project --long-horizon--apply Write accepted edits
Write the accepted update or optimize edits. Without --apply, report the proposed patch only.
/ak:skill-creator update release-notes --apply--from-audit From audit report
Feed an audit report path into update so the patch stays scoped to diagnosed issues.
/ak:skill-creator update release-notes --from-audit plans/reports/skill-audit.md --apply--advice Advisory supervision
Requests Kongming advisory review after planning, after the SKILL.md draft and evaluation results, before packaging or distribution, or when repeated failures block progress. It does not transfer decisions or bypass validation and security checks.
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes --project --adviceSubcommands
create Create /ak:skill-creator create [skill-name or description] [--kit <kit>|--project|--user] [--long-horizon] [--advice] Capture intent, author SKILL.md and resources, evaluate, then package only when requested.
Outcome:
/ak:skill-creator create release-notes --projectupdate Update /ak:skill-creator update [skill-name|path] [--apply] [--from-audit <report>] [--advice] Change an existing skill from a request or an audit report. --apply writes accepted edits.
Outcome:
/ak:skill-creator update release-notes --applyaudit Audit /ak:skill-creator audit [skill-name|path|kit|--all] [--kit <kit>] [--advice] Diagnose routing, description, and behavior, using measured usage from local sessions without printing their content. Does not rewrite the skill unless you follow with update --apply.
Outcome:
/ak:skill-creator audit release-notesoptimize Optimize /ak:skill-creator optimize [skill-name|path|--all] [--apply] [--advice] Tighten trigger metadata, evals, and progressive disclosure. --apply writes the accepted metadata changes.
Outcome:
/ak:skill-creator optimize release-notes --applySample Prompt
Concrete invocations for each flag, subcommand, mode, or route available in the live workflow.
Create a project skill Recommended
/ak:skill-creatorcreate release-notes--project
- Use when:
- A repeatable workflow should become a versioned skill in the current project.
- Expected:
- Captures tasks, triggers, outputs, scope, refusal behavior, and test cases; scaffolds the project skill directory, writes concise SKILL.md/resources, validates structure, and packages only when requested.
Update from an audit
/ak:skill-creatorupdate release-notes--from-auditplans/reports/skill-audit.md--apply
- Use when:
- An audit report already diagnosed routing or instruction issues that should be written back.
- Expected:
- Reads the audit report, patches only diagnosed issues, writes accepted edits because --apply is set, and leaves unrelated skill files unchanged.
Audit one skill
/ak:skill-creator audit release-notes- Use when:
- Routing, description, or behavior looks wrong and you need a diagnosis before rewriting.
- Expected:
- Reports routing, description, and behavior findings without rewriting SKILL.md unless a later update --apply is requested.
Optimize metadata
/ak:skill-creatoroptimize release-notes--apply
- Use when:
- An existing skill undertriggers, overtriggers, or has vague discovery metadata.
- Expected:
- Tightens when-to-use language and eval coverage, writes accepted metadata changes because --apply is set, and keeps progressive disclosure intact.
Advised authoring
/ak:skill-creatorcreate release-notes--project--advice
- Use when:
- The skill design, eval results, packaging step, or distribution target needs advisory supervision.
- Expected:
- Adds advisory-only Kongming checkpoints after intent capture and planning, after the SKILL.md draft and eval results, before packaging or distribution, and when repeated failures block progress.
Handled Scope
- skill anatomy
- progressive disclosure
- eval design
- metadata optimization
- packaging
- marketplace portability