module 09 build skills

Build your first skill

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Full Lesson Reference

Best way to learn skills is to build one. Start simple - a task you do repeatedly, shape matters, short instructions. The first skill you build takes 30 minutes. The tenth takes 5.

Step 1: Pick a task

Signs a task is ready to become a skill

  • You've done it manually at least 3 times
  • You know what good output looks like
  • The process is relatively stable - same steps every time
  • You've been typing similar prompts over and over

Good first skills

  • A weekly report for your main client
  • A specific email style (newsletter, launch, reminder)
  • A daily check routine (audit Google Ads waste, review Meta creative performance)
  • A brand voice enforcer (always write like X)
  • A specific research pattern (competitor analysis, keyword research, customer review mining)

Step 2: Do it manually one more time, noting the steps

Run the task the usual way, but this time write down every step as you go:

  • What data did Claude need to pull?
  • What decisions did you make along the way?
  • What format was the output?
  • What did you correct or adjust?
  • What rules applied?

Your notes are the raw material for the skill.

Step 3: Install + use /skill-creator

The meta-skill. Attached to this lesson as a download - save it, install it, and it walks you through building every skill after that.

šŸ“Ž Download: skill-creator-SKILL.md Meta-skill. Interviews you, drafts the SKILL.md, tests it, saves to the right folder.

To install, tell Claude

I'm attaching skill-creator-SKILL.md. Install it to

~/.claude/skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md. Confirm /skill-creator is available as a slash command after install.

Restart Claude Code. Then invoke it

terminal
/skill-creator

I want to build a skill called /weekly-report. It takes a client name, pulls last 7 days of Google Ads + Meta + Klaviyo performance, applies our brand template, outputs an HTML report, encrypts it, and pushes to my Pages repo. Walk me through creating it.

The skill-creator

  1. Asks clarifying questions
  2. Drafts the SKILL.md file
  3. Tests it with sample inputs
  4. Iterates until the output is right
  5. Saves the finished skill to ~/.claude/skills/weekly-report/

Step 4: Structure of a SKILL.md

Every SKILL.md has 3 parts

Frontmatter (YAML)

--- name: weekly-report description: Build the weekly performance report for a client. Pulls 7 days of Google Ads + Meta + Klaviyo data, applies brand template, outputs encrypted HTML.

The name becomes the slash command. The description is what loads into context on every session - keep it under 200 characters.

Instructions (markdown)

Weekly Report Skill

When to use When building the weekly client report for any ecommerce client.

Steps

  1. Confirm which client's report
  2. Pull data from Google Ads, Meta, Klaviyo for last 7 days
  3. Apply brand template from the project's brand-guide.md
  4. Output to drafts/weekly-[client]-[date].html
  5. Encrypt via the encryption setup
  6. Commit + push to Pages repo
  7. Give me the live URL + password

Rules

  • Never fabricate metrics - every number must trace to source
  • Always use AEST time zone for date comparisons
  • Primary metrics: revenue, ROAS, conversions (in that order)
  • Compare vs prior 7 days + same 7 days last year

Clear, specific, action-oriented. Claude reads this when you invoke the skill.

Supporting files (optional)

If your skill needs templates, examples, or reference data, put them in the same folder as SKILL.md. Reference them from the instructions:

Use the template at templates/weekly-report-template.html

Step 5: Test

After the skill is saved, restart your session and test

/weekly-report client-acme

Claude loads the skill and runs it. Watch what it does. Approve or deny permission prompts. Review the output.

If the output isn't right, iterate

The tone in the generated report is too formal - update the skill to use a more conversational voice. Show me the change to the SKILL.md.

Claude edits the skill, you approve. Re-run to verify.

Step 6: Document what worked

Once the skill is reliable, document any quirks or edge cases inline in SKILL.md:

Known issues

  • For clients without Klaviyo, skip the email section entirely
  • If Google Ads returns no conversions, use the CPA fallback calculation

Future-you reads these notes when something goes wrong.

Power-user tips

  • Start short, expand later - 20 lines of SKILL.md is often enough for the first version
  • Name descriptively - /weekly-report-ecom is better than /wr if you might build other report types
  • Add CAPS for non-negotiable rules - NEVER fabricate metrics stands out
  • Iterate in-session - tell Claude "update the skill to also check mobile vs desktop split" - Claude updates the SKILL.md on the fly
  • Keep skills focused - one skill = one job. Don't pack everything into one mega-skill.

Action items

ā˜ Download the skill-creator-SKILL.md attached to this lesson + install it

ā˜ Pick one repetitive task you've done 3+ times

ā˜ Run /skill-creator and walk through building it ā˜ Test the skill, iterate until output is reliable

ā˜ Add CAPS rules for your non-negotiables

Next lesson: Sharing + installing from the library.

Resources

skill-creator-SKILL.md

Exercises

  1. Review the concepts covered in this lesson: Build your first skill.
  2. Write down your key takeaway from this lesson.
  3. Practice running any commands or prompts mentioned above inside your terminal.