Claude Skill Authoring & TDD FAQs

Question 1

How do I optimize my Claude skills for discovery?

Accepted Answer

Use the 'Use when...' pattern in the YAML description to focus on triggering conditions. Avoid summarizing the workflow in the description, as this can cause Claude to skip reading the full skill content.

Question 2

Where should I store my custom Claude skills?

Accepted Answer

Personal skills should be stored in ~/.claude/skills for Claude Code or ~/.codex/skills if you are using the Codex environment.

Question 3

What does it mean to apply TDD to writing skills?

Accepted Answer

It means writing a test case (a pressure scenario) and watching Claude fail it before writing the skill documentation. This ensures the skill actually solves a documented problem and isn't just redundant text.

Question 4

How can I keep my skills token-efficient?

Accepted Answer

Move heavy technical details to tool help (e.g., --help flags), use cross-references to other skills, and aim for under 200 words for frequently-loaded skills.

Question 5

When should I create a new skill versus updating CLAUDE.md?

Accepted Answer

Create a skill for broad, reusable techniques or patterns that apply across multiple projects. Use CLAUDE.md for project-specific conventions and mechanical constraints.

Claude Skill Authoring & TDD

About

Key Features

Use Cases

Claude Skill Authoring & TDD

About

Key Features

Use Cases