Why use Test-Driven Development (TDD) for writing skills?

Using TDD ensures the skill actually works. By watching an agent fail a task without the skill (Red) and then pass it with the documentation (Green), you prove the content is effective.

Why should I avoid workflow summaries in skill descriptions?

If a description summarizes the workflow, Claude may follow the brief summary instead of reading the full skill body, causing it to skip important nuances or secondary steps.

What is a Claude Code Skill?

A skill is a specialized reference guide for proven techniques, patterns, or tools that helps future Claude instances find and apply effective approaches to specific tasks.

What is Claude Search Optimization (CSO)?

CSO is a set of best practices for naming and describing skills so that Claude can accurately find and load the right instructions for a task while remaining token-efficient.

Writing Skills (Harness)

Name: Writing Skills (Harness)
Author: astrosteveo

byastrosteveo

Learning & Documentation

Standardizes the creation and validation of Claude Code skills using a Test-Driven Development methodology for documentation.

About

The Writing Skills plugin provides a rigorous framework for authoring Claude Code skills by treating documentation like production code. By applying a RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle—defining pressure scenarios, witnessing baseline failures, and then documenting solutions—it ensures that every skill effectively changes agent behavior. This skill is essential for developers who need to build reusable libraries of techniques that are token-efficient, easily discoverable via Claude Search Optimization (CSO), and verified for accuracy before deployment.

Key Features

TDD-based documentation workflow (Red-Green-Refactor)
Claude Search Optimization (CSO) guidance for maximum discovery
Token-efficient patterns to minimize context window usage
Graphviz flowchart integration for complex decision logic
Standardized SKILL.md structure with YAML frontmatter
0 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Developing a repository of reusable AI prompt engineering patterns
Optimizing existing skills to prevent Claude from skipping detailed instructions
Verifying that new documentation actually fixes agent behavior before deployment

About

Key Features

TDD-based documentation workflow (Red-Green-Refactor)
Claude Search Optimization (CSO) guidance for maximum discovery
Token-efficient patterns to minimize context window usage
Graphviz flowchart integration for complex decision logic
Standardized SKILL.md structure with YAML frontmatter
0 GitHub stars

Use Cases

Developing a repository of reusable AI prompt engineering patterns
Optimizing existing skills to prevent Claude from skipping detailed instructions
Verifying that new documentation actually fixes agent behavior before deployment