Skill Publisher

Prepare a skill for public release. Run through this checklist before publishing any skill to ensure it's reusable, clean, safe, and well-documented.

When to Use

• - Before pushing a skill to a public repo
• Before submitting to ClawdHub
• When reviewing someone else's skill
• Periodic audits of existing published skills

Quick Checklist

Run through these in order. Each section has detailed guidance below.

CODEBLOCK0

1. Structure Validation

Required Files

SKILL.md Format

• - Header: Name and one-line description
• When to Use: Clear triggers for loading this skill
• Quick Reference: Most important info at a glance
• Detailed sections: As needed

CODEBLOCK2

File Organization

• - Group related content logically
• Use clear, descriptive filenames
• Keep files focused (single responsibility)
• Consider load order (what gets read first?)

Anti-patterns

2. Security Audit

Secrets Scan

Personal Data Scan

Sensitive Content Check

• - [ ] No internal company information
• [ ] No private URLs or endpoints
• [ ] No employee names (unless public figures)
• [ ] No financial data
• [ ] No credentials of any kind
• [ ] No session tokens or cookies

Example Data

• - user@example.com for emails
• INLINECODE3 for IPs (RFC 5737 documentation range)
• INLINECODE4 for domains
• Clearly fake names ("Alice", "Bob", "Acme Corp")

3. Portability Check

Path Hardcoding

Replace with:

• - Relative paths (./config.yaml)
• Environment variables ($HOME, $XDG_CONFIG_HOME)
• Platform-agnostic descriptions

Environment Assumptions

• - [ ] No hardcoded usernames
• [ ] No machine-specific paths
• [ ] No assumed installed software (or document requirements)
• [ ] No assumed environment variables (or document them)
• [ ] No OS-specific commands without alternatives

Dependency Documentation

## Requirements
- `tool-name` - [installation link]
- Environment variable `API_KEY` must be set

4. Code Quality

Debug Artifacts

Formatting

• - [ ] Consistent markdown style
• [ ] Code blocks have language tags (``python, `bash) - [ ] Tables render correctly - [ ] Links work (no broken references) - [ ] No trailing whitespace - [ ] Consistent heading hierarchy ### Content Quality - [ ] No filler text (e.g., Lorem-ipsum, incomplete markers) - [ ] No commented-out sections - [ ] No duplicate content - [ ] No outdated information - [ ] Examples are complete and runnable --- ## 5. Documentation ### README.md Checklist CODEBLOCK8 ### SKILL.md Checklist - [ ] Clear "When to Use" section with specific triggers - [ ] Quick reference for most common needs - [ ] Logical organization of detailed content - [ ] Cross-references to other files if multi-file ### Examples - [ ] At least one complete, working example - [ ] Examples use safe/fake data - [ ] Examples are tested and verified --- ## 6. Testing ### Functional Testing 1. **Fresh load test**: Load skill in new session, verify it makes sense 2. **Trigger test**: Verify "When to Use" conditions actually match use cases 3. **Example test**: Run through all examples manually 4. **Edge case test**: What happens with unusual inputs? ### Integration Testing If skill involves tools/commands: CODEBLOCK9 ### Cross-Reference Testing - [ ] All internal links work - [ ] All external links are valid - [ ] File references are correct ### Verification Script (optional but recommended) Create test.sh or document manual test steps: CODEBLOCK10 --- ## 7. Git Hygiene ### Before First Commit Create .gitignore: CODEBLOCK11 ### Commit History - [ ] No secrets ever committed (check full history!) - [ ] Clean, atomic commits - [ ] Meaningful commit messages CODEBLOCK12 If secrets were ever committed: CODEBLOCK13 ### Commit Message Format CODEBLOCK14 ### Pre-Push Checklist CODEBLOCK15 --- ## 8. Metadata ### Repository Settings - [ ] Description filled in - [ ] Topics/tags added (e.g., claw, skill, ai-assistant) - [ ] License file present ### Recommended License For open skills, MIT is simple and permissive: CODEBLOCK16 ### ClawdHub Metadata (if publishing there) In SKILL.md frontmatter: CODEBLOCK17 --- ## Automated Audit Script Run this before every publish: CODEBLOCK18 --- ## Publishing Flow CODEBLOCK19 ## README Quality A good README is discoverable and human-readable. See docs/readme-quality.md` for detailed guidance.

Quick Checks

• - First line explains what it does (not "Welcome to...")
• No AI buzzwords (comprehensive, seamless, leverage, cutting-edge)
• Specific use cases, not vague claims
• Sounds like a person, not a press release
• No excessive emoji decoration in headers

SEO Tips

• - Use phrases people actually search for
• Put most important info in first paragraph
• Be specific about features (not "powerful validation" but "checks for API keys")

Post-Publish

• - [ ] Verify GitHub renders correctly
• [ ] Test fresh clone works
• [ ] Add to your AGENTS.md skill list if using locally
• [ ] Announce if relevant (Discord, etc.)