skill-reinforcement

What I Do

After ANY skill is used, this meta-skill triggers to:

1. Analyze what worked and what didn't
2. Identify new patterns or shortcuts discovered
3. Update the skill file with learnings
4. Prevent knowledge loss between sessions

Relationship with self-improve:

• This skill (skill-reinforcement) = WHEN to update (post-use triggers)
• The self-improve skill = HOW to update (templates, structures, decision trees)

When to Trigger

Invoke this skill automatically when:

• Any skill from .opencode/skill/*/SKILL.md completes
• A workflow succeeds or fails in a notable way
• New shortcuts or anti-patterns are discovered
• Token usage could be reduced with better patterns
• API behavior differs from documentation
• Commands fail and I find the fix
• User confirms something works
• I do the same task twice (should become a skill/tool)

Reinforcement Process

Step 1: Capture the Context

After using a skill, note:

- Skill used: [skill-name]
- Task: [what was being done]
- Outcome: [success/partial/failure]
- Token cost: [high/medium/low]
- Time taken: [fast/normal/slow]

Step 2: Identify Learnings

Ask these questions:

1. What took longer than expected? → Document the fix
2. What failed unexpectedly? → Add to "Common Issues"
3. What shortcut was discovered? → Add to "Token Saving Tips"
4. What assumption was wrong? → Correct in documentation
5. What worked better than documented? → Update the workflow

Step 3: Categorize the Learning

Category	Where to Add	Example
New shortcut	"Token Saving Tips"	OTP visible in email preview
Failure mode	"Common Issues"	Popup blocker breaks flow
Better pattern	Main workflow	Check login state first
Anti-pattern	"Anti-Patterns to Avoid"	Don't snapshot spam
Environment quirk	"Prerequisites" or "Notes"	Session persists

Step 4: Update the Skill File

# Read current skill
cat .opencode/skill/[skill-name]/SKILL.md

# Edit to add learning in appropriate section
# Use the Edit tool to append or modify

Step 5: Validate the Update

Ensure updates are:

• Actionable - Not vague observations
• Specific - Include exact commands/patterns
• Formatted - Match existing style
• Non-redundant - Don't duplicate existing content

Learning Templates

For New Shortcuts

### [Shortcut Name]

**Discovery**: [How it was found]
**Before**: [Old approach]
**After**: [New approach]
**Savings**: [Token/time reduction]

For Failure Modes

| Issue  | Symptom        | Fix              |
| ------ | -------------- | ---------------- |
| [Name] | [What you see] | [How to resolve] |

For Anti-Patterns

### Don't: [Bad Pattern Name]

```javascript
// BAD - [explanation]
[bad code]
```

Do: [Good Pattern Name]

// GOOD - [explanation]
[good code]

### For Workflow Improvements

```markdown
## Updated: [Section Name]

[New content that replaces or augments existing]

> **Note**: Updated [date] after discovering [context]

Real Examples

Example 1: Session Persistence Discovery

Context: Testing staging branch, went through full login flow Learning: Chrome MCP persists sessions - was already logged in Action: Added "Session Persistence is Your Friend" section with check-first pattern

Example 2: OTP Extraction Optimization

Context: Opened email, waited for load, extracted OTP Learning: OTP visible in Gmail list preview without opening email Action: Updated OTP section with faster "search + list preview" method

Example 3: Deployment URL Pattern

Context: Manually constructed URL, got it wrong Learning: Can extract URL directly from Vercel bot's PR comment Action: Added gh pr view command to get URL automatically

Skill File Structure Convention

Every skill should have these sections (add if missing):

## What I Do

[Core purpose]

## Prerequisites

[Requirements]

## Workflow

[Main steps]

## Common Issues

[Failure modes and fixes]

## Token Saving Tips

[Efficiency patterns]

## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

[What NOT to do]

## Real Examples

[Actual usage examples]

## Learnings Log

[Append-only log of discoveries - optional]

Integration with Other Skills

When reinforcing a skill, check if learnings apply to related skills:

Skill	Related Skills
test-staging-branch	Any Chrome MCP skill
skill-reinforcement	All skills (meta)
self-improve	skill-reinforcement (companion)
chrome-devtools-mcp	test-staging-branch, gmail
safe-infrastructure	new-vault-implementation

Cross-pollinate learnings when applicable.

Deciding What to Create

If reinforcement reveals a need for new capability, use the self-improve skill's decision tree:

Need to extend capabilities?
│
├─ Just need docs/commands? → SKILL
├─ Need specialized AI persona? → AGENT
├─ Need event hooks? → PLUGIN
├─ Need callable function? → TOOL
└─ Need external integration? → MCP SERVER

Automation Hooks

Post-Skill Trigger

After completing any skill, automatically ask:

1. "Did anything unexpected happen?"
2. "Was there a faster way to do this?"
3. "What would I do differently next time?"

If answers exist, invoke skill-reinforcement.

Periodic Review

Every ~10 skill uses, review:

• Most frequently used skills (prioritize improvements)
• Skills with most "Common Issues" (need better documentation)
• Skills with outdated information (need refresh)

Meta: Reinforcing This Skill

This skill should also improve itself. Track:

• How often it triggers
• Quality of captured learnings
• Whether skills actually improve over time
• Time cost of reinforcement vs value gained

Quick Reinforcement Checklist

[ ] Skill completed
[ ] Outcome noted (success/fail/partial)
[ ] Any surprises? → Document
[ ] Any shortcuts found? → Add to tips
[ ] Any failures? → Add to issues
[ ] Could be faster? → Add anti-pattern
[ ] Update skill file
[ ] Validate formatting
[ ] Done

Immediate Update Rule

UPDATE IMMEDIATELY - Don't wait until end of conversation.

When any of these happen, stop and update the relevant skill:

1. API format is wrong (like -d vs -F for curl)
2. Commands fail and I find the fix
3. User confirms something works
4. I discover a better/faster way
5. Something is missing from docs

Example:

❌ "I'll note this for later"
✅ *immediately edits skill file*

Learnings Log

• 2026-01-12: Bulk remote branch cleanup can hit stale refs and timeouts; run git fetch --prune origin first, delete with a loop that tolerates missing refs, then prune again to verify only origin/main remains.
• 2026-01-13: When extending agent policy docs, renumber numbered headings after inserts and place testing tools + real-funds protocol near the Testability section for clarity.
• 2026-01-13: When refactoring MCP tool handlers into a registry, remove the legacy switch and align handler arg types with tool schemas to avoid type errors.
• 2026-01-13: When adding a new Next.js route handler export, ensure it sits outside existing handler functions to avoid "Modifiers cannot appear here" errors.