Opencode Skill Creator

Guide for creating skills compatible with Opencode's agent system.

About Opencode Skills

Skills in Opencode are modular knowledge packages that extend agent capabilities. They follow a structure optimized for both human review and agent consumption:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # Core skill definition (metadata + core instructions)
├── rules/                # Specific rules and patterns
│   ├── rule-1.md
│   └── rule-2.md
└── AGENTS.md             # Expanded reference for agents

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• User asks to "create a new skill"
• User wants to add rules to an existing skill
• User asks how skills work in Opencode
• User needs help structuring domain expertise into a skill
• User wants to document patterns and best practices

Core Principles

Concise and Context-Efficient

Opencode shares the context window across system prompt, conversation, skills metadata, and user requests.

Rule of thumb: Only add what Claude doesn't already know. Challenge every paragraph.

Match Freedom to Fragility

• High freedom (guidelines): When context determines the approach
• Medium freedom (patterns): When a preferred pattern exists with some variation
• Low freedom (scripts/templates): When consistency is critical

Skill Structure

SKILL.md

Required frontmatter:

---
name: skill-name
description: Clear description of what the skill does and when to use it. Include triggers.
---

Body sections:

• Overview: What the skill provides
• When to Use: When this skill applies (redundant if description is good)
• Core Concepts: Essential domain knowledge
• Rules/Patterns: Specific guidelines with examples
• Quick Reference: Common patterns

rules/ Directory

Individual rule files for specific patterns. Each rule:

• Has YAML frontmatter with title, impact, and tags
• Shows Incorrect → Correct code examples
• Is referenced from SKILL.md

Frontmatter format:

---
title: Rule Title
impact: HIGH|MEDIUM|LOW
impactDescription: Brief impact statement
tags: tag1, tag2, tag3
---

AGENTS.md

Expanded reference document combining all rules. Optimized for:

• Agent context loading
• Token efficiency
• Cross-reference navigation

Skill Creation Workflow

Step 1: Understand the Domain

Gather concrete examples from the user:

• "What tasks should this skill handle?"
• "Give me examples of how you'd use it"
• "What triggers should activate this skill?"

Step 2: Plan the Structure

Determine:

• SKILL.md: Core workflow + selection guidance
• rules/: Individual patterns (max 5-10 core rules)
• AGENTS.md: Full expansion of rules
• Bundled resources: Scripts, templates, references as needed

Step 3: Create the Skill Directory

mkdir -p skill-name/{rules,scripts,references,assets}
touch skill-name/SKILL.md skill-name/AGENTS.md

Step 4: Write SKILL.md

Frontmatter requirements:

• name: kebab-case, descriptive
• description: Complete "when to use" - Claude reads only this for triggering

Body structure:

# Skill Name

## Overview
Brief description of what this skill provides.

## When to Use
List of triggers and contexts that activate this skill.

## Core Concepts
Essential domain knowledge (concise).

## Rules
Reference to rule files with brief context.

## Quick Reference
Common patterns and examples.

Step 5: Write Rules

Create individual rule files in rules/:

• Use frontmatter for discoverability
• Show Incorrect → Correct patterns
• Keep examples concise
• Tag appropriately for grep-based discovery

Step 6: Generate AGENTS.md

Expand all rules into a single document for agent reference:

• Maintain rule order from SKILL.md
• Include full examples and explanations
• Add table of contents for navigation
• Cross-reference related rules

Step 7: Validate Structure

Verify:

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md              # Valid frontmatter, concise body
├── rules/
│   └── *.md              # Valid frontmatter, code examples
└── AGENTS.md             # Full rule expansion

Progressive Disclosure

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. Move details to:

• rules/*.md for specific patterns
• references/*.md for domain documentation
• scripts/*.sh or *.py for deterministic operations

Example: Creating a New Skill

1. User: "I want a skill for validating React props"
2. You: Ask for examples, triggers, and constraints
3. Plan: SKILL.md + rules/prop-types.md + rules/validation-patterns.md
4. Create files following structure above
5. Validate with ls -F and frontmatter check

Testing the Skill

After creation:

1. Verify triggering: Does it activate for relevant requests?
2. Verify content: Are rules discoverable via grep?
3. Verify examples: Do code samples work?
4. Verify structure: Are files in correct locations?

Common Patterns

Pattern: Adding a New Rule

1. Create rules/new-rule.md with frontmatter
2. Add reference in SKILL.md under "Rules"
3. Expand into AGENTS.md
4. Tag appropriately for discoverability

Pattern: Updating an Existing Skill

1. Identify what changed (new patterns, framework updates)
2. Update relevant rule files
3. Sync changes to AGENTS.md
4. Keep frontmatter updated (version, tags)

Quick Reference

Component	Purpose	Size Limit
SKILL.md	Triggering + core workflow	<500 lines
rules/*.md	Specific patterns	Unlimited
AGENTS.md	Full reference	Unlimited
scripts/*	Deterministic code	N/A
references/*	Domain docs	N/A

File Naming Conventions

• Skills: kebab-case (e.g., react-best-practices)
• Rules: kebab-case with descriptive name (e.g., rerender-defer-reads.md)
• References: UPPERCASE.md for major docs (e.g., GUIDELINES.md)
• Scripts: kebab-case.{sh,py,js}

Integration Points

Skills are discovered via:

1. Frontmatter description matching user request
2. Grep search in .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .opencode/skills/
3. File content matching (tags in rules)

Ensure descriptions and tags cover:

• Functional domain (e.g., "React", "SQL", "Docker")
• Task type (e.g., "optimization", "debugging", "migration")
• Trigger phrases (e.g., "create skill", "optimize component")