skill-check · git:20260706.14c5553 · 2026-07-06 · sha256 50bac6f731125f5a
skill-check git:20260706.14c5553A
Immutable. This exact content never changes and is served at /api/v1/blob/50bac6f731125f5a.
---
name: skill-check
description: Validate skill/command file format and structure. Use after creating or editing a skill, before committing skill changes, or when a skill fails to load or trigger.
user-invocable: true
---
# Skill File Validator
Validate skill files for correct format against the official Claude Code spec.
---
## Validation Target
- With argument: validate specific file
- Without: validate all `.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md`
---
## Frontmatter Reference (official fields)
Skills support these fields. Only `description` is meaningfully required (a
skill with none of these still loads — `name` defaults to the directory name).
```yaml
---
name: skill-name # Optional: defaults to directory name; lowercase, hyphenated
description: What it does # Recommended: shown in / menu and used for triggering
when_to_use: When to reach for it # Optional: appended to description for triggering
# (description + when_to_use truncated at 1,536 chars in listings)
user-invocable: true # Optional: default true; false hides from / menu (Skill tool still works)
model: sonnet # Optional: fable, opus, sonnet, haiku, inherit, default, best,
# sonnet[1m], opus[1m] (or a full model ID). NOT opusplan (session-only)
effort: medium # Optional: low, medium, high, xhigh, max
allowed-tools: # Optional: pre-approved tools. Accepts a comma-separated string
- Read # OR a YAML list — BOTH are official (list shown here as house style)
- Write
- Bash
disallowed-tools: # Optional: explicitly blocked tools (string or YAML list)
- WebFetch
context: fork # Optional: run the skill in a subagent
agent: agent-name # Optional: subagent type when context: fork (default: general-purpose)
argument-hint: "[issue-number]" # Optional: autocomplete hint shown after the skill name
arguments: target flags # Optional: space-separated argument NAMES for $name substitution
# (e.g. arguments "target flags" -> use $target and $flags in the body).
# NOT a structured array of name/description/required objects.
disable-model-invocation: false # Optional: bool; true also blocks scheduled-task invocation
paths: # Optional: glob patterns that limit where the skill activates
- "src/**/*.ts"
shell: bash # Optional: bash or powershell for inline !`command` blocks
hooks: # Optional: skill-scoped lifecycle hooks (same schema as settings.json)
PreToolUse:
- matcher: Write
hooks:
- type: command
command: ./scripts/validate.sh
Stop:
- hooks:
- type: command
command: ./scripts/verify.sh
once: true
---
```
### Valid Tools (for allowed-tools / disallowed-tools)
```
Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob, Agent (Task = legacy alias),
Skill, WebFetch, WebSearch, TodoWrite, NotebookEdit, AskUserQuestion
```
### Non-official fields (flag as warnings, not errors)
```
metadata, license, version # Not part of the skill spec; harmless but should be removed
once # Valid ONLY inside a hooks[] entry, never at skill top level
```
---
## Validation Checklist
### Required / Recommended Fields
- [ ] `description` present (recommended; used for the / menu and triggering)
- [ ] `name`, if present, is lowercase and hyphenated (defaults to directory name if omitted)
### Optional Field Validation
- [ ] `allowed-tools` / `disallowed-tools` are valid tool names
- [ ] `allowed-tools` / `disallowed-tools` are a comma-separated string OR a YAML list (both valid)
- [ ] `model` is a valid value: fable, opus, sonnet, haiku, inherit, default, best, sonnet[1m], opus[1m], or a full model ID (NOT opusplan)
- [ ] `effort` is one of: low, medium, high, xhigh, max
- [ ] `context` is `fork` (if specified)
- [ ] `agent` only set alongside `context: fork` (defaults to general-purpose)
- [ ] `argument-hint` is a string
- [ ] `arguments` is a space-separated string of argument names (NOT a structured array)
- [ ] `when_to_use` is a descriptive string (appended to description for triggering)
- [ ] `disable-model-invocation` is boolean
- [ ] `paths` is a list of glob patterns
- [ ] `shell` is `bash` or `powershell`
- [ ] `user-invocable` is boolean
- [ ] `hooks` has valid structure (matcher + hooks[] with type/command)
### Unknown / Non-official Fields
- [ ] Warn (do not error) on `metadata`, `license`, `version`
- [ ] Warn on `once` used at the top level (only valid inside a hooks[] entry)
### Content Structure
- [ ] Clear instructions
- [ ] Uses `$ARGUMENTS` (or `$name` per `arguments`) if expecting input
- [ ] Step-by-step process if complex
---
## Output Format
```markdown
## Skill Validation Report
### Files Checked
| File | Status | Issues |
|------|--------|--------|
| workflow/SKILL.md | OK | None |
| my-skill/SKILL.md | WARN | Missing description |
### Summary
- Total: [N]
- Valid: [N]
- Needs fixes: [N]
```
---
## Auto-Fix
- Add missing `name` from directory name
- Add missing `description`
- Normalize a comma-separated `allowed-tools` string to a YAML list (house style only — the string form is valid; do NOT flag it as an error)
- Remove non-official fields (`metadata`, `license`, `version`)
- Convert a structured `arguments` array to a space-separated name string
- Replace `opusplan` model with a supported value
- Add `$ARGUMENTS` handling