ai-skill-improve
- Repo stars 29
- License MIT
- Author updated Live
- Author repo ai-engineering
- Domain
- AI · meta · improvement · skills
- Compatible agents
-
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- Cline
- Codex
- Windsurf
- Gemini CLI
- +20
- Trust score
- 100 / 100 · audit passed
- Author / version / license
- @arcasilesgroup · MIT
- Token usage
- Lean
- Setup complexity
- Plug-and-play
- External API key
- Not required
- Operating systems
- Unspecified (assume cross-platform)
- Runtime requirements
- Python
- Permissions
-
- Read-only
- Write / modify
- Network behavior
- Local-only
- Install commands
- 26 variants
Profile is derived at build time from SKILL.md and install vectors. Subject to drift from author intent.
---
name: ai-skill-improve
description: Improves an existing skill based on real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/…
category: ai
runtime: Python
---
# ai-skill-improve output preview
## PART A: Task fit
- Use case: Improves an existing skill based on real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/evals/, Engram cross-session observations, LESSONS.md, decision-store, instincts, proposals) by analysing the failure pattern, rewriting SKILL.md, and emitting the proposed delta as a PR comment only — no auto-merge. Trigger for 'improve this skill', 'improve /ai-plan', 'make /ai-review better', 'optimize all skills', 'batch improve skills'. Accepts a single skill name or 'all' for batch mode. Not for creating new skills from scratch; use /ai-scaffold instead. Not for platform audit; use /ai-ide-audit instead..
- Inputs: target material, constraints, expected output, and acceptance criteria.
- Evidence boundary: follow “Quick start / Workflow / When to Use” and do not present inference as author intent.
## PART B: Execution result
- **01** The card summarizes the use case; runtime output centers on “Improves an existing skill based on real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/evals/, Engram cross-session observations, LESSONS.md, decision-store, instincts, proposals) by analysing the failure pattern, rewriting SKILL.md, and emitting the proposed delta as a PR comment only — no auto-merge. Trigger for 'improve this skill', 'improve /ai-plan', 'make /ai-review better', 'optimize all skills', 'batch improve skills'. Accepts a single skill name or 'all' for batch mode. Not for creating new skills from scratch; use /ai-scaffold instead. Not for platform audit; use /ai-ide-audit instead.”.
- **02** When the source has headings, the agent prioritizes “Quick start / Workflow / When to Use” so the result follows the author’s structure.
- **03** Typical output includes task judgment, concrete steps, required commands or file edits, validation, and follow-up options.
- **04** Risk context follows the fingerprint: read files, write/modify files; mostly runs locally; usually needs no extra API key.
## Running Rules
- read files, write/modify files; mostly runs locally; usually needs no extra API key.
- Validate with a small sample before expanding scope.
- Return the result, validation criteria, and next iteration options. The source mentions slash commands such as `/ai-skill-improve`, `/ai-memory`, `/ai-scaffold`, `/ai-ide-audit`, `/ai-plan`; use them first when your agent supports command triggers.
Name target files or source material, expected output, forbidden changes, and whether network or shell access is allowed. Permission fingerprint: read files, write/modify files.
Start with a small task and check whether the result follows “Quick start / Workflow / When to Use”. Inspect diffs, logs, previews, or tests before expanding scope.
Confirm the final output includes a concrete result, evidence, and next action. If it stays generic, tighten inputs, boundaries, and acceptance criteria.
---
name: ai-skill-improve
description: Improves an existing skill based on real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/…
category: ai
source: arcasilesgroup/ai-engineering
---
# ai-skill-improve
## When to use
- Improves an existing skill based on real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/evals/, Engram cross-s…
- Use it when the task has clear inputs, repeatable steps, and validation criteria.
## What to provide
- Target material, scope, expected result, and forbidden changes.
- Whether network, commands, file writes, or external services are allowed.
## Execution rules
- Organize steps around “Quick start / Workflow / When to Use” and keep inference separate from source facts.
- read files, write/modify files; mostly runs locally; usually needs no extra API key.
- Validate with a small sample before expanding the task.
## Output requirements
- Return the deliverable, key evidence, validation method, and next action.
- Mark missing information as unknown; do not invent commands, platforms, or dependencies. The author source anchors workflow facts; repository files anchor sources and commands; Fluxly only adds fit, limitations, and quality judgment.
skill "ai-skill-improve" {
input -> user goal + target files + boundaries + acceptance criteria
context -> Quick start / Workflow / When to Use
rules -> SKILL.md triggers / order / output contract
runtime -> Python | read files, write/modify files | mostly runs locally
guardrails -> usually needs no extra API key + small-sample validation + diff/log review
output -> copyable result + checklist + next iteration
} ai-skill-improve
Quick start
/ai-skill-improve ai-plan # evolve one skill
/ai-skill-improve all --dry-run # preview every skill
/ai-skill-improve all # batch evolve with evals
Workflow
Improve existing skills using evidence from real project pain (prior eval corpora under .ai-engineering/evals/, Engram cross-session observations via MemoryPort, LESSONS.md operator notes, decision-store, instincts, proposals). The skill owns pain diagnosis and rewrite strategy; it delegates the eval/grade/benchmark pipeline to Anthropic's skill-creator. Output is PR-comment only — never auto-merged (sub-007 M6).
- Phase 0.5 — load corpora (
.ai-engineering/evals/<skill>.jsonl), Engram observations (/ai-memoryMCP), andLESSONS.mdH3 sections that mention the target skill. - Phase 1 — load remaining pain context (decision-store, observations.yml, proposals.md).
- Phase 2 — analyze the target skill, score the 5 dimensions.
- Phase 3 — generate test prompts that exercise the failing pattern.
- Phase 4 — rewrite the skill (Start-Here, pain-injection, scope-gates, structured classification).
- Phase 5 — emit the proposed SKILL.md diff as a PR comment via
gh pr comment. Do not commit or push. Operator review is the merge gate. - Phase 6 — verify improvement on the operator's branch (pass-rate delta vs prior iteration).
Detail: see audit document skeleton, the six-phase protocol (load → analyze → generate → rewrite → eval → verify), batch mode for
all.
When to Use
- A skill keeps producing bad output despite correct instructions.
- You've accumulated corrections in LESSONS.md that a skill should already know.
- After a batch of sessions where the same skill pattern failed repeatedly.
- Periodic hygiene: evolve the top 10 skills once a month.
- NOT for creating new skills from scratch — use
/ai-scaffold. - NOT for platform audit — use
/ai-ide-audit.
Step 0 (load contexts): read .ai-engineering/manifest.yml providers.stacks; load .ai-engineering/overrides/<stack>/conventions.md for each stack and .ai-engineering/overrides/_shared/conventions.md; load .ai-engineering/team/*.md for team conventions.
Common Mistakes
- Rewriting before reading the pain profile.
- Skipping
--dry-runon batch (you'll burn rate limits). - Inventing test prompts that mirror the skill's own examples (no drift signal).
- Leaving Phase 5 evals unrun and declaring the skill "improved".
Examples
Example 1 — single-skill evolution from accumulated pain
User: "the /ai-plan skill keeps producing decomposition that ignores constraint X. Improve it."
/ai-skill-improve ai-plan
Loads pain context from LESSONS.md and proposals.md, scores ai-plan on 5 dimensions, generates 2-3 test prompts that exercise the failing pattern, rewrites SKILL.md, hands off to skill-creator for eval, reports the delta.
Example 2 — dry-run batch preview
User: "preview what improving every skill would change before I commit time to running evals"
/ai-skill-improve all --dry-run
Walks every skill in priority tier order, shows the proposed diff per skill, and stops short of running the eval pipeline.
Integration
Reads: decision-store.json, LESSONS.md, observations.yml, proposals.md, manifest.yml. Writes: target SKILL.md files. Calls: python scripts/sync_command_mirrors.py after rewrites. Delegates to: Anthropic skill-creator (eval/grade/benchmark, Phase 5). Feeds into: /ai-learn. See also: /ai-scaffold (new skills), /ai-ide-audit (cross-IDE).
$ARGUMENTS
Decide Fit First
Design Intent
How To Use It
Boundaries And Review