skill-improver
- Repo stars 5,723
- Forks 499
- Author updated Jun 15, 2026, 04:05 PM
- Author repo skills
- Domain
- Engineering
- Compatible agents
-
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- Cline
- Codex
- Windsurf
- Gemini CLI
- +20
- Trust score
- 88 / 100 · community maintained
- Author / version / license
- @trailofbits · no license declared
- Token usage
- Moderate
- Setup complexity
- Guided setup
- External API key
- Not required
- Operating systems
- Unspecified (assume cross-platform)
- Runtime requirements
- No special requirements
- Permissions
-
- Read-only
- Write / modify
- Shell exec
- 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.
Heads up: 未限定 allowed-tools，默认拥有全部工具权限。
---
name: skill-improver
description: Iteratively reviews and fixes Claude Code skill quality issues until they meet standards. Runs a…
category: engineering
runtime: no special runtime
---
# skill-improver output preview
## PART A: Task fit
- Use case: Iteratively reviews and fixes Claude Code skill quality issues until they meet standards. Runs automated fix-review cycles using the skill-reviewer agent. Use to fix skill quality issues, improve skill descriptions, run automated skill review loops, or iteratively refine a skill. Triggers on 'fix my skill', 'improve skill quality', 'skill improvement loop'. NOT for one-time reviews—use /skill-reviewer directly..
- Inputs: target material, constraints, expected output, and acceptance criteria.
- Evidence boundary: follow “Prerequisites / Core Loop / 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 “Iteratively reviews and fixes Claude Code skill quality issues until they meet standards. Runs automated fix-review cycles using the skill-reviewer agent. Use to fix skill quality issues, improve skill descriptions, run automated skill review loops, or iteratively refine a skill. Triggers on 'fix my skill', 'improve skill quality', 'skill improvement loop'. NOT for one-time reviews—use /skill-reviewer directly.”.
- **02** When the source has headings, the agent prioritizes “Prerequisites / Core Loop / 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, run shell commands; mostly runs locally; usually needs no extra API key.
## Running Rules
- read files, write/modify files, run shell commands; 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 `/plugins`, `/skill-reviewer`, `/path`; 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, run shell commands.
Start with a small task and check whether the result follows “Prerequisites / Core Loop / 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: skill-improver
description: Iteratively reviews and fixes Claude Code skill quality issues until they meet standards. Runs a…
category: engineering
source: trailofbits/skills
---
# skill-improver
## When to use
- Iteratively reviews and fixes Claude Code skill quality issues until they meet standards. Runs automated fix-review cy…
- 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 “Prerequisites / Core Loop / When to Use” and keep inference separate from source facts.
- read files, write/modify files, run shell commands; 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 "skill-improver" {
input -> user goal + target files + boundaries + acceptance criteria
context -> Prerequisites / Core Loop / When to Use
rules -> SKILL.md triggers / order / output contract
runtime -> no special runtime | read files, write/modify files, run shell commands | mostly runs locally
guardrails -> usually needs no extra API key + small-sample validation + diff/log review
output -> copyable result + checklist + next iteration
}Skill Improvement Methodology
Iteratively improve a Claude Code skill using the skill-reviewer agent until it meets quality standards.
Prerequisites
Requires the plugin-dev plugin which provides the skill-reviewer agent.
Verify it's enabled: run /plugins — plugin-dev should appear in the list. If missing, install from the Trail of Bits plugin repository.
Core Loop
- Review - Call skill-reviewer on the target skill
- Categorize - Parse issues by severity
- Fix - Address critical and major issues
- Evaluate - Check minor issues for validity before fixing
- Repeat - Continue until quality bar is met
When to Use
- Improving a skill with multiple quality issues
- Iterating on a new skill until it meets standards
- Automated fix-review cycles instead of manual editing
- Consistent quality enforcement across skills
When NOT to Use
- One-time review: Use
/skill-reviewerdirectly instead - Quick single fixes: Edit the file directly
- Non-skill files: Only works on SKILL.md files
- Experimental skills: Manual iteration gives more control during exploration
Issue Categorization
Critical Issues (MUST fix immediately)
These block skill loading or cause runtime failures:
- Missing required frontmatter fields (name, description) — Claude cannot index or trigger the skill
- Invalid YAML frontmatter syntax — Parsing fails, skill won't load
- Referenced files that don't exist — Runtime errors when Claude follows links
- Broken file paths — Same as above, leads to tool failures
Major Issues (MUST fix)
These significantly degrade skill effectiveness:
- Weak or vague trigger descriptions — Claude may not recognize when to use the skill
- Wrong writing voice (second person "you" instead of imperative) — Inconsistent with Claude's execution model
- SKILL.md exceeds 500 lines without using references/ — Overloads context, reduces comprehension
- Missing "When to Use" or "When NOT to Use" sections — Required by project quality standards
- Description doesn't specify when to trigger — Skill may never be selected
Minor Issues (Evaluate before fixing)
These are polish items that may or may not improve the skill:
- Subjective style preferences — Reviewer may have different taste than author
- Optional enhancements — May add complexity without proportional value
- "Nice to have" improvements — Consider cost-benefit before implementing
- Formatting suggestions — Often valid but low impact
Minor Issue Evaluation
Before implementing any minor issue fix, evaluate:
- Is this a genuine improvement? - Does it add real value or just satisfy a preference?
- Could this be a false positive? - Is the reviewer misunderstanding context?
- Would this actually help Claude use the skill? - Focus on functional improvements
Only implement minor fixes that are clearly beneficial. Skill-reviewer may produce false positives.
Invoking skill-reviewer
Use the skill-reviewer agent from the plugin-dev plugin. Request a review by asking Claude to:
Review the skill at [SKILL_PATH] using the plugin-dev:skill-reviewer agent. Provide a detailed quality assessment with issues categorized by severity.
Replace [SKILL_PATH] with the absolute path to the skill directory (e.g., /path/to/plugins/my-plugin/skills/my-skill).
Example Fix Cycle
Iteration 1 — skill-reviewer output:
Critical: SKILL.md:1 - Missing required 'name' field in frontmatter
Major: SKILL.md:3 - Description uses second person ("you should use")
Major: Missing "When NOT to Use" section
Minor: Line 45 is verboseFixes applied:
- Added name field to frontmatter
- Rewrote description in third person
- Added "When NOT to Use" section
Iteration 2 — run skill-reviewer again to verify fixes:
Minor: Line 45 is verboseMinor issue evaluation: Line 45 communicates effectively as-is. The verbosity provides useful context. Skip.
All critical/major issues resolved. Output the completion marker:
<skill-improvement-complete>Note: The marker MUST appear in the output. Statements like "quality bar met" or "looks good" will NOT stop the loop.
Completion Criteria
CRITICAL: The stop hook ONLY checks for the explicit marker below. No other signal will terminate the loop.
Output this marker when done:
<skill-improvement-complete>When to output the marker:
- skill-reviewer reports "Pass" or no issues found → output marker immediately
- All critical and major issues are fixed AND you've verified the fixes → output marker
- Remaining issues are only minor AND you've evaluated them as false positives or not worth fixing → output marker
When NOT to output the marker:
- Any critical issue remains unfixed
- Any major issue remains unfixed
- You haven't run skill-reviewer to verify your fixes worked
The marker is the ONLY way to complete the loop. Natural language like "looks good" or "quality bar met" will NOT stop the loop.
Rationalizations to Reject
- "I'll just mark it complete and come back later" - Fix issues now
- "This minor issue seems wrong, I'll skip all of them" - Evaluate each one individually
- "The reviewer is being too strict" - The quality bar exists for a reason
- "It's good enough" - If there are major issues, it's not good enough
Decide Fit First
Design Intent
How To Use It
Boundaries And Review