Bundle scripts, references, and assets
Add focused references and assets
Separate conditional knowledge from always-needed instructions and provide templates that make important output shapes concrete.
10 minute lesson
References are for context the agent needs only in certain situations. Assets are inputs or templates used to create the result.
For release readiness, put ecosystem-specific checks in focused references. references/npm.md may explain how to inspect a package tarball. references/python.md may cover build metadata. The main workflow should tell the agent to read one only after it identifies that ecosystem.
Avoid a single 5,000-line reference called everything.md. Smaller files cost less context and make loading decisions clear. Also avoid chains where one reference tells the agent to read another reference. Link resources directly from SKILL.md.
The report template belongs in assets/ because the agent copies and fills it. Keep placeholders obvious. Do not put live credentials, machine-specific paths, or stale project values in assets.
Add one ecosystem reference that matches your chosen sample repository. Start it with a sentence naming the condition that makes it relevant. Add the report template from the previous module.
Now perform a context audit. For every resource, answer:
- What exact condition loads it?
- What decision becomes better after reading it?
- Could the agent already infer this reliably?
- Who must update it when the ecosystem changes?
Delete resources that do not have convincing answers. A smaller skill is often the stronger skill.
Lesson completed