In short:
ak-skill-creatorhas 4 main subcommands:create,update,audit,optimize. Before writing a new skill, it checks whether a skill is really what you need, or whether a rule, reference or script is enough. It only calls the work done when it has the right kind of evidence for the change, and it does not build CLIs or MCP servers.
Disclosure: I maintain AgentKit and have an affiliate relationship with it: the AgentKit link in this post is an affiliate link; buying through it gets you 30% off.
Summary
Use it when you need a new skill, want to change an existing one, or suspect a skill is triggering by mistake, running long or burning tokens. You do not need it when the thing is just a stable convention for the whole project (a rule is enough), or when you want to build an MCP server or CLI for an agent.
flowchart LR
A["Need a new skill or a skill runs badly"] --> B["ak-skill-creator"]
B --> C["create, update: new skill or a revision"]
B --> D["audit: report, no file edits"]
D --> E["optimize: diff, applied with --apply"]
B --> F["Stop: hand over a reference, script or rule instead of a skill"]Four concepts to know:
| Concept | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subcommand | What do you want to do with the skill this time? | create writes a new skill, update changes an existing one, audit only produces a report, optimize gives a diff that fixes what the report found |
| Do you need a skill | Is what you need really a separate skill, or just a reference, script, template or rule? | A team's branch naming convention fits a project-scoped rule better than a new skill that has to compete in the catalog |
| Scope | Where does the new skill live? | By default the current project, such as .claude/skills/<slug>/ for Claude Code or .agents/skills/<slug>/ for Codex. User level only when you ask. Kit level only inside the AgentKit repo |
| Evidence of done | What evidence shows this change is better? | Changing description needs real routing traces, with cases that should trigger and near-miss cases that should not. A typo fix only needs a structure check |
A new skill is only worth having when it carries something the agent cannot work out on its own: an organization's own conventions, the rules of a domain, a script that runs reliably, permission boundaries, or a way to block a mistake that keeps coming back.
Sample prompt for writing a new skill for a project:
/ak-skill-creator create release-notes
Purpose: write release notes from the commits between two tags, following the template of team <team name>.
Readers: customers who do not read code.
Constraints: do not mention internal ticket numbers, group by feature rather than by commit.
Do not: create tags yourself, publish anything.
Done when: there are normal cases and edge cases, and the result can be compared with running without the skill.| Flag | What it is for | Since ak |
|---|---|---|
--kit, --project, --user | Choose where the new skill goes | 2.15.0 |
--long-horizon | Create a skill repo for long-term development | 2.15.0 |
--all | Audit everything instead of one skill | 2.15.0 |
--target-model | State the target model for the audit | 2.15.0 |
--apply | Let optimize edit real files | 2.15.0 |
--from-audit | Optimize from an existing audit report | 2.15.0 |
--advice | A stronger model advises at key checkpoints | 2.13.0 |
Below is the detailed version: the run flow, 6 situations with prompts, an explanation of each flag (use when, not needed when, what you get, which flags it combines with), the change history by ak release, and common pitfalls. The detailed version and the interactive page are for subscribers. Your agent can also search them through the portal's MCP.
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Use this piece in your agent
Get an API keyCopy the text below and paste it into Claude Code, Codex or whichever agent you use. The agent reads the piece and checks it against the repo you have open.
Read "ak-skill-creator: create, update, audit and optimize agent skills" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-skill-creator". If the modernengineer MCP server is not connected, stop and walk me through connecting it from https://modernengineer.dev/en/mcp.
2. Summarize the main steps of the piece and point out which apply to this repo.
3. Propose concrete changes and ask me before editing any file.Connect MCP in Claude Code (once)
claude mcp add --transport http modernengineer \
https://api.modernengineer.dev/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer <API key>"Reading the full piece over MCP needs an API key from a subscriber account or one that bought this guide. Without access, the agent only gets the opening.
- Version
- v1.1.0
- Updated
- 01/11/2026
- Licence
- All rights reserved
- Slug
- ak-skill-creator
