writing-for-agents

Guides writing skills, AGENTS.md, and CLAUDE.md documents for agent consumption.

Updated May 19, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/wenyue/SmartKit --skill writing-for-agents-wenyue
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: writing-for-agents
Source: https://github.com/wenyue/SmartKit/tree/main/skills/writing-for-agents
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/wenyue/SmartKit --skill writing-for-agents-wenyue

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Documents written for AI agents often fail unpredictably: agents skip instructions, rush steps, or ignore buried reference material. This Skill provides a systematic reference for writing agent-facing documents so the agent follows the same process every run. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Context pointer design: Write descriptions and pointers whose wording reliably triggers the agent to reach the right material at the right branch. - Information hierarchy and progressive disclosure: Decide what stays inline as steps, what becomes in-file reference, and what moves behind a pointer into separate files. - Completion criteria and splitting: Define clear, demanding done-conditions for each step and split documents by sequence or invocation to prevent premature completion. - Use Case: When authoring a new skill or editing an AGENTS.md file, apply the leading-word, pruning, and co-location rules to produce a shorter document the agent follows more consistently. ## Quick Start Ask the agent to review your draft skill or AGENTS.md file using the writing-for-agents guidance and suggest improvements to its pointers, steps, and structure.

Frequently Asked Questions about writing-for-agents

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I write a skill description that agents trigger reliably?▼

Front-load the leading word that does the triggering work, list one trigger per distinct branch the document handles, and cut identity the body already carries. The description's wording, not its target, decides when the agent reaches the material.

How to structure AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md for AI agents?▼

Organize content on an information hierarchy: in-file steps first, in-file reference second, and disclosed reference behind context pointers in separate files. Keep each concept's definition, rules, and caveats co-located under one heading.

When should I split a skill into multiple skills?▼

Split by sequence when visible later steps tempt the agent to rush the current one, or by invocation when a distinct trigger word should fire a skill on its own. Each split spends context or cognitive load, so the cut must earn it.

What is the difference between model-invoked and user-invoked skills?▼

A model-invoked skill keeps a description so the agent and other skills can fire it autonomously, paying permanent context load. A user-invoked skill sets disable-model-invocation so only a human typing its name can reach it, costing zero context load.

Why do agents ignore instructions in long documents?▼

Long documents cause sprawl: attention thins across excess lines even when every line is relevant. The fix is progressive disclosure, pushing branch-specific reference behind pointers and splitting by branch or sequence so each path carries only what it needs.