Creating Skills
A complete guide to creating AI skills for the Skly marketplace. Learn the Agent Skills format, write effective instructions, and publish skills that sell.
What makes a great skill?
Solve a specific problem
Focus on one task or workflow. Specificity sells.
Well-tested
Verified across the AI tools you plan to target.
Clear instructions
The AI should know exactly what to do at every step.
Consistent results
Same input gives reliable, predictable output.
The Agent Skills format
Every skill starts with a SKILL.md file that uses YAML frontmatter and Markdown instructions:
Skills can also include scripts, references, and assets in a bundle folder:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| name | Short identifier, lowercase, hyphens, no spaces (e.g., seo-blog-writer) |
| description | What the skill does and when to use it. This helps AI agents decide to activate your skill. |
Creating your skill on Skly
Write your skill
Write your skill in any text editor and save it as a .md file. Follow the Agent Skills format with frontmatter metadata and clear Markdown instructions.
Be specific. Instead of a generic "Write an email" skill, create "Write a Cold Outreach Email for SaaS Sales." Specificity sells.
Test your skill
Before publishing, test thoroughly:
- Test with at least one AI tool, ideally the ones you plan to target
- Try different inputs, including edge cases
- Verify the output matches your expectations
- If you list multiple AI tools, test with each one
Fill in listing details
When creating a listing on Skly, you provide:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Clear, descriptive name (e.g., "SEO Blog Post Writer") |
| Description | What the skill does and who it's for |
| Price | How much to charge in USD |
| Category | The category that best fits your skill |
| AI Tools | Which AI tools the skill works with |
| Cover Image | Optional but recommended. This makes your listing stand out. |
| Demo Video | Optional. Attach a YouTube URL showing the skill in action. |
Submit for review
Upload your files and submit for review. Our team will check:
- That the skill works as described
- That the content is appropriate
- That the description accurately represents the skill
Go live
Once approved, your skill appears in the marketplace and is available for purchase.
Pricing your skill
Updating your skills
You can update your skills anytime from the dashboard:
- Edit the description, price, or category
- Upload a new version of the files
- Update the cover image
Changes take effect immediately. Minor updates do not require re-approval. However, our moderation team reviews skills for quality and compliance. Listings that violate our guidelines may be removed. Repeated violations can lead to account suspension.
File requirements
| Property | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Format | .md (Markdown) |
| Encoding | UTF-8 |
| Size | Under 100KB, most skills are 1 to 10KB |
| Language | English is recommended for the widest reach. |
Next steps
What are skills?
Understand how skills work, progressive disclosure, and why the format matters.
Skill format reference
Markdown structure, best practices, variables, and compatibility notes.
Specification
Full technical spec, frontmatter fields, naming rules, directory layout, and validation.
Best practices
Write skills that sell. Concise instructions, workflows, testing, and common mistakes.