
Skill Writer
- 9 installs
- 358 repo stars
- Updated August 4, 2026
- getsentry/warden
skill-writer creates Warden skill YAML with prompts and tool policy.
About
The skill-writer skill creates Warden skill definitions with name, description, prompt instructions, and tools allowed or denied lists. Workflow clarifies purpose, writes agent system prompt with severity guidelines critical through info, configures tool restrictions such as Read Grep Glob for analysis skills and deny Write Edit Bash for review-only skills, and ensures SkillReport JSON output with findings array including id, severity, title, description, optional location, and suggestedFix diff. Available tools table documents Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, WebSearch, Write, Edit, and Bash allowances. Example test-coverage skill YAML demonstrates public API untested high severity pattern.
- Generates Warden skill YAML from user descriptions.
- Defines prompt, tools allowed, and tools denied blocks.
- Enforces SkillReport findings output schema.
- Provides severity critical high medium low info guidance.
- Includes example test-coverage skill template.
Skill Writer by the numbers
- 9 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- Ranked #537 of 782 Skill Development skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
skill writer capabilities & compatibility
- Capabilities
- skill definition schema yaml · available tools table · output schema skillreport
- Use cases
- code review
What skill writer says it does
Generate valid Warden skill definitions from natural language descriptions
All skills must output a SkillReport
npx skills add https://github.com/getsentry/warden --skill skill-writerAdd your badge
Show developers this skill is listed on Skillselion. Paste this into your README.
| Installs | 9 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 358 |
| Last updated | August 4, 2026 |
| Repository | getsentry/warden ↗ |
How do I write a custom Warden review skill?
Generate valid Warden skill YAML definitions from natural language descriptions.
Who is it for?
Teams authoring Warden triggers for repository policies.
Skip if: Skip when only running existing warden skills.
When should I use this skill?
User creates a warden skill, trigger, or skill YAML definition.
What you get
Complete skill YAML ready for warden add or sync.
Files
Usage
Describe what the skill should do, and this will generate a complete skill YAML file.
Instructions
When the user describes a skill they want to create:
1. Understand the Purpose: Clarify what the skill should analyze or check 2. Design the Prompt: Write a clear, specific system prompt for the Claude agent 3. Configure Tools: Select appropriate tool restrictions based on the skill's needs 4. Define Output Expectations: Ensure the skill will produce valid SkillReport output
Skill Definition Schema
name: skill-name # kebab-case, unique identifier
description: Short description of what the skill does
prompt: |
Detailed instructions for the Claude agent.
- What to analyze
- What to look for
- How to categorize findings
- Severity guidelines
tools:
allowed: # Tools the skill CAN use
- Read
- Grep
- Glob
- WebFetch
- WebSearch
denied: # Tools the skill CANNOT use
- Write
- Edit
- BashAvailable Tools
| Tool | Purpose | When to Allow |
|---|---|---|
| Read | Read file contents | Analysis skills (always) |
| Grep | Search file contents | Finding patterns/issues |
| Glob | Find files by pattern | Discovering relevant files |
| WebFetch | Fetch URL content | CVE lookups, doc references |
| WebSearch | Web search | External information |
| Write | Create files | NEVER for review skills |
| Edit | Modify files | Auto-fix skills only |
| Bash | Run commands | Test runners, builds |
Severity Guidelines
Instruct skills to use these severity levels:
- critical: Actively exploitable, high impact, immediate action required
- high: Exploitable with moderate effort, should fix before merge
- medium: Potential issue, needs review and consideration
- low: Minor concern, fix when convenient
- info: Observation, no action required
Output Schema
All skills must output a SkillReport:
{
skill: string; // Skill name
summary: string; // Brief overview of findings
findings: [{
id: string; // Unique finding ID
severity: 'critical' | 'high' | 'medium' | 'low' | 'info';
title: string; // Short title
description: string; // Detailed explanation
location?: { // Where the issue is
path: string;
startLine: number;
endLine?: number;
};
suggestedFix?: { // Optional fix
description: string;
diff: string; // Unified diff format
};
}];
metadata?: Record<string, unknown>;
}Example Output
When asked to create a skill, output the complete YAML:
name: test-coverage
description: Check if new code has adequate test coverage
prompt: |
You are a test coverage analyst. Review the PR changes and check:
1. New functions/methods have corresponding tests
2. Edge cases are covered
3. Error paths are tested
4. Test names are descriptive
Focus on:
- New code additions (not modifications to existing tests)
- Public APIs and exported functions
- Complex logic branches
Severity levels:
- high: Public API with no tests
- medium: Complex logic without edge case tests
- low: Missing negative/error case tests
- info: Suggestions for additional coverage
tools:
allowed:
- Read
- Grep
- Glob
denied:
- Write
- Edit
- Bash
- WebFetch
- WebSearchProcess
1. Ask clarifying questions if the skill purpose is unclear 2. Generate the skill YAML 3. Explain any design decisions 4. Offer to refine based on feedback
Related skills
FAQ
What does skill-writer do?
skill-writer creates Warden skill YAML with prompts and tool policy.
When should I use skill-writer?
User creates a warden skill, trigger, or skill YAML definition.
Is this skill safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.