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Use this checklist before sending a skill or template for Erstan review. Upload validation currently enforces the E5 rule ids listed below; catalog-specific checks are marked manual until catalog lint lands.

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Package Shape

  • Folder name matches frontmatter name.
  • Frontmatter name is lowercase kebab case, 1 to 64 characters.
  • Do not add slug; Agent Skills uses name as the package identity.
  • SKILL.md is the entry file.
  • Keep SKILL.md at 500 lines or fewer; move detailed material into references/.
  • Include license and compatibility frontmatter when the package has licensing terms or platform constraints.
  • Keep top-level frontmatter to name, description, license, compatibility, metadata, and allowed-tools.
Machine-enforced rule ids: name_format, name_folder_mismatch, skill_md_too_long.

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Description

  • A description is required and may contain 1 to 1,024 characters.
  • For better discovery, prefer 20 to 500 characters.
  • Start with the concrete action, such as “Analyze”, “Generate”, or “Review”.
  • Include a trigger clause, such as “when the user…” or “use when…”.
  • Avoid generated boilerplate such as “Helps with…”.
Machine-enforced rule ids: description_length, description_boilerplate, description_missing_what, description_missing_when. Only the Agent Skills 1-to-1,024 character requirement is blocking; the style and discovery checks are warnings during workspace import.

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Actions

  • Declare every action with a stable lowercase key.
  • Set sideEffects: "none" for read-only or deterministic local actions.
  • Set sideEffects: "external" for actions that call outside services or mutate data.
  • Declare required tools separately from prose instructions.
  • Any write-capable workflow must declare that write actions require approval.
  • Instructions must not direct the agent to execute writes inside a read batch or to page a full dataset through the conversation; bulk reads use the platform’s read-only batch contract and each write is individually dispatched and approved.
  • Describe required outcomes and invariants (counts, control totals) the agent must verify in code, rather than prescribing manual accumulation.
Machine-enforced rule id: action_side_effects_invalid. Write-approval intent is manually reviewed until catalog lint and runtime clone checks are fully enforced.

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Documentation Standard

Each submission must include:
  • Who it is for.
  • What it does.
  • How it works.
  • Setup requirements, including required integrations.

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Publisher And Review

  • Include publisher attribution for partner or community content.
  • State whether the package derives from any third-party source.
  • Submit the zip package, then Erstan runs upload validation and catalog review.
  • Listing requires a green validation result plus manual review for attribution, licensing, write behavior, and integration requirements.