Create Instructions Agent Skill
Create an instructions file (.instructions.md) for a project rule or convention.
Install
one command, takes just this skill from the repositorynpx skills add https://github.com/microsoft/vscode --skill create-instructionsWhat it tells the agent to use
found in the instruction textThe instruction itself
3 sections, as written by the authorRelated skill: agent-customization. Load and follow instructions.md for template and principles.
Guide the user to create an instructions file.
Extract from Conversation
First, review the conversation history. If the user has been correcting the agent's output or asking for specific patterns (e.g., "always use X", "never do Y", "follow this style"), generalize that into a persistent instruction. Extract:
- Corrections or preferences mentioned during the conversation
- Coding patterns the user enforced or requested
- Project-specific conventions referenced
Clarify if Needed
If no clear rule emerges from the conversation, clarify:
- Should this apply everywhere or only to specific files?
- Which technologies or file types are affected?
- Is this a hard rule or a preference?
Explore the codebase using subagents if you need more context.
Iterate
- Draft the instruction and save it.
- Identify the most ambiguous or weak parts and ask about those.
- Once finalized, summarize what the instruction enforces, suggest example prompts to see it in action, and propose related customizations to create next.
Remember to follow the agent-customization guidelines to create highly effective instructions.
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How to use it
Take microsoft/create-instructions from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.