Port skill creator

Skill creator

A skill here is a plain file in this git repo, read by a third party's coding agent, that helps it get a Port job done: build a context lake, write a mapping, manage Port with Terraform. It is not Port's internal in-product AI skill system (packages/ai-skills in port-labs/port, which creates a skill entity via upsert_entity for Port AI's own runtime). See references/skill-writing-guide.md#adapting-an-internal-skill if you're starting from one of those.

This skill itself lives at .claude/skills/port-skill-creator/, not under skills/, because it's for someone contributing to this repo, not for someone who installed skills/ into their own coding agent to work with their Port account. It never ships to end users; it's only relevant when working in this repo, so it stays repo-local.

Prerequisites

None. This is a reference skill, no live Port account or MCP server needed, just this repo and Node.js to run the scripts below.

File layout

skills/port-<name>/
├── SKILL.md            # required: short frontmatter + router body
├── references/         # one file per sub-topic, the actual depth
└── assets/              # images, scripts, and complete ready-to-run examples

<name> must be lowercase, hyphenated, prefixed with port-, and match the frontmatter name exactly (enforced by validate-skill.js).

How to build a skill

1. Scope it. One sentence on what job this helps do, what it assumes already exists, and what's explicitly out of scope (point to the skill that owns that instead). Check the README so scopes don't overlap. See references/skill-writing-guide.md#scope-it-first.
2. Choose reference vs. MCP-powered. See references/skill-writing-guide.md#choose-a-skill-class.
3. Write the frontmatter, description last. description is the only place "when to use this" lives, packed with realistic trigger phrases. Never restate it as a body section. See references/skill-writing-guide.md#description-the-trigger-signal.
4. Write the body as a router, not a manual. Assume the agent already decided to do the job. State prerequisites, then a short numbered list of what to do, each step pointing at the references/*.md file that has the actual depth. Target well under 100 lines. See references/skill-writing-guide.md#body-is-a-router for the shape and a worked example. Prerequisites should point to the port-getting-started skill for account setup and MCP connection instead of restating it, and should say explicitly that this skill can use Port's MCP server to apply the work directly when connected, and that search_port_knowledge_sources covers anything the skill itself doesn't. See references/skill-writing-guide.md#prerequisites-port-getting-started-and-mcp.
5. Push real content into references/ and assets/. One reference file per sub-topic (references/blueprints.md, references/mirror-properties.md, not one giant references/details.md). Assets are anything ready to use as-is: images, scripts, complete examples.
6. Validate: node .claude/skills/port-skill-creator/scripts/validate-skill.js skills/port-<name> (or --all).
7. Regenerate the README index: node .claude/skills/port-skill-creator/scripts/generate-skill-index.js.
8. Test it for real. Install it (cp -r skills/port-<name> ~/.claude/skills/), run 2-3 realistic trigger prompts in a fresh session, confirm it loads and produces correct, ready-to-apply Port config.

Common pitfalls

Symptom	Cause	Fix
validate-skill.js reports "Unexpected fields in frontmatter"	A field outside name, description, license, allowed-tools, metadata, compatibility	Remove it, or move it under metadata
"Directory name must match skill name"	name: and the skills/<dir> folder differ	Rename one to match the other
"Skill name must start with the 'port-' prefix"	Every skill in this repo is namespaced port-*	Rename the directory and name: to port-<name>
Skill never triggers in real use	description is generic instead of listing trigger phrases	Rewrite per references/skill-writing-guide.md#description-the-trigger-signal
SKILL.md reads like a manual, not a router	Real instructions were written inline instead of in references/	Move the depth out, leave a one-line pointer per step
Body has a "Use this skill when" section	Old convention; that's the description's job now	Delete the section, fold anything useful into description
README table doesn't show the new skill	generate-skill-index.js wasn't run	Run it, commit the README diff
Prerequisites restate account signup and MCP setup inline	Should point to port-getting-started instead	Replace with a pointer, keep only what's specific to this skill

Quick reference

• Layout: skills/port-<name>/{SKILL.md, references/, assets/}.
• Frontmatter allowed fields: name, description, license, allowed-tools, metadata, compatibility.
• Two classes: reference (no live account needed) and MCP-powered (uses Port MCP tools when connected, documented fallback when not).
• Body is a router: intro, Prerequisites, a short numbered list of steps that each point into references/, nothing more. No Use this skill when section, that's what description is for.
• Prerequisites point to port-getting-started for setup, and note that Port's MCP server (when connected) can apply the work directly, with search_port_knowledge_sources for anything uncovered.
• Validate: node .claude/skills/port-skill-creator/scripts/validate-skill.js skills/port-<name> (or --all).
• Regenerate the README index: node .claude/skills/port-skill-creator/scripts/generate-skill-index.js.
• Full authoring guidance, examples, and the skill template: references/skill-writing-guide.md.