create-instructions

A rule you keep having to repeat to the AI, written down once so that it holds in every conversation about this project from now on.

When to use

SCOPE

USE FOR

Turn a correction you gave the agent, like 'always use X' or 'never do Y', into a lasting rule.
Scope a new instruction to specific file types or technologies instead of the whole project.
Capture a project-specific convention found by exploring the codebase.

This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.

In this document (3)

Related 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.

Built into VS Code. Nothing to install there. The npx skills add command copies the same instructions into another agent, but they are written for VS Code and may call tools only VS Code has.

Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.

Install checklist

Check selected tools if a picker appears; Claude Code may be unchecked under Additional agents. ↑/↓ moves, Space toggles selections, Enter confirms.
Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.

Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.

npx skills add microsoft/vscode --skill "create-instructions" --full-depth

Once this skill is installed where Claude Code loads it, type /create-instructions in Claude Code when you want to start it. Claude Code won't start this skill on its own.

View on GitHub

Extract from Conversation

Clarify if Needed

Iterate

No requirements beyond installing this skill were found.

More skills

act-on-feedback

agent-customization

author-contributions

chronicle

code-review

commit