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Appendix D: Skills Templates and Examples

The best combinations are explicit on both sides: process in the skill, capability in the server. A skill (packaged instructions a host loads on demand) teaches the model a repeatable method. MCP gives it the tools and data the method runs on. Chapter 3 decides which one you need.

Minimal SKILL.md Template

---
name: release-review
version: 1.0.0
description: Review a release candidate before publication.
---

# Release Review

## Purpose

Check a proposed release for missing notes, risky changes, and rollout gaps.

## Inputs

- release identifier
- target environment
- optional incident window

## Instructions

1. Call delivery-server `get_release(release_id)` and read its checklist.
2. Call delivery-server `list_prs(release_id)`; flag any PR without notes.
3. Call ops-server `get_incidents(window)` for the target environment.
4. Output: a risk summary, then a list of blockers (empty if none).

## MCP Dependencies

- delivery-server: `get_release`, `list_prs`
- ops-server: `get_incidents`

What Makes It Work

  • It encodes a repeatable process, with explicit inputs and a defined output shape.
  • Every step names the exact MCP tool it calls, so a missing server or a renamed tool shows up as a broken step, not as vague drift.
  • It doesn’t compensate for weak tools. If a step needs three sentences to explain how to use a tool, fix the tool’s description (Chapter 6).

The common failure is a skill that assumes MCP servers the target environment doesn’t have. List them under MCP Dependencies and check them before the skill runs.