A Fill-in-the-Blank Skill Template

A skill is a written set of instructions for one recurring task. This template gives you the sections a good skill needs. Copy it into a document, fill in each part from a real example of the task, and save it wherever your AI tool reads instructions: a project, a custom GPT, a skill file, or a shared folder.

Write it in plain sentences, the way you’d explain the job to a capable new coworker. Delete any section that doesn’t apply.

The template

SKILL: [Name of the task]
Version: 1.0   Owner: [name]   Last reviewed: [date]

PURPOSE
[One or two sentences. What this task produces and who reads it.]
[Example: Build a one-page project status update for the client's operations manager, who reads it before a weekly call.]

WHEN TO USE THIS
[The request or situation that should trigger this skill.]

INPUTS
- [What you'll provide, e.g. notes, a spreadsheet, a transcript]
- [What the assistant should look up in reference files, and where]
If anything required is missing: [ask for it / note it at the top / stop].

STEPS
1. [First thing to do]
2. [Next thing]
3. [Continue in real order. Number only if order matters.]

OUTPUT FORMAT
- Length: [e.g. under 400 words]
- Structure: [headings or sections, in order]
- Tone: [one or two plain sentences]
- File type: [plain text, document, table, email]

RULES
- [Things it must always do]
- [Things it must never do, e.g. invent numbers, promise dates]

QUALITY CHECKS (before calling it done)
- [Every number traces to the inputs]
- [Names spelled as in the reference list]
- [Length and structure match the format above]
- [Anything uncertain is flagged, not guessed]

EXAMPLE OF GOOD OUTPUT
[Paste one real, anonymized example.]

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
- [A correction you've had to make more than once]

CHANGE NOTES
- 1.0 [date]: First version.

A filled-in example: weekly activity report

Here’s a short version of the kind of skill I use for my own weekly report. Details are generalized.

SKILL: Weekly activity report
Version: 1.3   Owner: [me]   Last reviewed: [date]

PURPOSE
Turn my activity notes for the week into a one-page report for my manager,
who reads it on a phone on Friday afternoon.

WHEN TO USE THIS
When I say "build my weekly report" or paste notes labeled with a week.

INPUTS
- My notes for the week, in any order.
- The account list in /reference/accounts.md for correct names.
If the week's dates aren't clear, ask before starting.

STEPS
1. Group the notes by account.
2. Pull out meetings, quotes sent, and next steps for each account.
3. Write a three-sentence summary of the week at the top.
4. List open items with the next action and who owns it.

OUTPUT FORMAT
- Under 350 words.
- Sections: Summary, Accounts, Open items.
- Plain, direct sentences. No sales language.
- Plain text I can paste into an email.

RULES
- Never add a number, dollar amount, or date that isn't in my notes.
- Never describe an account as "hot," "warm," or similar.

QUALITY CHECKS
- Every account name matches the account list.
- Every dollar amount appears in my notes.
- The summary matches what's in the sections below it.
- Accounts with no activity are left out, not padded.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
- Turning a single phone call into a "strategic discussion."
- Combining two accounts with similar names.

CHANGE NOTES
- 1.3: Added the rule against padding quiet accounts.
- 1.2: Moved open items to the end; manager reads summary first.
- 1.1: Added account list check after a misspelled name.

Tips for getting it right

Start from a real run. Do the task once with the assistant and note every correction you make. Those corrections become your rules, checks, and common mistakes.

Be specific about format. “Concise” means different things to everyone. “Under 350 words, three sections” means one thing.

The quality checks do the most work. Assistants follow explicit checks well. If you only add one section beyond the basics, make it this one.

Use anonymized examples. Anything you paste into the skill travels with every use of it. Strip client names, prices, and personal details from examples.

Test on awkward cases. Run the skill on a light week, a request with missing information, and a messy input before you trust it.

Fix the skill, not just the draft. When the output is wrong, change the file so it’s right next time, and write a one-line change note.

Give it an owner and a review date. Skills go stale when the work changes. Someone needs to notice.

And whatever the skill produces, a person reads it before it goes anywhere. The skill makes the first draft better. Responsibility for the final one stays with you.