adapt-skill

Adapt Skill

Adapt a skill from another AI coding assistant into a properly structured Amplifier SKILL.md. The output must conform to the Agent Skills specification with Amplifier extensions and be immediately usable via /skill-name.

Inputs

• $ARGUMENTS: (Optional) Path to the source skill file or description of what to adapt.

Steps

1. Consult Skills-Assist

Before writing any skill content, load the authoritative skills reference:

load_skill("skills-assist")

Ask skills-assist about:

• Current frontmatter field reference and best practices
• Fork vs inline decision criteria
• Step annotation conventions
• Testing patterns for the type of skill being created

skills-assist is the source of truth for Amplifier skill conventions. The examples in this skill are illustrative samples — consult skills-assist for the complete and up-to-date specification.

Success criteria: You have loaded and consulted skills-assist for the latest skill authoring conventions.

2. Explore the Target Bundle

If the user wants to add the skill to a bundle (e.g., amplifier-bundle-skills), delegate to foundation:explorer to understand the bundle's conventions, existing skills, and structure. If saving to a personal or project directory, skip this step.

Success criteria: You understand the target bundle's skill conventions and can produce a skill that fits in.

3. Read and Analyze the Source Skill

Read the source SKILL.md and identify:

• The skill's purpose and core workflow
• Platform-specific tool names (e.g., Read vs read_file, AskUserQuestion vs natural conversation, Bash(mkdir:*) vs bash)
• Platform-specific paths (e.g., .claude/skills/ vs .amplifier/skills/)
• Platform-specific frontmatter fields that need mapping to Amplifier equivalents or removal (consult skills-assist for the current Amplifier field reference)
• Conventions that don't exist in Amplifier and need alternative approaches
• The interview or interaction model (does it rely on tools Amplifier doesn't have?)

Present a summary of what needs to change — grouped into natural clusters, not a wall of text. Let the user confirm the adaptation plan before proceeding.

Success criteria: You have a clear mapping of source conventions to Amplifier equivalents, and the user has confirmed the approach.

4. Research Source Platform Conventions (if needed)

If the source skill uses unfamiliar fields or conventions, research the source platform's official documentation using web search and web_fetch. Compare the source platform's spec with Amplifier's to identify:

• Fields that map directly (e.g., name, description, allowed-tools)
• Fields that map with translation (e.g., CC's model -> Amplifier's model_role)
• Fields with no Amplifier equivalent (document the gap, decide whether to drop or approximate)

Skip this step if the source conventions are already well understood.

Success criteria: You understand the source platform's skill format well enough to make accurate adaptation decisions.

5. Design the Adapted Skill

Walk through these decisions with the user, grouped into natural clusters (not one question per turn, not everything at once):

Identity and routing:

• Suggested name and description (with trigger phrases for the visibility hook — the description is the ONLY signal the model sees before deciding to load)
• model_role based on the skill's primary cognitive task (consult skills-assist for the full set of available roles)

Execution model:

• Inline vs forked (context: fork). Critical: forked skills CANNOT do multi-turn conversation with the user — the sub-agent runs once and returns. If the skill needs to interview the user, it must be inline.
• Model-invocable vs user-only (disable-model-invocation)
• allowed-tools — minimum set needed, translated to Amplifier tool names (consult skills-assist for the current tool name reference)

Save location:

• This project (.amplifier/skills/<name>/SKILL.md)
• Personal (~/.amplifier/skills/<name>/SKILL.md)
• A skills bundle (amplifier-bundle-skills/skills/<name>/SKILL.md)

Step structure:

• Confirm the adapted steps make sense for Amplifier's tool and agent ecosystem
• Identify any steps that need fundamental reworking (not just tool name swaps)

Success criteria: All design decisions confirmed by the user.

6. Write the SKILL.md

Write the adapted SKILL.md following Amplifier conventions. Consult skills-assist for the full set of available frontmatter fields and current conventions.

Key principles (illustrative — consult skills-assist for complete reference):

• Frontmatter uses Amplifier fields (model_role, user-invocable, context, disable-model-invocation, allowed-tools, etc.)
• description carries all routing weight (trigger phrases, "Use when...")
• Tool references use Amplifier names (read_file, write_file, edit_file, bash, glob, grep, delegate, etc.)
• Paths reference Amplifier locations (.amplifier/skills/, ~/.amplifier/skills/)
• Agent delegation uses delegate tool, not platform-specific mechanisms
• Success criteria on every step

Present the complete SKILL.md in a code block for review before saving.

Success criteria: The user has reviewed and approved the adapted SKILL.md.

7. Test the Skill

Before committing, verify the skill works:

1. Save the skill to .amplifier/skills/<name>/SKILL.md (immediately discoverable, no config changes needed).

2. In the same session, call load_skill("<name>") and verify:

   • The skill loads without errors
   • The description is clear enough for routing
   • The body instructions are actionable

3. Spawn a test session via delegate(agent="self", context_depth="none") that exercises the skill:

   • The test agent should load the skill and follow its instructions against a synthesized test input (e.g., a small sample source SKILL.md from the original platform)
   • Verify the output contains valid Amplifier frontmatter, correct tool names, and proper structure

4. If issues are found, fix the SKILL.md and re-test.

Success criteria: The skill loads, the test agent follows its instructions, and the output conforms to Amplifier conventions.

8. Save, Commit, and Push

After testing passes:

1. Move the skill from .amplifier/skills/<name>/ to the final destination (bundle directory, personal skills, or leave in project skills).

2. If contributing to a bundle, commit and push via foundation:git-ops.

3. Tell the user:

   • Where the skill was saved
   • How to invoke it: /skill-name [arguments]
   • That they can edit the SKILL.md directly to refine it

Success criteria: The file is at its final destination (and pushed if targeting a bundle), and the user knows how to use it.