A useful bookmark is not automatically a useful skill. Choose a bookmark only when it describes a procedure that an agent can repeat and you can verify. Keep news, opinions, announcements, and isolated tips as reference material.
Apply the qualification rubric
Score each category from 0 to 2. Reject a candidate with a zero in repeatability, evidence, or safety, even when its total score is high.
| Category | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeatability | Idea or result only | Partial sequence | Clear inputs, steps, and outcome |
| Evidence | Unsupported claim | Some source context | Claims trace to reliable sources |
| Safety | Hidden or uncontrolled risk | Risk needs explicit limits | Boundaries and approval points are clear |
| Specificity | Vague advice | Useful but incomplete | Tools, constraints, and outputs are named |
| Reuse value | One-time task | Occasional task | Recurring or costly-to-relearn task |
Make the decision
- Compile: The candidate scores 8 to 10 and has no zero in repeatability, evidence, or safety.
- Research: The candidate scores 5 to 7, and another reliable source can resolve the missing context.
- Keep as reference: The candidate is informative but does not define a reusable procedure.
- Reject: The candidate depends on unverifiable claims, unsafe actions, or invented steps.
Check the workflow boundary
Before writing SKILL.md, state the boundary in one sentence: “Use this skill when the user wants to [outcome] and provides [required input].” If the sentence covers several unrelated outcomes, split the candidate into focused skills.
Confirm that the skill can answer the following questions:
- What input does the workflow require?
- Which steps must the agent follow?
- What output does the user receive?
- Which facts must the agent not infer?
- When must the agent ask a question or stop?
Review a candidate example
A post that says “Use three agents to review every pull request” is not sufficient. It names a technique but omits the roles, inputs, review criteria, reconciliation method, and stopping condition.
The candidate becomes viable when linked material defines those parts and provides a result you can check. The skill can then preserve the supported procedure and exclude performance claims that the sources do not establish.
Next, follow the complete bookmark-to-skill example or learn how to package a qualifying bookmark for Claude Code.