MaTriXy

auto-skill-guide

Documentation for the Auto-Skill plugin - automatic workflow pattern detection, skill generation, and dynamic loading

MaTriXy 25 Updated 7mo ago

Resources

1
GitHub

Install

npx skillscat add matrixy/auto-skill/auto-skill-guide

Install via the SkillsCat registry.

About this skill

The Auto-Skill plugin monitors coding agent sessions to detect repeated workflow patterns, then generates reusable skill files that can be loaded mid-session. It solves the problem of manually capturing and reusing recurring agent behaviors by automating pattern detection after three or more similar occurrences. Developers should use it when they want to convert repeated multi-step workflows into persistent, loadable skills without restarting sessions.

SKILL.md

Auto-Skill Plugin

This plugin automatically detects workflow patterns from your coding agent sessions, generates reusable skills, and can load them dynamically mid-session.

CLI Tool Installation

The agent skills are now installed, but to use CLI commands like auto-skill init, auto-skill discover, etc., you need to install the npm package.

Quick Install:

# Option 1: Run the included install script
bash ~/.agents/skills/auto-skill-guide/install-cli.sh

# Option 2: Install globally via npm
npm install -g @matrixy/auto-skill

# Option 3: Use without installing (via npx)
npx @matrixy/auto-skill init

Verify: auto-skill version


How It Works

Session 1: Grep → Read → Edit    ─┐
Session 2: Grep → Read → Edit     ├──▶ Pattern Detected → SKILL.md
Session 3: Grep → Read → Edit    ─┘
  1. Observation: Every tool call is recorded via PostToolUse hook
  2. Detection: Patterns are analyzed for repetition (3+ occurrences)
  3. Generation: Approved patterns become SKILL.md files with proper frontmatter
  4. Discovery: Claude proactively offers relevant skills for your tasks
  5. Loading: Skills can be loaded mid-session without restart

Commands

/auto-skill:review

Review and approve detected patterns:

/auto-skill:review              # List all detected patterns
/auto-skill:review preview ID   # Preview a pattern as a skill
/auto-skill:review approve ID   # Generate skill from pattern
/auto-skill:review reject ID    # Dismiss a pattern

/auto-skill:load

Load a generated skill into the current session:

/auto-skill:load                # List available skills
/auto-skill:load <name>         # Load specific skill immediately

Skills loaded this way become active immediately without requiring a session restart.

/auto-skill:status

Show system diagnostics:

/auto-skill:status              # Display stats, patterns, and config

Pattern Detection

Patterns are detected when:

  • Same tool sequence appears 3+ times across sessions
  • Sequence is 2-10 tools long
  • Pattern has occurred within the last 7 days

Confidence Scoring

Factor Weight Description
Occurrences 40% More occurrences = higher confidence
Length 20% 3-5 tools is ideal
Success Rate 25% Successful patterns score higher
Recency 15% Recent patterns are prioritized

Example Patterns

Grep → Read → Edit        # Search, read context, make changes
Glob → Read → Write       # Find files, read, create new file
Read → Edit → Bash        # Read file, edit, run tests

Dynamic Skill Loading

Unlike standard Claude Code skills (loaded at session start), auto-generated skills can be loaded mid-session using a registry system.

How It Works

  1. A lightweight registry indexes all skills (~metadata only)
  2. Scripts retrieve and format skill content on demand
  3. Output uses clear delimiters that signal active instructions:
======================================================================
SKILL LOADED: <name>
Confidence: <score>
Allowed tools: <tools>
======================================================================

<skill instructions>

======================================================================
END OF SKILL - INSTRUCTIONS ARE NOW ACTIVE
======================================================================

Proactive Discovery

Claude can automatically discover relevant skills using the skill-discovery skill:

  1. User requests a multi-step task
  2. Claude searches for matching skills
  3. If found, Claude asks: "Would you like me to load this skill?"
  4. User approves → skill is loaded and followed

CLI Commands

auto-skill discover             # Discover skill patterns
auto-skill stats                # Show adoption statistics
auto-skill graduate             # Manage skill graduation
auto-skill agents list          # List known agents
auto-skill agents detect        # Detect installed agents

To search for community skills, use Skills CLI:

npx skills find "query"         # Interactive search
npx skills add owner/repo       # Install skill

Execution Contexts

Generated skills automatically get appropriate execution settings:

Pattern Type Context Agent Why
Grep → Read Inline Explore Read-only, safe
Read → Edit → Bash Fork general-purpose Has side effects

Inline: Runs in current conversation context.

Fork (context: fork): Runs in isolated subagent. Use for:

  • Tasks with side effects (deployments, builds)
  • Workflows that shouldn't pollute conversation history
  • Long-running operations

Tool Restrictions

Generated skills include allowed-tools based on the pattern:

allowed-tools: Grep, Read, Edit

This prevents scope creep and ensures predictable behavior.

Generated Skills

Auto-generated skills are saved to:

~/.claude/skills/auto/<skill-name>/SKILL.md

Each skill includes:

  • YAML frontmatter with metadata
  • auto-generated: true flag
  • context: fork if appropriate
  • allowed-tools restrictions
  • Confidence score and source sessions
  • Procedural steps derived from the pattern

Configuration

Detection thresholds (in ~/.claude/auto-skill.local.md):

---
detection:
  min_occurrences: 3      # Minimum pattern repetitions
  min_sequence_length: 2  # Shortest pattern
  max_sequence_length: 10 # Longest pattern
  lookback_days: 7        # Analysis window
  min_confidence: 0.7     # Suggestion threshold
---

Data Storage

Data Location
Events ~/.claude/auto-skill/events.db
Skills ~/.claude/skills/auto/
Tracking ~/.claude/auto-skill/skills_tracking.db

Privacy

  • All data is stored locally
  • No data is sent to external services
  • Anonymous telemetry can be disabled via AUTO_SKILL_NO_TELEMETRY=1 or DO_NOT_TRACK=1

Troubleshooting

No patterns detected?

  • Need 3+ occurrences of the same sequence
  • Check the lookback period (default: 7 days)
  • Run /auto-skill:status to see event counts

Skill not loading?

  • Run auto-skill discover to refresh
  • Check the skill exists in ~/.claude/skills/auto/

Hooks not working?

  • Verify plugin is installed correctly
  • Check hooks/hooks.json configuration
  • Ensure Node.js 18+ is available

Want to reset?

  • Delete ~/.claude/auto-skill/events.db
  • Remove skills from ~/.claude/skills/auto/