process-capture

Process Capture

Capture successful multi-step workflows as reusable skills so future sessions can replay them.

When to Use

Activate after completing any task that meets ALL of these criteria:

1. It took 3 or more distinct steps (tool calls).
2. It is likely to recur -- either the user said so, or the task type is common (deploy, report generation, data pipeline, etc.).
3. No existing skill already covers it (check skills/ first).

After such a task, ask the user: "This took several steps. Want me to save it as a reusable skill?" If the user agrees (or you are in hands-off autonomy mode), capture the skill.

Approach

Captured skill format

Create skills/{task-name}/SKILL.md with this structure:

# Task Name

One-line description of what this skill does.

## When to Use
<1-3 trigger conditions>

## Steps
1. <action> — <tool and key arguments>
2. <action> — <tool and key arguments>
...

## Inputs
- <variable>: <description and default if any>

## Outputs
- <artifact>: <where it goes>

## Anti-patterns
- <what NOT to do>

Use RFC 2119 keywords (MUST, SHOULD, MAY) for clarity on which steps are required vs. optional.

Trigger-task pairing

When the user asks you to create a trigger (via create_trigger, if available), you MUST also create a companion skill that documents how the triggered task SHOULD be executed. The trigger fires the task; the skill defines the task. Always pair them.

Updating existing skills

If a captured workflow changes, update the existing SKILL.md rather than creating a new skill. Use the edit tool to modify only the changed sections.

Anti-patterns

• Do NOT capture trivial tasks. A single-step file creation is not worth a skill. The 3-step minimum exists for a reason.
• Do NOT duplicate existing skills. Read skills/ before creating. If a similar skill exists, extend it instead.
• Do NOT include hardcoded paths or values. Use placeholder names (e.g., {input_file}) in the Steps section so the skill is reusable across different inputs.
• Do NOT write overly detailed skills. Keep each skill under 80 lines. If the workflow is that complex, break it into sub-skills.