Hermes Agent Skill Authoring — Author in-repo SKILL.md files: frontmatter and structure
Hermes Agent Skill Authoring — Author in-repo SKILL.md files: frontmatter and structure
Start with meaning, then move to detail.
This lesson explains Hermes Agent Skill Authoring — Author in-repo SKILL.md files: frontmatter and structure as part of extending Hermes and connecting external tools. You will learn what it does, when it matters, and the smallest safe test that proves it works.
If you are new, do not memorize names. Focus on three questions: what problem does this solve, what access does it need, and how can you verify the result?
For practice, inspect the first example, identify its effects, run it on test data, and compare the result with the source claim.
For advanced readers, inspect Skill metadata, Reference: full SKILL.md, Overview, then verify failure modes and version compatibility.
Complete installation and one successful task before adding new capabilities.
A clear outcome before you read.
- Understand Hermes Agent Skill Authoring — Author in-repo SKILL.md files: frontmatter and structure without assumed prior knowledge.
- Separate the source description from what still needs testing in your environment.
- Read the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Short definitions before the details.
- Skill
- An instruction bundle that teaches Hermes a repeatable workflow without necessarily adding an external service.
Author in-repo SKILL.md files: frontmatter and structure
What does the source say, and in what order?
- 01Skill metadata
Start here to understand the core idea or structure.
- 02Reference: full SKILL.md
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 03Overview
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 04When to Use
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 05Decide the Tier First: Bundled vs Optional
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 06Required Frontmatter
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 07description rules (HARDLINE — the validator's 1024 is NOT the standard)
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 08author rules
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 09relatedskills rules
Read this after the foundation, then connect it to the previous step.
- 10Platform Gating: audit, don't trust
Finish here to verify the result and special cases.
Copy only after you understand the effect.
---
name: my-skill-name # lowercase, hyphens, ≤64 chars (MAX_NAME_LENGTH)
description: Concise capability statement, under sixty chars.
version: 0.1.0 # semver; new skills start at 0.1.0
author: Real Name (github-handle), Hermes Agent
license: MIT
platforms: [linux, macos, windows] # audit, don't guess — see Platform Gating
metadata:
hermes:
tags: [Short, Descriptive, Tags]
related_skills: [other-in-repo-skill]
---# <Skill> Skill
2-3 sentence intro: what it does, what it doesn't do, dependency stance.
## When to Use — bulleted triggers (+ "Don't use for:" counter-triggers)
## Prerequisites — exact env vars, installs, API key sourcing
## How to Run — canonical invocation through the `terminal` tool
## Quick Reference — flat command list, no narration
## Procedure — numbered steps, each with a checkable completion criterion
## Pitfalls — known limits, things that look broken but aren't
## Verification — how to prove the skill workedRead the first command and identify its inputs and outputs before copying it.
Match every command to your installed Hermes version, review the files and accounts it can reach, and use non-sensitive data for the first test. If this explanation differs from the source, the official source wins.