The Missing Standard in AI Agent Development
We've standardized data with JSON, APIs with OpenAPI, and documentation with Markdown. But when it comes to AI agent skills, we're still writing brittle scripts that break at the first UI update.
It's time for a standard skill format.
The Fragmentation Problem
Every AI agent framework has its own way of defining capabilities:
- LangChain uses Python functions
- AutoGen uses specialized classes
- CrewAI uses YAML configurations
- Custom agents use... whatever the developer wrote
This creates several problems:
- Skills aren't portable between frameworks
- Domain experts can't contribute without coding
- Maintenance is a nightmare when UIs change
- Knowledge is trapped in proprietary formats
What a Universal Skill Format Needs
A standard skill format should be:
Human-readable: Domain experts should be able to read and validate it
Machine-executable: Agents should understand it natively
UI-resilient: It should survive website redesigns
Framework-agnostic: Work across LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI, and custom agents
Version-controllable: Text-based for git and diffing
Introducing SKILL.md
SKILL.md is a structured format that meets all these requirements. Here's an example:
# Book a Demo Skill
## Goal
Schedule a product demo through the website booking form
## Context
- Starting URL: /book-demo
- Required authentication: None
- Expected duration: 2-3 minutes
## Workflow
1. Navigate to booking page
2. Identify calendar widget with available slots
3. Select first available time
4. Fill contact form (name, email, company)
5. Submit booking
6. Confirm success
## Success Criteria
- Confirmation message displayed
- OR confirmation email sent
- OR booking appears in dashboard
Notice what's missing: specific selectors, DOM paths, or implementation details. The skill describes intent, not implementation.
How SKILL.md Solves the Resilience Problem
Traditional automation breaks when:
- CSS classes change
- Element IDs are renamed
- Page structure is reorganized
- Frameworks are swapped
SKILL.md survives these changes because it describes what to look for, not where to find it.
Creating Skills from Demonstrations
The best part? You don't have to write SKILL.md by hand. Tools like SkillForge can generate it from screen recordings:
- Record yourself performing the task
- AI extracts the workflow and decision points
- Structured SKILL.md is generated
- Review, edit, and deploy
Try It Out
Want to create your own SKILL.md files?
🚀 Check out SkillForge
🔥 Support our Product Hunt launch
What skills would you create if you could just record your screen?
Top comments (0)