Activation design

Make triggers explicit

List concrete user/task signals near the top of the skill:

• domain nouns (e.g. CSV, OAuth callback, Fastify plugin)
• failure cues (timeouts, backpressure, flaky tests)
• output shape cues (commit footer, schema, endpoint)

Front-load non-negotiables

If behavior is frequently missed, move it into a numbered top-level checklist. Use imperative wording:

• "Use pipeline(...)"
• "Include Refs: when requested"
• "Do not omit ..."

Use integrated examples

Add examples that combine multiple rules likely needed together in real tasks. A good integrated example:

• starts from realistic input
• includes critical decision points
• shows final output format

Avoid ambiguous wording

Replace fuzzy phrasing:

• "consider using"
• "you may want"

With strict phrasing when correctness matters:

• "use"
• "must include"
• "do not omit"

Activation anti-patterns

• burying critical rules deep in long files
• splitting one core behavior across too many documents
• examples that are toy-only and do not reflect real prompts