probe

Answer one question that can't be settled by reading or arguing — build the smallest throwaway thing that makes the answer visible, inside a timebox, against a decision rule declared before the build starts. Returns a 4-line finding (Q / Tried / Found / Decides) plus a manipulable micro-world when the thing has a visible surface, then deletes the spike. Use when the user says "spike this", "try both and see", "we won't know until we build it", "is X fast enough", "which of A or B", "prototype it first", when an interview hits "I don't know yet" on something no one can know, or when `sightline` resolves a PROBE row. Standalone: /probe <question> [--rule "..."] [--box "..."].

Quality

94%

Does it follow best practices?

Run evals on this skill

Adds up to 20 points to the overall score

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

88%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

The body is a tight, highly actionable guide with a clear sequenced workflow and explicit validation gates for its destructive operations. Its only gaps are minor: a little narrative that could be trimmed and a single-file structure that, while well-organized, has no progressive-disclosure references.

Suggestions

Tighten the illustrative anecdotes (transit-API timestamps, the 'seventeen spikes' story) to one or two lines each so the body fully hits the lean/efficient bar.

Consider extracting the GOOD/BAD decision-rule examples or the micro-world kind/table into a one-level-deep reference file to improve progressive-disclosure navigation for the longer sections.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	Dense and purposeful with no basic-concept padding and every section earning its place, but a few narrative flourishes (the transit-API timestamp anecdote, 'seventeen this way') could be trimmed while preserving the point — efficient with minor instances of over-explanation, matching score 4 rather than the fully lean 5.	4 / 5
Actionability	Provides concrete executable guidance — the exact 4-line finding format with a worked example, GOOD/BAD decision-rule examples, quarantine paths, `sight spike`/`sight burn` commands, and a micro-world HTML spec — fully actionable and copy-paste ready for the common cases.	5 / 5
Workflow Clarity	The probe workflow is clearly sequenced (refuse → rule → timebox → quarantine → build → manipulable → hand seam → numbered Ending) with explicit validation checkpoints (instrument self-check before findings, `burn` refusing until the finding is on disk) and feedback loops (refuse → re-scope cheaper question → DEFER); the destructive spike-deletion has validation, so the cap-3 does not apply.	5 / 5
Progressive Disclosure	No bundle files exist and the skill is a single self-contained file with well-organized, clearly-headed sections and no nested references; good structure, but at ~230 lines it exceeds the under-50-line simple-skill exception that would allow a 5, so it sits at 4.	4 / 5
	Total	18 / 20 Passed

Description

100%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

The description is specific, trigger-rich, and explicitly covers both what the skill does and when to invoke it, using third-person voice throughout. It is a strong, low-conflict description with no notable weaknesses.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names multiple concrete actions — 'build the smallest throwaway thing', 'Returns a 4-line finding', 'plus a manipulable micro-world', 'deletes the spike' — with comprehensive coverage, matching the score-5 anchor.	5 / 5
Completeness	Explicitly answers both what (build spike, return 4-line finding + micro-world, delete spike) and when (a 'Use when...' clause with concrete trigger phrases), matching the score-5 anchor.	5 / 5
Trigger Term Quality	Comprehensive natural trigger phrases users would actually say — 'spike this', 'try both and see', 'we won't know until we build it', 'is X fast enough', 'which of A or B', 'prototype it first' — including synonyms and an interview trigger.	5 / 5
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Occupies a clear spike/probe-for-decisions niche with distinct triggers and a standalone invocation form, giving minimal overlap risk with other skills.	5 / 5
	Total	20 / 20 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 16 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository: MrToxy/claude-skills
Path: probe/SKILL.md
Commit: 66c7102

Reviewed: 3 hours ago

Table of Contents

Discovery Implementation Validation

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If you maintain this skill, you can claim it as your own. Once claimed, you can manage eval scenarios, bundle related skills, attach documentation or rules, and ensure cross-agent compatibility.