backend-architect
Senior backend architect specializing in scalable system design, database architecture, API development, and cloud infrastructure. Builds robust, secure, performant server-side applications and microservices
35
19%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
Pending
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./backend-architect/skills/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
25%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 reads more like a resume headline for a senior engineer than a skill description for Claude's skill selection. It uses first/third person inconsistently but primarily describes a persona ('Senior backend architect') rather than concrete actions. It lacks explicit trigger guidance ('Use when...') and is too broad to be distinctive among a collection of skills.
Suggestions
Add an explicit 'Use when...' clause with trigger terms like 'design a backend system', 'create an API', 'set up microservices', 'database schema design', 'cloud deployment architecture'.
Replace the persona framing ('Senior backend architect specializing in...') with concrete action verbs describing what the skill does, e.g., 'Designs scalable backend architectures, creates REST/GraphQL API endpoints, models database schemas, and configures cloud infrastructure.'
Narrow the scope or clarify boundaries to reduce conflict risk — if this is meant to cover all backend work, explicitly state that; otherwise, focus on the most distinctive capability (e.g., system design vs. API development vs. cloud infrastructure).
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (backend architecture) and lists several areas like 'scalable system design, database architecture, API development, and cloud infrastructure,' but these are broad categories rather than concrete actions. The second sentence adds 'builds robust, secure, performant server-side applications and microservices' which is somewhat more specific but still high-level. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Describes what the skill does (backend architecture, API development, etc.) but completely lacks any 'Use when...' clause or explicit trigger guidance for when Claude should select this skill. Per the rubric, a missing 'Use when...' clause caps completeness at 2, and the 'what' portion is also somewhat vague, warranting a score of 1. | 1 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Contains some relevant keywords like 'backend', 'database architecture', 'API development', 'cloud infrastructure', 'microservices' that users might mention. However, it misses many common variations users would say such as 'REST API', 'SQL', 'Docker', 'Kubernetes', 'server setup', 'deployment', 'scaling', etc. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The description is extremely broad, covering system design, databases, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and microservices — each of which could be its own skill. This would easily conflict with more specialized skills in any of these individual domains. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 6 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
14%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is a verbose persona definition rather than an actionable skill document. It spends most of its token budget describing general backend engineering knowledge that Claude already possesses, wrapped in a 'personality' framing with emoji headers and motivational language. The code examples, while executable, are generic templates that don't provide project-specific guidance, and there are no workflows, validation steps, or progressive disclosure structures.
Suggestions
Remove the personality/identity framing, communication style, success metrics, and learning/memory sections - these consume tokens without adding actionable guidance Claude doesn't already have.
Replace generic architecture descriptions with project-specific constraints, conventions, and decision records (e.g., 'This project uses PostgreSQL 15 with these naming conventions...').
Add explicit multi-step workflows with validation checkpoints for common tasks like schema migrations, service deployment, and API versioning.
Extract lengthy code templates into separate referenced files (e.g., SCHEMA_PATTERNS.md, API_TEMPLATES.md) and keep SKILL.md as a concise overview with navigation links.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose with extensive content Claude already knows - security best practices, what microservices are, basic Express.js patterns, SQL schema design conventions, and general architecture principles. The 'personality' framing, emoji headers, success metrics, communication style, and learning/memory sections add no actionable value. Most content describes general backend engineering knowledge rather than project-specific constraints. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | Contains some concrete code examples (SQL schema, Express.js API setup) that are executable, but most content is descriptive rather than instructive. The code examples are generic templates not tied to a specific project context. Bullet points like 'Create microservices architectures that scale horizontally' are vague directives, not actionable instructions. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | No clear multi-step workflows are defined. The skill lists capabilities and deliverable templates but never sequences steps for actually performing architecture tasks. There are no validation checkpoints, no feedback loops for schema migrations or deployment processes, and no error recovery guidance for destructive operations like database changes. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Monolithic wall of text with no references to external files. All content is inline including lengthy code examples that could be separated. The final line references 'core training' which is vague and unhelpful. No navigation structure or links to detailed guides for specific topics like database optimization or security frameworks. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 5 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
- Repository
- OpenRoster-ai/awesome-openroster
- Commit
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- Reviewed
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