github-contributor
Strategic guide for becoming an effective GitHub contributor. Covers opportunity discovery, project selection, high-quality PR creation, and reputation building. Use when looking to contribute to open-source projects, building GitHub presence, or learning contribution best practices.
Install with Tessl CLI
npx tessl i github:daymade/claude-code-skills --skill github-contributor81
Does it follow best practices?
If you maintain this skill, you can automatically optimize it using the tessl CLI to improve its score:
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./path/to/skillValidation for skill structure
Discovery
67%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This description is functional with a clear 'Use when...' clause that explicitly states trigger conditions. However, it relies on somewhat abstract capability categories rather than concrete actions, and the trigger terms could be expanded to capture more natural user phrasings like 'first pull request' or 'how to contribute'.
Suggestions
Replace abstract categories with concrete actions (e.g., 'find good first issues, fork repositories, write quality PR descriptions, respond to maintainer feedback')
Expand trigger terms to include common variations: 'pull request', 'first contribution', 'OSS', 'good first issue', 'maintainer feedback'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (GitHub contribution) and lists some actions ('opportunity discovery, project selection, high-quality PR creation, and reputation building'), but these are somewhat abstract categories rather than concrete specific actions like 'fork repositories' or 'write commit messages'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Strategic guide for becoming an effective GitHub contributor' with specific coverage areas) and when ('Use when looking to contribute to open-source projects, building GitHub presence, or learning contribution best practices'). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes relevant terms like 'GitHub', 'open-source', 'PR', and 'contribute', but misses common variations users might say such as 'pull request', 'first contribution', 'OSS', 'maintainer', or 'issue'. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Reasonably specific to GitHub contribution strategy, but could overlap with general Git skills, PR review skills, or open-source project management skills. The 'strategic guide' framing helps distinguish it somewhat. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
85%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a well-structured skill with strong actionability through concrete CLI commands, templates, and checklists. The workflow is clear with good progression from beginner to advanced contributions. Minor verbosity in explaining concepts Claude already understands (contribution types, basic GitHub concepts) prevents a perfect conciseness score.
Suggestions
Trim explanatory text in 'Contribution Types' section - Claude knows what documentation improvements and bug fixes are; focus on the opportunity signals only
Remove obvious advice like 'Fix typos, grammar' and 'Be grateful for reviews' - these don't add value for Claude
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary explanation that Claude would already know (e.g., explaining what documentation improvements are, basic concepts like 'fix typos'). The tables and lists are well-structured but could be tighter. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides concrete, executable GitHub CLI commands, specific commit message formats, clear checklists, and copy-paste ready templates. The PR description template and workflow checklist are immediately actionable. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | Clear sequential workflows with the 'Contribution Workflow' checklist, 'Pre-PR Checklist', and 'Contribution Ladder' progression. Steps are well-ordered and include validation points like 'Test thoroughly' before submitting. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Well-organized with clear sections progressing from strategy to specifics. References to external files (pr_checklist.md, project_evaluation.md, communication_templates.md) are clearly signaled at the end, maintaining one-level-deep navigation. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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