release-please-development
This skill should be used when the user asks to "set up release please", "configure automated releases", "manage version numbers", "add changelog automation", or mentions release-please, semantic versioning, or monorepo versioning.
71
58%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
92%
1.39xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./plugins/toolkit/skills/release-please-development/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
44%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 essentially a list of trigger phrases with no explanation of what the skill actually does. While it excels at providing natural keywords and is highly distinctive, it completely lacks any description of concrete capabilities or actions. A user or Claude selecting this skill would know when to use it but not what it will do.
Suggestions
Add concrete capability descriptions before the trigger phrases, e.g., 'Configures release-please GitHub Actions workflows, sets up semantic versioning, generates changelogs, and manages monorepo release configurations.'
Restructure to follow the pattern: '[What it does]. Use when [triggers].' — currently only the 'Use when' portion exists.
Use third-person action verbs to describe specific outputs: 'Creates release-please manifest files, configures version bumping strategies, sets up conventional commit enforcement.'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description does not describe any concrete actions or capabilities. It only lists trigger phrases without explaining what the skill actually does (e.g., 'set up release please' is a trigger, not a capability description). There are no specific actions like 'creates configuration files', 'generates changelogs', or 'configures GitHub Actions workflows'. | 1 / 3 |
Completeness | The description answers 'when' very well with explicit trigger phrases, but completely fails to answer 'what does this do'. There is no explanation of the skill's capabilities or actions. The rubric states a missing 'Use when' clause caps completeness at 2, but here the inverse problem exists — 'when' is present but 'what' is entirely missing. | 1 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural trigger terms users would say: 'set up release please', 'configure automated releases', 'manage version numbers', 'add changelog automation', 'release-please', 'semantic versioning', 'monorepo versioning'. These are natural phrases a user would actually use. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The description is highly distinctive with very specific triggers like 'release-please', 'monorepo versioning', and 'changelog automation'. These are niche enough that they are unlikely to conflict with other skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
72%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 and progressive disclosure. The main weaknesses are some unnecessary explanatory content (conventional commits, how it works) that Claude already knows, and the lack of validation/verification steps after setup. The concrete config examples and clear file references are its strongest aspects.
Suggestions
Add a verification step after the basic setup (e.g., 'Push a `feat: test` commit and verify release-please creates a PR') to improve workflow clarity.
Remove or significantly trim the 'Conventional Commits' table and 'How It Works' section — Claude already knows these concepts, and they consume tokens without adding actionable value.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Generally efficient but includes some unnecessary sections like 'How It Works' which explains basic release-please workflow Claude likely knows, and the 'Overview' bullet list restates what the title already conveys. The conventional commits table is common knowledge. However, the config examples and file structure are appropriately concise. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides fully executable, copy-paste ready configuration files (JSON config, manifest, and YAML workflow). The basic setup is a complete 3-step process with exact file paths and contents. The extra-files and marketplace examples are concrete and specific. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The basic setup steps are clearly sequenced (1-3), but there are no validation checkpoints — no way to verify the setup works, no troubleshooting for common issues like missing permissions or incorrect config. For a setup that affects CI/CD pipelines, a verification step (e.g., 'push a feat: commit and verify the release PR is created') would be valuable. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Excellent structure with a quick reference section at the top linking to detailed examples and configuration. References are one level deep and clearly signaled. The main file provides a complete overview while appropriately deferring detailed single-package, multi-package, and configuration content to separate files. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 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 |
|---|---|---|
allowed_tools_field | 'allowed-tools' contains unusual tool name(s) | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
- Repository
- dwmkerr/claude-toolkit
- Commit
ccd0360
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
Is this your skill?
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.