elastic-cli-usage
Use when invoking the elastic CLI via elastic_cli or choosing CLI vs MCP/native Kibana tools. Covers shorthands, serverless gotchas, command names, and docs/ESQL flags.
91
87%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
97%
2.48xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Quality
Discovery
75%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 has a clear 'Use when' clause and targets a distinct niche around the Elastic CLI, which are strengths. However, it lacks concrete action verbs describing what the skill actually does (e.g., 'runs queries', 'configures deployments') and relies on insider terminology that may not match how users naturally phrase requests. The coverage areas listed are more like topic labels than actionable capabilities.
Suggestions
Add concrete action verbs describing what the skill enables, e.g., 'Guides execution of elastic CLI commands, helps choose between CLI and MCP/Kibana tools, resolves serverless-specific issues'.
Expand trigger terms to include common user phrasings like 'elasticsearch', 'elastic search', 'es command', 'kibana API' to improve matching when users don't use exact tool names.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description mentions some specific elements like 'shorthands, serverless gotchas, command names, and docs/ESQL flags' but doesn't list concrete actions the skill performs. It's more about coverage areas than specific capabilities like 'run queries', 'deploy projects', or 'manage indices'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The description explicitly addresses both 'what' (covers shorthands, serverless gotchas, command names, docs/ESQL flags) and 'when' ('Use when invoking the elastic CLI via elastic_cli or choosing CLI vs MCP/native Kibana tools'). The 'Use when...' clause is present and provides explicit trigger guidance. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes some relevant keywords like 'elastic CLI', 'elastic_cli', 'MCP', 'Kibana', 'ESQL', and 'serverless', but misses common user phrasings. Users might say things like 'elasticsearch', 'run elastic command', 'elastic search query', or 'kibana dashboard' which aren't covered. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The description targets a very specific niche — the elastic CLI tool and the decision between CLI vs MCP/Kibana approaches. This is unlikely to conflict with other skills due to the specificity of 'elastic_cli', 'serverless gotchas', and 'ESQL flags'. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
100%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is an excellent skill file that is concise, highly actionable, and well-structured. It focuses exclusively on non-obvious gotchas and tool-specific knowledge that Claude wouldn't have, with concrete WRONG/CORRECT examples throughout. The content earns every token it uses and provides immediately executable guidance.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Every section is lean and directly useful. No explanations of what Elasticsearch is or how CLIs work. The gotchas are specific, non-obvious pitfalls that Claude wouldn't know without being told. The table for MCP preferences is compact and scannable. | 3 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides exact command arrays (copy-paste ready for the elastic_cli tool), shows both WRONG and CORRECT patterns with concrete examples, and gives specific workarounds for each gotcha. The guidance is immediately executable. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | This is a reference/lookup skill rather than a multi-step workflow, so explicit sequencing isn't required. The single clear instruction to use elastic_cli with argv as JSON array is unambiguous, and the fallback pattern ('call with --help') provides a discovery mechanism. The 'never block on stdin' warning serves as a safety checkpoint. | 3 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | Content is well-organized into clearly labeled sections (Shorthands, Prefer MCP, Gotchas) with individual gotchas as subsections. At ~80 lines with no need for external references, the structure is appropriate and easy to navigate. The suggestion to use --help for unlisted commands provides natural progressive disclosure. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 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.
- Repository
- elastic/elastic-ramen
- Commit
2e200ec
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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