xcodebuildmcp-cli
Official skill for the XcodeBuildMCP CLI. Use when doing iOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS work (build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation).
87
81%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
96%
3.42xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Advisory
Suggest reviewing before use
Quality
Discovery
89%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 is a solid skill description that clearly identifies its niche (Apple platform development via XcodeBuildMCP CLI) and provides explicit 'Use when' guidance with good trigger terms. The main weakness is that the capability list is somewhat abbreviated — the actions are listed in parenthetical shorthand rather than described as full concrete actions, which slightly reduces specificity.
Suggestions
Expand the parenthetical action list into more descriptive phrases, e.g., 'Builds Xcode projects, runs tests, launches simulators, captures device logs, and automates UI interactions' for greater specificity.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description names the domain (Xcode/Apple platform development) and lists several actions (build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation), but these are presented as a parenthetical shorthand list rather than fully described concrete actions. It's more than vague but not as detailed as 'Extract text and tables from PDF files, fill forms, merge documents.' | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The description explicitly answers both 'what' (XcodeBuildMCP CLI skill for build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation) and 'when' ('Use when doing iOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS work') with a clear 'Use when...' clause and explicit triggers. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes strong natural trigger terms that users would actually say: iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS, build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation, and Xcode. These cover the major Apple platforms and common development actions comprehensively. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The description is highly distinctive — it targets a very specific tool (XcodeBuildMCP CLI) and a clear niche (Apple platform development). The platform-specific terms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS) and tool name make it very unlikely to conflict with other skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 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, concise skill that effectively teaches a help-first discovery pattern for the XcodeBuildMCP CLI. Its main weakness is the lack of concrete usage examples—while the discovery-based approach is philosophically sound, at least one or two real workflow examples (e.g., building and running an iOS app on a simulator) would significantly improve actionability. The workflow also lacks validation/error-handling guidance for build and test operations.
Suggestions
Add 1-2 concrete example commands showing common workflows (e.g., `xcodebuildmcp build-and-run --project MyApp.xcodeproj --simulator 'iPhone 16'`) with expected output snippets to improve actionability.
Add a brief error handling/validation section covering how to check for build failures, common error patterns, and recovery steps (e.g., 'If build fails, check session defaults with `xcodebuildmcp defaults`').
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is lean and efficient. It doesn't explain what Xcode is, what simulators are, or how CLIs work. Every section serves a clear purpose and respects Claude's intelligence. | 3 / 3 |
Actionability | Installation commands and help discovery commands are concrete and executable. However, the actual usage of the CLI for building, testing, running, etc. relies entirely on `--help` discovery rather than providing any concrete example commands or expected outputs, leaving Claude without copy-paste-ready workflow examples. | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The three-step sequence (verify CLI → discover commands → execute minimally) is clear, and the exit criteria section is a nice touch. However, there are no validation checkpoints for actual build/test/run operations—no guidance on checking build success, handling failures, or feedback loops for common errors. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | For a skill under 50 lines with no bundle files, the content is well-organized into clear sections with logical progression. The approach of delegating detailed command discovery to the CLI's own help system is an appropriate form of progressive disclosure. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 10 / 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
- getsentry/XcodeBuildMCP
- Commit
1d9bfc0
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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