xcodebuildmcp

Official skill for XcodeBuildMCP. Use when doing iOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS work (build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation).

1.97x

Quality

70%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

91%

1.97x

Average score across 3 eval scenarios

Securityby

Passed

No known issues

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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, concise description that clearly identifies its niche (Apple platform development via XcodeBuildMCP) and provides explicit 'Use when' guidance with good trigger terms. Its main weakness is that the capability actions are listed as brief keywords in parentheses rather than described as concrete operations, which slightly reduces specificity. Overall it would perform well in skill selection among a large set of skills.

Suggestions

Expand the parenthetical action keywords into slightly more descriptive phrases, e.g., 'Build and run Xcode projects, execute test suites, stream device logs, perform UI automation' to improve specificity.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Lists some actions in parenthetical form (build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation) but these are brief keywords rather than fully described concrete actions. It names the domain (Xcode/Apple platforms) and some actions but isn't comprehensive about what specifically the skill does with each.	2 / 3
Completeness	Explicitly answers both 'what' (iOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS work including build, test, run, debug, log, UI automation) and 'when' ('Use when doing iOS/macOS/watchOS/tvOS/visionOS work'). The 'Use when' clause is explicitly present with clear trigger conditions.	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 XcodeBuildMCP. These cover the major Apple platform keywords and common development actions users would mention.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Highly distinctive — the combination of XcodeBuildMCP, specific Apple platform names (iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS), and Xcode-specific actions creates a clear niche that is unlikely to conflict with other skills.	3 / 3
	Total	11 / 12 Passed

Implementation

50%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

This skill provides a reasonable behavioral framework for using XcodeBuildMCP tools with clear sequencing and specific tool names, but falls short on actionability by lacking concrete examples (e.g., sample tool calls, example config YAML). The capabilities list is informative but somewhat verbose, and the workflow lacks explicit validation checkpoints for error recovery.

Suggestions

Add concrete example tool calls showing a typical workflow (e.g., `session_show_defaults` → `build_and_run_on_simulator` with sample parameters)

Include a minimal example of `.xcodebuildmcp/config.yaml` for enabling additional workflows instead of just linking to external docs

Add a validation/feedback loop in Step 2: e.g., 'After updating config.yaml, call session_show_defaults again to confirm the new workflows are active'

Trim the capabilities bullet list to focus on non-obvious behaviors and constraints rather than listing every feature category

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	Mostly efficient but the capabilities list is somewhat verbose and partially redundant with tool discovery. The bullet list of capabilities reads like marketing copy rather than actionable reference. However, it doesn't over-explain concepts Claude already knows.	2 / 3
Actionability	Provides clear behavioral directives (e.g., 'Call session_show_defaults before the first build/run/test action') and names specific tools, but lacks concrete executable examples—no code snippets, no example tool calls, no sample config YAML. Guidance is specific but not copy-paste ready.	2 / 3
Workflow Clarity	Steps are numbered and sequenced (establish context → understand tool availability → report context), but there are no validation checkpoints or feedback loops. Step 2 mentions checking enabled workflows but doesn't provide a concrete validation command or error-recovery sequence. The workflow for handling missing tools is vague ('check enabled workflows first').	2 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	References external configuration docs via URL, which is good, but the capabilities list is inlined when it could be a separate reference. The skill is reasonably short but the structure could better separate quick-start behavior from the full capabilities overview. Only one external reference is provided.	2 / 3
	Total	8 / 12 Passed

Validation

100%

Warnings & errors only

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: 200ac9c

Reviewed: 3 days ago

Table of Contents

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