aws-cloudformation-cloudwatch
AWS CloudFormation patterns for CloudWatch monitoring, metrics, alarms, dashboards, logs, and observability. Use when creating CloudWatch metrics, alarms, dashboards, log groups, log subscriptions, anomaly detection, synthesized canaries, Application Signals, and implementing template structure with Parameters, Outputs, Mappings, Conditions, cross-stack references, and CloudWatch best practices for monitoring production infrastructure.
Install with Tessl CLI
npx tessl i github:giuseppe-trisciuoglio/developer-kit --skill aws-cloudformation-cloudwatch73
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
100%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 strong skill description that excels across all dimensions. It provides comprehensive coverage of specific capabilities, includes natural trigger terms AWS users would employ, explicitly states both what the skill does and when to use it, and occupies a clear niche that won't conflict with generic AWS or monitoring skills.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists multiple specific concrete actions: 'CloudWatch monitoring, metrics, alarms, dashboards, logs, and observability' plus detailed capabilities like 'anomaly detection, synthesized canaries, Application Signals' and template structure elements. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('AWS CloudFormation patterns for CloudWatch monitoring...') and when ('Use when creating CloudWatch metrics, alarms, dashboards...') with explicit trigger guidance covering multiple use cases. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural terms users would say: 'CloudWatch', 'metrics', 'alarms', 'dashboards', 'log groups', 'CloudFormation', 'monitoring', 'observability', 'canaries', 'cross-stack references' - these are all terms AWS users naturally use. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Very specific niche combining AWS CloudFormation with CloudWatch monitoring - the combination of infrastructure-as-code (CloudFormation) with specific observability services (CloudWatch) creates a distinct, non-conflicting scope. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 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 comprehensive, executable CloudFormation templates for CloudWatch monitoring but suffers from severe verbosity. The actionable code examples are excellent and production-ready, but the document is far too long with repetitive patterns that could be consolidated or moved to reference files. The lack of a clear workflow for building monitoring infrastructure from scratch limits its practical utility.
Suggestions
Reduce content by 60-70% by moving detailed examples to EXAMPLES.md and keeping only one representative example per resource type in the main file
Add a 'Quick Start Workflow' section at the top with numbered steps: 1) Create log groups, 2) Add metric filters, 3) Configure alarms, 4) Build dashboard - with validation checkpoints
Remove explanatory prose like 'Stack policies protect critical resources' and 'Use change sets to preview changes' - Claude knows these concepts
Consolidate the multiple alarm examples (ErrorRateAlarm, LatencyAlarm, ClientErrorAlarm, ServerErrorAlarm) into a single parameterized pattern with a note about variations
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose at ~1000+ lines with extensive repetition. Many code blocks show variations of the same patterns (multiple alarm types, multiple parameter examples) that could be consolidated. Includes explanatory text Claude already knows (e.g., 'Stack policies protect critical resources from unintentional updates'). | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides fully executable CloudFormation YAML templates throughout. Code is copy-paste ready with complete resource definitions, proper syntax, and realistic parameter values. CLI commands are specific and complete. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | While individual templates are clear, there's no explicit workflow for creating a monitoring stack from scratch. The change set section shows a sequence but lacks validation checkpoints. Missing guidance on order of operations when combining multiple resource types. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | References REFERENCE.md and EXAMPLES.md at the end, but the main file contains massive amounts of content that should be split out. The 'When to Use' section is helpful, but the body dumps everything inline rather than organizing into digestible sections with clear navigation. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 12 Passed |
Validation
68%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 / 16 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
skill_md_line_count | SKILL.md is long (1637 lines); consider splitting into references/ and linking | Warning |
allowed_tools_field | 'allowed-tools' contains unusual tool name(s) | Warning |
metadata_version | 'metadata' field is not a dictionary | Warning |
license_field | 'license' field is missing | Warning |
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 11 / 16 Passed | |
- Reviewed
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