aws-ami-builder

Build Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) with Packer using the amazon-ebs builder. Use when creating custom AMIs for EC2 instances.

1.23x

Quality

77%

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

100%

1.23x

Average score across 3 eval scenarios

Securityby

Advisory

Suggest reviewing before use

Optimize this skill with Tessl

npx tessl skill review --optimize ./packer/builders/skills/aws-ami-builder/SKILL.md

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, focused description that clearly identifies its niche (Packer AMI building) and includes an explicit 'Use when' trigger clause. Its main weakness is limited specificity of actions—it only mentions 'build' without detailing sub-tasks like template authoring, provisioner configuration, or AMI validation. The trigger terms are strong and domain-appropriate.

Suggestions

Expand the capability list with more specific actions, e.g., 'Build Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) with Packer using the amazon-ebs builder, including HCL template creation, provisioner configuration, and AMI validation.'

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names the domain (AMIs with Packer) and one specific builder (amazon-ebs), but doesn't list multiple concrete actions beyond 'build'. Could mention provisioning steps, validation, template creation, etc.	2 / 3
Completeness	Clearly answers both 'what' (build AMIs with Packer using amazon-ebs builder) and 'when' (Use when creating custom AMIs for EC2 instances), with an explicit 'Use when' clause.	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Includes strong natural keywords users would say: 'AMI', 'Amazon Machine Images', 'Packer', 'amazon-ebs', 'EC2 instances', 'custom AMIs'. These cover the main terms a user would naturally use when needing this skill.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Very specific niche combining Packer + AMI + amazon-ebs builder. Unlikely to conflict with other skills given the narrow domain of Packer-based AMI creation.	3 / 3
	Total	11 / 12 Passed

Implementation

64%

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

This is a solid, actionable skill with complete, executable HCL templates and useful CLI commands. Its main weaknesses are some redundancy (duplicated AMI filter blocks), lack of an explicit sequential workflow with validation checkpoints before costly build operations, and a somewhat monolithic structure that could benefit from splitting reference material into separate files.

Suggestions

Remove the duplicated Ubuntu 22.04 source_ami_filter from the 'Common Source AMI Filters' section since it's already in the basic template, or consolidate into one location.

Add an explicit numbered workflow with validation checkpoint: '1. packer init . → 2. packer validate . → 3. If errors, fix and re-validate → 4. Only when valid: packer build .'

Remove or significantly trim the Authentication section—Claude knows standard AWS credential resolution order.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The content is mostly efficient but includes some redundancy—the Ubuntu 22.04 source_ami_filter is shown in full twice (once in the basic template and once in the 'Common Source AMI Filters' section). The authentication section explains standard AWS credential resolution which Claude already knows. The cost note is useful but borderline.	2 / 3
Actionability	The skill provides fully executable HCL templates that are copy-paste ready, concrete CLI commands for init/validate/build, specific AMI filter configurations with owner IDs, and practical variable usage. All code is complete and runnable.	3 / 3
Workflow Clarity	The build commands section lists init, validate, and build steps but doesn't enforce a clear sequential workflow with validation checkpoints. There's no explicit 'validate before build' enforcement or error recovery loop (e.g., if validate fails, fix and re-validate before proceeding to build). For an operation that incurs AWS costs, this validation gap is notable.	2 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	The content is reasonably structured with clear sections, but it's somewhat monolithic—the common source AMI filters and multi-region example could be in separate reference files. External references are provided at the end, but the inline content is lengthy enough that splitting would improve navigation.	2 / 3
	Total	9 / 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: hashicorp/agent-skills
Commit: b129bb5

Reviewed: 11 days ago

Table of Contents

Discovery Implementation Validation

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.