step-functions

AWS Step Functions workflow orchestration with state machines. Use when designing workflows, implementing error handling, configuring parallel execution, integrating with AWS services, or debugging executions.

Install with Tessl CLI

npx tessl i github:itsmostafa/aws-agent-skills --skill step-functions

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Review — 77%

Does it follow best practices?

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Evaluation — 94%

Agent success when using this skill

Validation — 10 / 11 Passed

Validation for skill structure

SKILL.md

Review

Evals

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 well-crafted skill description that clearly identifies its domain (AWS Step Functions) and provides explicit trigger guidance through a comprehensive 'Use when...' clause. The main weakness is that the capabilities could be more concrete - listing specific actions like 'define state machine JSON', 'configure retry policies', or 'analyze execution traces' would strengthen specificity.

Suggestions

Replace general action categories with more concrete actions (e.g., 'define ASL state machine definitions, configure retry/catch blocks, set up Map states for parallel processing')

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names the domain (AWS Step Functions, state machines) and mentions several actions (designing workflows, implementing error handling, configuring parallel execution, integrating, debugging), but these are somewhat general categories rather than highly specific concrete actions like 'create state machine definitions' or 'parse execution history logs'.	2 / 3
Completeness	Clearly answers both what (AWS Step Functions workflow orchestration with state machines) and when (explicit 'Use when...' clause covering designing workflows, error handling, parallel execution, AWS integration, and debugging). The trigger guidance is explicit and comprehensive.	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Good coverage of natural terms users would say: 'Step Functions', 'workflow', 'state machines', 'error handling', 'parallel execution', 'AWS services', 'debugging executions'. These are terms users would naturally use when needing this skill.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Clear niche focused specifically on AWS Step Functions - unlikely to conflict with general AWS skills or other workflow tools. The combination of 'Step Functions', 'state machines', and specific use cases creates a distinct trigger profile.	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 reference skill with excellent actionable code examples covering all major Step Functions patterns. The main weaknesses are verbosity (could trim introductory content and split advanced patterns into separate files) and lack of explicit validation workflows for state machine creation/updates. The troubleshooting section is helpful but could be more structured around a debug workflow.

Suggestions

Remove the introductory paragraph explaining what Step Functions is - Claude already knows this

Add an explicit workflow section showing the full create -> validate -> deploy -> test cycle with validation checkpoints

Split advanced patterns (Parallel, Map, Error Handling) into a separate PATTERNS.md file, keeping only the simple Lambda workflow in the main skill

Add a validation step after creating/updating state machines: show how to use validate-state-machine-definition before deployment

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The skill is reasonably efficient but includes some unnecessary explanatory content like 'AWS Step Functions is a serverless orchestration service that lets you build and run workflows' which Claude already knows. The tables and structure are good, but some sections could be tighter.	2 / 3
Actionability	Excellent executable examples throughout - complete JSON state machine definitions, working boto3 code, and CLI commands that are copy-paste ready. Every pattern includes concrete, runnable code with realistic ARNs and parameters.	3 / 3
Workflow Clarity	While individual patterns are clear, there's no explicit workflow for creating and deploying a state machine with validation checkpoints. The troubleshooting section helps but lacks a clear 'validate -> fix -> retry' feedback loop for the creation/update process.	2 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	Good internal structure with table of contents and clear sections, but the document is quite long (~300 lines) with all content inline. Advanced patterns like error handling and parallel execution could be split into separate reference files with the main skill providing a concise overview.	2 / 3
	Total	9 / 12 Passed

Validation

90%

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 — 10 / 11 Passed

Validation for skill structure

Criteria	Description	Result
frontmatter_unknown_keys	Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata	Warning

	Total	10 / 11 Passed

Reviewed: about 1 hour ago

Table of Contents

Discovery Implementation Validation

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