env-secret-detector
Env Secret Detector - Auto-activating skill for Security Fundamentals. Triggers on: env secret detector, env secret detector Part of the Security Fundamentals skill category.
36
3%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
96%
0.96xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./planned-skills/generated/03-security-fundamentals/env-secret-detector/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
7%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 description is extremely weak—it reads as an auto-generated stub with no substantive content. It fails to describe what the skill does, provides no natural trigger terms users would use, and lacks any 'Use when...' guidance. The only slight positive is that the name itself hints at a specific niche, but the description does nothing to capitalize on that.
Suggestions
Add concrete actions describing what the skill does, e.g., 'Scans code, configuration files, and environment variables for exposed secrets such as API keys, tokens, passwords, and credentials.'
Add an explicit 'Use when...' clause with natural trigger terms, e.g., 'Use when the user asks about detecting leaked secrets, scanning for API keys, checking .env files for sensitive data, or auditing code for exposed credentials.'
Replace the duplicated trigger term 'env secret detector' with diverse natural keywords users would actually say, such as 'secrets', 'API keys', 'credentials', '.env', 'leaked passwords', 'sensitive data'.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description provides no concrete actions. 'Env Secret Detector' names a concept but doesn't describe what it actually does—no mention of scanning, detecting, alerting, or any specific operations on secrets or environment variables. | 1 / 3 |
Completeness | The description fails to answer both 'what does this do' and 'when should Claude use it'. There is no explanation of functionality and no explicit 'Use when...' clause or equivalent trigger guidance. | 1 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | The trigger terms listed are just 'env secret detector' repeated twice. There are no natural user keywords like 'secrets', 'API keys', 'credentials', 'environment variables', '.env files', 'leaked secrets', or 'sensitive data'. | 1 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The name 'Env Secret Detector' is somewhat specific to a niche (detecting secrets in environment files), which provides some distinctiveness. However, the lack of concrete detail means it could overlap with other security-related skills. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 5 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
0%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is an empty shell with no actual content. It consists entirely of generic boilerplate describing what an env secret detector skill would do, without providing any concrete detection patterns, code examples, regex rules, tool commands, or actionable guidance. It fails on every dimension of the rubric.
Suggestions
Add concrete code examples for detecting secrets in .env files (e.g., regex patterns for API keys, passwords, tokens, and common secret formats)
Provide a clear workflow: 1) scan files with specific tool/command, 2) classify findings, 3) validate true positives vs false positives, 4) remediate by rotating exposed secrets
Include executable examples such as grep/ripgrep commands, Python scripts, or references to tools like trufflehog, detect-secrets, or gitleaks with specific configuration
Remove all generic filler sections ('Purpose', 'When to Use', 'Example Triggers') and replace with actionable content that teaches Claude how to actually detect and handle exposed secrets
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is padded with generic filler text that provides no actionable information. Phrases like 'Provides step-by-step guidance' and 'Follows industry best practices' are empty platitudes. The entire body explains what the skill supposedly does without ever actually doing it. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | There is zero concrete guidance—no code, no commands, no specific detection patterns, no regex examples, no tool references. The skill describes rather than instructs, offering only vague promises like 'Generates production-ready code and configurations' without any actual content. | 1 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | No workflow, steps, or process is defined. There are no instructions for how to detect secrets in environment files, no validation checkpoints, and no error handling guidance. The phrase 'step-by-step guidance' is mentioned but never delivered. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is a flat, monolithic block of generic sections with no references to detailed materials, no links to related files, and no meaningful structure beyond boilerplate headings that contain no substantive content. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 4 / 12 Passed |
Validation
81%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 9 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
allowed_tools_field | 'allowed-tools' contains unusual tool name(s) | Warning |
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 9 / 11 Passed | |
- Commit
c8a915c
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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