optimizing-prompts
Execute this skill optimizes prompts for large language models (llms) to reduce token usage, lower costs, and improve performance. it analyzes the prompt, identifies areas for simplification and redundancy removal, and rewrites the prompt to be more conci... Use when optimizing performance. Trigger with phrases like 'optimize', 'performance', or 'speed up'.
28
22%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
—
No eval scenarios have been run
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./plugins/packages/ai-ml-engineering-pack/skills/optimizing-prompts/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
44%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
The description identifies a specific domain (LLM prompt optimization) and includes both 'what' and 'when' clauses, which is good structurally. However, it is severely undermined by overly generic trigger terms that would cause frequent false matches with unrelated skills, a truncated description that cuts off mid-word, and the awkward 'Execute this skill' phrasing. The mismatch between the specific capability and the generic triggers is the biggest weakness.
Suggestions
Replace generic trigger terms with domain-specific ones like 'prompt optimization', 'reduce tokens', 'token usage', 'prompt engineering', 'shorten prompt', 'LLM cost reduction', '.prompt files'.
Fix the truncated description ('more conci...') to complete the sentence and ensure the full capability set is visible.
Remove the 'Execute this skill' prefix and use third-person voice consistently (e.g., 'Optimizes prompts for large language models...').
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description names the domain (prompt optimization for LLMs) and some actions (analyzes the prompt, identifies areas for simplification and redundancy removal, rewrites the prompt), but the description is truncated ('more conci...') and the actions are somewhat generic rather than listing multiple distinct concrete capabilities. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | The description explicitly answers both 'what does this do' (optimizes prompts for LLMs to reduce token usage, lower costs, improve performance) and 'when should Claude use it' with a 'Use when' clause and trigger phrases, even though the triggers themselves are poorly chosen. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | The trigger terms 'optimize', 'performance', and 'speed up' are overly generic and would match many unrelated tasks (code optimization, database performance, etc.). It lacks natural terms users would say like 'reduce tokens', 'prompt engineering', 'shorten prompt', 'token usage', or 'LLM cost'. | 1 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The trigger terms 'optimize', 'performance', and 'speed up' are extremely generic and would conflict with code optimization, database tuning, web performance, and many other skills. The description fails to carve out a distinct niche despite the actual capability being fairly specific. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 7 / 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 almost entirely boilerplate with no actionable content. It describes what prompt optimization is at a high level but provides zero concrete techniques, rules, heuristics, or executable guidance that Claude could use to actually optimize prompts. The majority of sections are generic filler that waste tokens without adding value.
Suggestions
Replace the abstract 'How It Works' section with concrete, specific prompt optimization techniques (e.g., 'Remove filler phrases like "I would like you to"', 'Convert compound sentences to bullet lists', 'Eliminate redundant instruction qualifiers') with before/after examples showing token counts.
Remove all generic boilerplate sections (Prerequisites, Instructions, Output, Error Handling, Resources) that contain no skill-specific information.
Add a concrete step-by-step workflow with validation: e.g., '1. Count tokens in original prompt, 2. Apply optimization rules, 3. Count tokens in result, 4. Verify semantic equivalence, 5. Report reduction percentage'.
Provide executable examples with actual token counts and specific optimization rules applied, rather than describing what 'the skill will' do in the third person.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose and padded with content Claude already knows. The 'Overview' restates the title, 'How It Works' describes obvious steps, 'Best Practices' are generic platitudes, and sections like 'Prerequisites', 'Instructions', 'Output', 'Error Handling', and 'Resources' are vague filler that add no actionable information. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | No concrete code, commands, or executable techniques are provided. The examples merely describe what 'the skill will' do in abstract terms rather than providing actual prompt optimization rules, heuristics, or algorithms Claude should follow. The 'Instructions' section is entirely generic ('Invoke this skill when trigger conditions are met'). | 1 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The three-step 'How It Works' is vague and descriptive rather than prescriptive. There are no validation checkpoints, no criteria for measuring token reduction, no feedback loops, and no concrete sequence of operations Claude should execute. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is a monolithic wall of text with no bundle files, no references to external resources, and no meaningful structure. Multiple sections contain near-empty boilerplate ('The skill produces structured output relevant to the task') that could be removed entirely rather than organized into separate files. | 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 | |
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