polling-mechanism-setup
Polling Mechanism Setup - Auto-activating skill for API Integration. Triggers on: polling mechanism setup, polling mechanism setup Part of the API Integration skill category.
35
3%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
91%
1.03xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./planned-skills/generated/16-api-integration/polling-mechanism-setup/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, essentially just restating the skill title with no concrete actions, no meaningful trigger terms, and no explicit guidance on when to use it. The repeated trigger term 'polling mechanism setup' adds no value. It reads as auto-generated boilerplate rather than a useful skill description.
Suggestions
Add specific concrete actions such as 'Configures interval-based API polling, implements exponential backoff, sets up long polling connections, and handles retry logic for API endpoints.'
Add a 'Use when...' clause with natural trigger terms like 'Use when the user needs to periodically check an API endpoint, set up polling intervals, implement long polling, or create retry mechanisms for API calls.'
Include varied natural keywords users might say: 'poll', 'polling', 'check periodically', 'interval', 'retry', 'backoff', 'API status check', 'recurring API call'.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | The description only names the concept 'Polling Mechanism Setup' without describing any concrete actions. There are no specific capabilities listed such as configuring intervals, handling retries, implementing exponential backoff, etc. | 1 / 3 |
Completeness | The description fails to answer 'what does this do' beyond restating the title, and the 'when' guidance is essentially just the skill name repeated. There is no explicit 'Use when...' clause with meaningful trigger scenarios. | 1 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | The trigger terms are just 'polling mechanism setup' repeated twice. It lacks natural variations users would say like 'poll an API', 'check endpoint periodically', 'long polling', 'interval-based requests', or 'retry logic'. | 1 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | While 'polling mechanism' is somewhat specific within the API integration domain, the lack of detail means it could overlap with other API-related skills covering webhooks, retry logic, or general API setup patterns. | 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 meta-descriptions about what the skill would do without providing any actionable guidance on polling mechanisms—no code examples, no patterns (long polling, short polling, exponential backoff), no configuration, and no workflow. It is essentially a placeholder template that teaches Claude nothing.
Suggestions
Add concrete, executable code examples for common polling patterns (e.g., simple interval polling, exponential backoff, long polling) with specific language implementations
Define a clear workflow for setting up a polling mechanism: choosing polling strategy, configuring intervals, handling errors/retries, and implementing circuit breakers with validation steps
Remove all meta-description sections (Purpose, When to Use, Capabilities, Example Triggers) and replace with actual technical content—polling configuration parameters, rate limit handling, and state management patterns
Add specific examples showing polling against a real API pattern (e.g., polling a job status endpoint) with expected request/response formats and termination conditions
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The content is entirely filler and meta-description. It explains what the skill does in abstract terms without providing any actual technical content. Phrases like 'Provides step-by-step guidance' and 'Follows industry best practices' are empty padding with zero informational value. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | There is no concrete guidance whatsoever—no code, no commands, no specific polling patterns, no configuration examples, no API examples. The entire content describes rather than instructs. | 1 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | No workflow steps are defined. There is no sequence, no validation checkpoints, and no actual process for setting up a polling mechanism. The claim of 'step-by-step guidance' is not backed by any actual steps. | 1 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content has section headers but they contain no substantive information. There are no references to detailed materials, no links to related files, and the structure is purely cosmetic with no real content to organize. | 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
4dee593
- Reviewed
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