backtesting-frameworks

Build robust, production-grade backtesting systems that avoid common pitfalls and produce reliable strategy performance estimates.

Quality

30%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

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tessl review fix ./skills/backtesting-frameworks/SKILL.md

Quality

Content

27%Scale 1-3

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

This skill reads as a high-level outline rather than actionable guidance. It lacks any concrete code, specific libraries, executable examples, or validation steps. The referenced resource file (`resources/implementation-playbook.md`) is missing from the bundle, leaving the skill hollow — the body delegates to a file that doesn't exist, and what remains is too abstract to be useful.

Suggestions

Add concrete, executable code examples for at least one backtesting pattern (e.g., a minimal event-driven backtest loop using a specific library like backtrader or vectorbt).

Include explicit validation checkpoints in the workflow, such as verifying data integrity before simulation, checking for look-ahead bias, and validating output metrics against known benchmarks.

Either provide the referenced `resources/implementation-playbook.md` bundle file or inline the essential patterns and examples directly in the SKILL.md body.

Replace vague instructions like 'Build point-in-time data pipelines' with specific, actionable steps including code snippets or concrete commands.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The skill is relatively brief but includes some unnecessary sections like 'Use this skill when' / 'Do not use this skill when' which are somewhat boilerplate and don't add much actionable value. The 'Limitations' section is generic filler that Claude already knows.	2 / 3
Actionability	The instructions are vague and abstract — 'Build point-in-time data pipelines and realistic cost models' and 'Implement event-driven simulation and execution logic' describe rather than instruct. There are no concrete code examples, commands, specific libraries, or executable guidance. The skill delegates to a resource file that doesn't exist in the bundle.	1 / 3
Workflow Clarity	There is a rough sequence implied in the instructions (define hypothesis → build pipelines → implement simulation → use splits), but there are no validation checkpoints, no feedback loops, and no explicit verification steps for what is inherently a multi-step, error-prone process.	2 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	The skill references `resources/implementation-playbook.md` for detailed patterns and examples, but this file is not provided in the bundle. The main content is too thin to stand alone, and the referenced resource doesn't exist, making the progressive disclosure structure broken.	1 / 3
	Total	6 / 12 Passed

Description

32%Scale 1-3

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 clear domain (backtesting) but remains too high-level, reading more like a marketing tagline than a functional skill description. It lacks specific concrete actions, natural trigger terms users would use, and critically missing any 'Use when...' guidance for skill selection.

Suggestions

Add an explicit 'Use when...' clause with trigger terms like 'backtest', 'trading strategy', 'historical simulation', 'strategy evaluation', 'portfolio backtest'.

List specific concrete actions such as 'simulate historical trades, model slippage and transaction costs, calculate performance metrics like Sharpe ratio and max drawdown, detect look-ahead bias'.

Include common file types or frameworks users might mention, such as 'CSV price data', 'OHLCV data', or specific libraries like 'pandas', 'zipline', 'backtrader'.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names the domain (backtesting systems) and mentions some goals (avoid pitfalls, reliable performance estimates), but does not list specific concrete actions like 'simulate trades', 'calculate Sharpe ratios', 'handle slippage modeling', etc.	2 / 3
Completeness	Describes what it does at a high level but completely lacks a 'Use when...' clause or any explicit trigger guidance for when Claude should select this skill. Per rubric guidelines, missing 'Use when' caps completeness at 2, and the 'what' is also fairly vague, warranting a 1.	1 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Includes 'backtesting' and 'strategy performance' which are relevant keywords, but misses common variations users might say like 'backtest', 'trading strategy', 'historical simulation', 'portfolio testing', 'quantitative finance', or 'strategy evaluation'.	2 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	'Backtesting systems' is a fairly specific niche that wouldn't overlap with most skills, but the phrase 'production-grade' and 'common pitfalls' are generic enough that it could overlap with general software engineering or trading system skills without clearer boundaries.	2 / 3
	Total	7 / 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

Repository: popey/claude-code-skills
Path: skills/backtesting-frameworks/SKILL.md
Commit: a5a6601

Reviewed: 5 days ago

Table of Contents

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