linkerd-patterns
Implement Linkerd service mesh patterns for lightweight, security-focused service mesh deployments. Use when setting up Linkerd, configuring traffic policies, or implementing zero-trust networking with minimal overhead.
87
73%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
96%
1.15xAverage score across 6 eval scenarios
Advisory
Suggest reviewing before use
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./plugins/cloud-infrastructure/skills/linkerd-patterns/SKILL.mdQuality
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 solid description that clearly identifies its niche (Linkerd specifically, not generic service mesh) and includes an explicit 'Use when' clause with relevant trigger scenarios. The main weakness is that the 'what' portion could be more specific about concrete actions rather than using the somewhat abstract 'implement patterns' phrasing.
Suggestions
Replace 'implement Linkerd service mesh patterns' with more concrete actions like 'inject Linkerd sidecars, configure mTLS, define authorization policies, and set up traffic splits'.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (Linkerd service mesh) and some actions ('setting up Linkerd', 'configuring traffic policies', 'implementing zero-trust networking'), but the 'what' portion is somewhat vague—'implement patterns' and 'deployments' are not concrete actions like 'inject sidecars', 'configure mTLS', or 'define authorization policies'. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both 'what' (implement Linkerd service mesh patterns for lightweight, security-focused deployments) and 'when' (explicit 'Use when' clause covering setup, traffic policy configuration, and zero-trust networking scenarios). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes strong natural keywords users would say: 'Linkerd', 'service mesh', 'traffic policies', 'zero-trust networking', 'lightweight'. These are terms a user working with Linkerd would naturally use in their request. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Highly distinctive—Linkerd is a specific service mesh product, clearly distinguishable from Istio, Consul Connect, or other service mesh skills. The mention of 'lightweight' and 'minimal overhead' further narrows the niche. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 11 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
57%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
The skill excels at actionability with complete, executable templates and commands covering a wide range of Linkerd patterns. However, it suffers from being a monolithic document that tries to cover too many topics inline without progressive disclosure, and includes some unnecessary explanatory content (architecture diagram, concept tables) that Claude doesn't need. Workflow clarity is adequate for installation but lacks validation steps for more complex operations like canary deployments and multi-cluster setup.
Suggestions
Split the content into a concise SKILL.md overview with quick-start installation, then reference separate files like TRAFFIC-SPLITS.md, AUTH-POLICIES.md, MULTI-CLUSTER.md for detailed templates.
Remove the architecture diagram and 'Core Concepts' table — Claude already knows Linkerd's architecture; the templates themselves demonstrate each resource type.
Add explicit validation/verification steps to the canary deployment workflow (e.g., check traffic distribution with `linkerd viz stat`) and multi-cluster setup (e.g., verify service mirroring).
Remove the 'When to Use This Skill' section — this is metadata that belongs in frontmatter, not in the body content.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The architecture diagram, 'When to Use This Skill' section, and 'Core Concepts' table explain things Claude already knows about Linkerd. The 'Key Resources' table is somewhat redundant given the templates demonstrate each resource. However, the templates themselves are lean and useful. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | The skill provides fully executable bash commands and complete, copy-paste-ready YAML manifests for every pattern. Installation, injection, service profiles, traffic splits, authorization policies, HTTPRoutes, and multi-cluster setup are all concrete and specific. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The installation template has a clear sequence with validation (`linkerd check --pre`, `linkerd check`), but other multi-step workflows like canary deployments and multi-cluster setup lack explicit validation checkpoints or feedback loops. There's no guidance on what to do if traffic splits fail or how to verify authorization policies are working correctly. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | This is a monolithic wall of content with no references to external files. At ~200 lines covering installation, injection, service profiles, traffic splits, authorization, routing, multi-cluster, monitoring, and debugging, much of this content should be split into separate reference files with a concise overview in the main skill. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 12 Passed |
Validation
100%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 11 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
No warnings or errors.
- Repository
- wshobson/agents
- Commit
27a7ed9
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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