holocron/plugins/kyberforge/.apm/skills/skill-audit/references/body-discipline.md

source_keys

source_keys
agentskills-spec agentskills-best-practices

Body Discipline Reference

Source: agentskills.io — skill-authoring

The core test

For every sentence in the body, ask: "Would the agent get this wrong without this instruction?"

If no — cut it. The agent already knows it from general training. Adding it wastes tokens and dilutes the signal of what matters.

What belongs in the body

Include content the agent lacks:

• Project-specific conventions and domain procedures it cannot infer
• Non-obvious edge cases and environment-specific gotchas
• The specific tools or sequences to use (not the full range of options)
• One default per decision point with one escape hatch

Do not include:

• Concepts the agent already knows (what JSON is, how HTTP works, what a CSV is)
• Exhaustive option lists — pick a default; the agent doesn't benefit from choosing
• Steps the agent handles independently — over-specifying leads to unproductive paths
• Restatements of the description — it's already in context

Calibrating control

Be prescriptive when operations are fragile, consistency matters, or a specific sequence must be followed:

Run exactly:
\`\`\`bash
python scripts/migrate.py --verify --backup
\`\`\`
Do not modify the command or add additional flags.

Give freedom when multiple approaches are valid. Explaining why outperforms rigid directives — agents make better decisions when they understand the purpose.

Defaults not menus

Never present a list of equivalent options — pick one and mention the alternative briefly:

# Too many options
Use pypdf, pdfplumber, PyMuPDF, or pdf2image...

# Default with escape hatch
Use pdfplumber for text extraction. For scanned PDFs requiring OCR, use pdf2image instead.

Gotchas sections

Highest value content — environment-specific facts that defy reasonable assumptions. Place near the top of the body so the agent reads them before encountering the situation.

## Gotchas
- The `users` table uses soft deletes. Always include `WHERE deleted_at IS NULL`.
- User ID is `user_id` in the database, `uid` in auth, `accountId` in billing. Same value.

Each entry must be a specific, surprising fact — not a general tip or reminder.

Progressive disclosure

Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines. When more content is needed, move it to references/ and load conditionally:

If the API returns a non-200 status, read `references/api-errors.md`.

"If X, read Y" is more useful than "see references/ for details." The agent loads on demand rather than up front.

Auditing guidance

Flag as FAIL if:

• A sentence answers "no" to the core test (would agent get this wrong without it?) — it is padding
• Decision points present a menu of options with no default
• Instructions repeat content already in the description
• Prescriptive sequences are used where flexibility is fine, or vice versa

Flag as SUGGESTION if:

• A rationale is missing from an include/exclude rule (present but unexplained)
• Gotchas are correct but placed late in the body rather than near the top
• A conditional reference trigger is vague ("see references/") rather than specific ("If X, read Y")