What specific errors does the Skill Portability Check catch?

This skill uses a Python script to scan your SKILL.md files for syntax errors like unquoted colons, improper frontmatter, missing fallbacks, and vendor-specific paths that prevent skills from being recognized by standard tools.

Which AI agents or platforms is this linter compatible with?

It is designed for any AI agent or platform that follows the SKILL.md folder convention, ensuring your skills remain portable and aren't locked into a single vendor's ecosystem.

What files are included in this package and how do I set them up?

You will receive a standard-library Python script and a prompt.md file for manual use; the skill requires no external dependencies, making it easy to run in any environment with Python installed.

Can I use this to validate an entire repository of skills at once?

Yes, this skill is ideal for bulk validation; you can point it at a repository containing multiple skill folders to ensure every entry is formatted correctly and ready for deployment.

How does this help if my skills aren't appearing in local developer tools or registries?

By identifying 'strict YAML' errors and non-standard keys that tools like 'npx skills' reject, this linter ensures your skills are visible and indexable across all supported developer tools.

Is there a cost for using this skill or is it open source?

The Skill Portability Check is free and open-source under the MIT license, allowing you to use, modify, and integrate it into your CI/CD pipelines without cost.

Skill Portability Check

Example session with this skill installed

Check my skills repo for portability problems.

Read your context and instructions
Compiled the portability check

Our own public skills repository on 2026-10-04: it had grown to 15 skills, and a new one was skipped by npx skills add proskillpacks/skills --list with a YAML error. The same rule, run over our whole tree of 57 skills, found 7 descriptions with an unquoted colon (now fixed), and the checker's other warnings led us to add fallback sentences and remove a vendor tool name.

After (skill output, excerpt):
$ python3 scripts/skill_check.py proskillpacks-skills/skills --quiet
skill errors warnings lines scripts
accessibility-quick-audit 0 0 39 -
changelog-from-commits 0 0 39 -
readme-first-run-check 0 0 39 -
agent-ready-quick-check 0 0 64 Python
late-payment-chaser-uk 0 0 109 Python
...
15 skill(s): 0 error(s), 0 warning(s)

$ python3 scripts/skill_check.py examples/bad-yaml-colon/SKILL.md
ERROR frontmatter: line 3: description: unquoted ': ' inside the value (strict YAML reads it as a nested mapping). Quote the value or reword

Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.

About this skill

Checks Agent Skills (SKILL.md folders) for portability and common mistakes with a standard-library Python script, then explains each finding and the fix. It catches frontmatter that strict YAML parsers reject (such as an unquoted colon in the description, which makes tools like npx skills skip the skill), keys other than name and description, bad name format, a description that does not say when to use the skill, vendor tool names and paths, missing fallbacks when a tool or the network is absent, long bodies, and broken links. Use when the user says "check my skill", "lint SKILL.md", "is this skill portable", "why is my skill not found", "validate my skills repo", or points at a skill folder or a repository of skills.

Free and open source (MIT). Source and README: https://github.com/proskillpacks/skills/tree/main/skills/developers/skill-portability-check All our free skills: https://github.com/proskillpacks/skills . More from Pro Skill Packs: https://proskillpacks.github.io

Every skill in the folder ships with prompt.md, a paste-in version for chatbots that cannot load skills.

How to use

Skills on Agensi run inside your AI agent. Copy the prompt, paste it into your agent, and it connects to Agensi and installs this skill for you. If a payment is needed, your agent shows it to you first.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Skill Portability Check