sample-with-references

Sample Skill with References

This skill demonstrates progressive disclosure - keeping the main SKILL.md concise while linking to detailed reference files that Claude loads only when needed.

When to Use This Pattern

Use reference files when you have:

• Detailed API documentation
• Multiple workflows or domains
• Large code examples
• Configuration references

Quick Reference

For detailed patterns and examples, see REFERENCE.md.

How It Works

1. Startup: Only name and description load into context
2. Triggered: Claude reads this SKILL.md (~100-200 tokens)
3. On-demand: Claude reads REFERENCE.md only if needed

This keeps token usage low while providing comprehensive documentation.

File Organization Tips

your-skill/
├── SKILL.md           # Overview and navigation (keep under 500 lines)
├── REFERENCE.md       # Detailed reference (loaded on-demand)
├── WORKFLOWS.md       # Step-by-step guides (loaded on-demand)
└── EXAMPLES.md        # Code examples (loaded on-demand)

Best Practices

• Keep references one level deep (don't chain REFERENCE.md → ANOTHER.md)
• Use descriptive filenames (not doc1.md, doc2.md)
• Add a table of contents to files over 100 lines
• Link with relative paths: [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)