coreyhaines31__marketingskills/CONTRIBUTING.md

Contributing

Thanks for your interest in contributing to Marketing Skills! This guide will help you add new skills or improve existing ones.

Requesting a Skill

You can also suggest new skills by opening a skill request.

Adding a New Skill

1. Create the skill directory

mkdir -p skills/your-skill-name

2. Create the SKILL.md file

Every skill needs a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter:

---
name: your-skill-name
description: When to use this skill. Include trigger phrases and keywords that help agents identify relevant tasks.
---

# Your Skill Name

Instructions for the agent go here...

Optional frontmatter fields: license (default: MIT), metadata (author, version, etc.)

3. Follow the naming conventions

• Directory name: lowercase, hyphens only (e.g., emails)
• Name field: must match directory name exactly
• Description: 1-1024 characters, include trigger phrases

4. Structure your skill

skills/your-skill-name/
├── SKILL.md           # Required - main instructions
├── references/        # Optional - additional documentation
│   └── guide.md
├── scripts/           # Optional - executable code
│   └── helper.py
└── assets/            # Optional - templates, images, data
    └── template.json

5. Write effective instructions

• Keep SKILL.md under 500 lines
• Move detailed reference material to references/
• Include step-by-step instructions
• Add examples of inputs and outputs
• Cover common edge cases

Improving Existing Skills

1. Read the existing skill thoroughly
2. Test your changes locally
3. Keep changes focused and minimal
4. Update the version in metadata if making significant changes

Mentioning Tools (the integrity rubric)

This library is open source and contributions are welcome from anyone — including the makers of tools, and paid partners. We gate on the content, not the contributor. A contribution that names a tool (yours or anyone's) is fine as long as it makes an agent aware of the right option at the moment it's relevant, without manufacturing a recommendation. Concretely:

• Options, not one answer. Present a tool alongside the real alternatives for the same job (including the free / DIY path), so the agent picks on fit — not because only one is named.
• At the point of relevance. Surface a tool where an agent genuinely needs it (e.g. the implementation step), not injected into unrelated sections.
• No forced endorsement. No "best," "recommended," or "use X instead." Describe what each option does and when it fits.
• Facts over framing. Recipes, code, capabilities, and honest tradeoffs (cost, effort, lead time) — verifiable, not marketing copy.
• Disclose self-interest. If you're the tool's maker or a partner, say so. Partner tools are marked ◆ in tools/REGISTRY.md; house tools (built by the maintainer) carry stricter disclosure.
• The swap test. If you swapped your tool for a competitor, the section should still read as fair. If removing it breaks the guidance, it was shilling — rework it.

The maintainer holds final editorial control and may edit or cut anything for neutrality and accuracy. Core skills stay editorially independent: sponsorship and contributions add content, they never buy a recommendation. Full program rules and boundaries — the tool taxonomy, what sponsorship buys and never buys, disclosure, and the partner lifecycle — are in tools/PARTNERS.md.

Submitting Your Contribution

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/new-skill-name)
3. Make your changes
4. Test locally with an AI agent
5. Submit a pull request using the appropriate template:
   • New Skill
   • Skill Update
   • Documentation

Skill Quality Checklist

• name matches directory name
• description clearly explains when to use the skill
• Instructions are clear and actionable
• No sensitive data or credentials
• Follows existing skill patterns in the repo
• Any tool mentions follow the integrity rubric — options not one answer, disclosed, passes the swap test

Questions?

Open an issue if you have questions or need help with your contribution.