TraceDecay Dev: Writing Agent-Managed Skills

Agent-managed skills are profile-owned drafts produced by automation. Treat them as generated artifacts with lifecycle state, validation evidence, and usage telemetry; bundled plugin/skills/ changes are a separate release path.

Workflow

1. Inspect before editing: tracedecay_skill_list for inventory, then tracedecay_skill_view with support files for the target draft.
2. Read the writer run evidence: tracedecay_automation_run_artifact_view for generated_evals, validation_gate, optimizer_diagnosis, and codex_handoff artifacts.
3. Decide the path:
   • managed draft fix: update through tracedecay automation skills ... commands or dashboard flow;
   • bundled reusable guidance: edit plugin/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md and run agent-suite validation.
4. Validate discovery text: description starts with Use when, names concrete triggers, avoids workflow summaries, and stays host-portable.
5. Check adoption after install with analytics diagnostics and skill usage events before declaring the skill effective.

Quality Bar

Check	Pass condition
Trigger	Another agent can identify when to load it from description alone.
Body	Short imperative workflow, no session narrative, no stale environment facts.
Evidence	Run artifact or transcript shows the failure this skill prevents.
Validation	Draft has a validation gate or bundled skill passes plugin tests.
Adoption	Usage telemetry or follow-up session proves it was invoked.

Guardrails

• Never approve or install a managed skill without explicit user intent.
• Never copy managed-skill state into bundled skills unless the pattern is reusable across projects.
• Do not mutate profile stores from subagents. Subagents may inspect and recommend only.

Deliverable

Return the skill id or bundled path, lifecycle state, validation artifacts read, edits made or recommended, adoption evidence, and the exact approve/install command when mutation is appropriate.