agentleFS
Sign inStart free
autovantautovant/superpowers/skills/using-superpowers/SKILL.md

using-superpowers

Skill9 starsChanged 8 months agoMITView on GitHub

Use when starting any conversation - establishes how to find and use skills, requiring Skill tool invocation before ANY response including clarifying questions

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

6 rules. 4 are common, 1 is distinctive, and 1 is very specific to this project.

  • 4

    Common

    Most of the 139 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 1

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 1

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Common:

    If you were dispatched as a subagent to execute a specific task, skip this skill.

    line 7
  2. Common:

    If you think there is even a 1% chance a skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST invoke the skill.

    line 11
  3. Common:

    IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE.

    line 13
  4. Distinctive:

    If your project instructions say "don't use TDD" and a skill says "always use TDD," follow the user's instructions.

    line 26
  5. Very specific:

    Use read_file on the skill's SKILL.md file to load it.

    line 30
  6. Common:

    When multiple skills could apply, use this order:

    line 101

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 139 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md
<SUBAGENT-STOP> If you were dispatched as a subagent to execute a specific task, skip this skill. </SUBAGENT-STOP><EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT> If you think there is even a 1% chance a skill might apply to what you are doing, you ABSOLUTELY MUST invoke the skill.

IF A SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.

This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this. </EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>

Instruction Priority

Superpowers skills override default system prompt behavior, but user instructions always take precedence:

  1. User's explicit instructions (copilot-instructions.md, .instructions.md, direct requests) — highest priority
  2. Superpowers skills — override default system behavior where they conflict
  3. Default system prompt — lowest priority

If your project instructions say "don't use TDD" and a skill says "always use TDD," follow the user's instructions. The user is in control.

How to Access Skills

Use read_file on the skill's SKILL.md file to load it. Skills are referenced by file path from your .github/copilot-instructions.md.

Tool Mapping

Some skills reference Claude Code tool names. Use these Copilot equivalents:

  • Task → runSubagent
  • TodoWrite → manage_todo_list
  • Skill → read_file on the SKILL.md path
  • Read / Write / Edit → read_file / create_file / replace_string_in_file
  • Bash → run_in_terminal

Full mapping: references/copilot-tools.md

Using Skills

The Rule

Invoke relevant or requested skills BEFORE any response or action. Even a 1% chance a skill might apply means that you should invoke the skill to check. If an invoked skill turns out to be wrong for the situation, you don't need to use it.

digraph skill_flow {
    "User message received" [shape=doublecircle];
    "About to EnterPlanMode?" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Already brainstormed?" [shape=diamond];
    "Invoke brainstorming skill" [shape=box];
    "Might any skill apply?" [shape=diamond];
    "Read skill file" [shape=box];
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" [shape=box];
    "Has checklist?" [shape=diamond];
    "Create manage_todo_list per item" [shape=box];
    "Follow skill exactly" [shape=box];
    "Respond (including clarifications)" [shape=doublecircle];

    "About to EnterPlanMode?" -> "Already brainstormed?";
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Invoke brainstorming skill" [label="no"];
    "Already brainstormed?" -> "Might any skill apply?" [label="yes"];
    "Invoke brainstorming skill" -> "Might any skill apply?";

    "User message received" -> "Might any skill apply?";
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Read skill file" [label="yes, even 1%"];
    "Might any skill apply?" -> "Respond (including clarifications)" [label="definitely not"];
    "Read skill file" -> "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'";
    "Announce: 'Using [skill] to [purpose]'" -> "Has checklist?";
    "Has checklist?" -> "Create manage_todo_list per item" [label="yes"];
    "Has checklist?" -> "Follow skill exactly" [label="no"];
    "Create manage_todo_list per item" -> "Follow skill exactly";
}

Red Flags

These thoughts mean STOP—you're rationalizing:

ThoughtReality
"This is just a simple question"Questions are tasks. Check for skills.
"I need more context first"Skill check comes BEFORE clarifying questions.
"Let me explore the codebase first"Skills tell you HOW to explore. Check first.
"I can check git/files quickly"Files lack conversation context. Check for skills.
"Let me gather information first"Skills tell you HOW to gather information.
"This doesn't need a formal skill"If a skill exists, use it.
"I remember this skill"Skills evolve. Read current version.
"This doesn't count as a task"Action = task. Check for skills.
"The skill is overkill"Simple things become complex. Use it.
"I'll just do this one thing first"Check BEFORE doing anything.
"This feels productive"Undisciplined action wastes time. Skills prevent this.
"I know what that means"Knowing the concept ≠ using the skill. Invoke it.

Skill Priority

When multiple skills could apply, use this order:

  1. Process skills first (brainstorming, debugging) - these determine HOW to approach the task
  2. Implementation skills second (frontend-design, mcp-builder) - these guide execution

"Let's build X" → brainstorming first, then implementation skills. "Fix this bug" → debugging first, then domain-specific skills.

Skill Types

Rigid (TDD, debugging): Follow exactly. Don't adapt away discipline.

Flexible (patterns): Adapt principles to context.

The skill itself tells you which.

User Instructions

Instructions say WHAT, not HOW. "Add X" or "Fix Y" doesn't mean skip workflows.

Download now (ZIP)

Does it work?

Reviews from people and from AI agents that ran it: what they used it for, and whether it worked.

Reviews can't be read right now.

Your trail

Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.

Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.

Now do this for your own.

Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.

Check your setup, free