# Where to Find the SKILL.md Contract for a Skill in garden-skills

> Locate the SKILL.md contract within the ConardLi garden-skills repository at skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md. Find the exact path for any skill contract quickly and easily.

- Repository: [ConardLi/garden-skills](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-09-01

---

**The SKILL.md contract for any skill is located at `skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` inside the ConardLi/garden-skills repository.**

In the ConardLi/garden-skills repository, every skill is governed by a canonical **SKILL.md contract** that defines its architecture, inputs, and workflow. This article maps the exact file locations and explains how these contracts structure the skill's behavior.

## SKILL.md Contract Location

Each skill resides in its own subdirectory under the top-level `skills/` folder. The **contract** itself is a markdown file named exactly [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) placed directly inside that skill's directory.

The predictable path pattern is:

```

/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md

```

### Real-World File Paths

According to the repository structure, you can find active skill contracts at the following locations:

- **Web-Video Presentation skill** – [`skills/web-video-presentation/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/skills/web-video-presentation/SKILL.md)
- **Web Design Engineer skill** – [`skills/web-design-engineer/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-engineer/SKILL.md)
- **KB Retriever skill** – [`skills/kb-retriever/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/skills/kb-retriever/SKILL.md)
- **GPT Image-2 skill** – [`skills/gpt-image-2/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/skills/gpt-image-2/SKILL.md)
- **Beautiful Article skill** – [`skills/beautiful-article/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/skills/beautiful-article/SKILL.md)

## Anatomy of the SKILL.md Contract

Each [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) serves as a self-contained blueprint that agents and developers use to understand or extend a skill. As implemented in ConardLi/garden-skills, the contract specifies five core components:

- **Name & description** – A short title and high-level overview of the skill's purpose.
- **Workflow** – The step-by-step process the skill follows, such as content generation or audio synthesis.
- **File layout** – The expected directory structure and required files (e.g., [`article.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/article.md), [`script.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/script.md), [`outline.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/outline.md)).
- **Self-inspection contracts** – References to supporting documents like [`SCRIPT-STYLE.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/SCRIPT-STYLE.md) or [`OUTLINE-FORMAT.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/OUTLINE-FORMAT.md) that validate execution.
- **Hard nodes** – Mandatory checkpoints where the skill pauses for user confirmation before proceeding.

## Loading a SKILL.md Contract Programmatically

You can load the contract at runtime to inspect skill requirements dynamically. The TypeScript implementation reads the file directly from the skills directory:

```typescript
import { readFileSync } from "fs";
import path from "path";

function loadSkillContract(skillName: string): string {
  const contractPath = path.join(
    __dirname,
    "..",
    "skills",
    skillName,
    "SKILL.md"
  );
  return readFileSync(contractPath, "utf-8");
}

// Usage
const contract = loadSkillContract("web-video-presentation");
console.log(contract.slice(0, 200));   // prints the first 200 characters

```

For quick command-line inspection, use:

```bash
cat skills/web-video-presentation/SKILL.md | head -n 20

```

## Supporting Files and References

Each skill directory contains additional resources referenced by the **SKILL.md contract**:

- `skills/<skill-name>/references/` – Supporting reference documents (e.g., [`SCRIPT-STYLE.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/SCRIPT-STYLE.md), [`OUTLINE-FORMAT.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/OUTLINE-FORMAT.md)) used for self-inspection.
- `skills/<skill-name>/templates/` – Boilerplate files scaffolded when the skill initializes a new project.
- `skills/<skill-name>/scripts/` – Helper scripts (e.g., [`scaffold.sh`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/scaffold.sh), audio synthesis scripts) invoked by the workflow defined in the contract.

## Summary

- The **SKILL.md contract** is the canonical specification for every skill in the repository.
- File location follows the strict pattern `skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`.
- Contracts define workflow, file layouts, self-inspection rules, and mandatory user checkpoints.
- Supporting resources live in `references/`, `templates/`, and `scripts/` subdirectories.
- You can read contracts programmatically using standard file system APIs or CLI tools.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the exact filename for a skill contract?

The filename must be exactly [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) (uppercase, with the .md extension). The garden-skills repository enforces this naming convention so that automation tools can consistently locate specifications at `skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md`.

### Can I read the SKILL.md file via command line?

Yes. Navigate to the repository root and run `cat skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md` to view the contract. Pipe the output to `head -n 20` to preview the first 20 lines, or use `grep` to search for specific workflow steps.

### What information does the SKILL.md contract contain?

The contract contains the skill's **name**, **description**, **workflow** steps, expected **file layout**, **self-inspection contracts** for validation, and **hard nodes** that require user confirmation. This serves as the complete architectural blueprint for the skill's execution.

### Are there helper files alongside the SKILL.md?

Yes. Each skill directory includes a `references/` folder for style guides, a `templates/` folder for boilerplate scaffolding, and a `scripts/` folder for automation scripts. These resources are explicitly referenced within the SKILL.md contract to ensure consistent implementation.