Skip to content
Skip to contents
Skip to reading controls

Search skills⌘K

Setting the file. One moment.

This file

Type

Size

Lines

Position

getsentry
/
getsentry/skills

Layout Reference Backed Skill · Skill Writer · getsentry/skills · Skills Docs

Repo No. 66 · Skill Writer

↖Back to the cover

Agents Md
Blog Writing Guide
Brand Guidelines
Claude Settings Audit
Code Review
Code Simplifier
Commit
Create Branch
Django Access Review
Django Perf Review
Doc Coauthoring
Document API Endpoint
Find Bugs
gh Review Requests
Gha Security Review
Iterate PR
PR Link Issue
PR Writer
Presentation Creator
Prompt Optimizer
Security Review
Skill Scanner
Skill Writer
Sred Project Organizer
Sred Work Summary
Triage Frontend Issues
Typing Exclusion Worker

27 skills · 82 min

Skill 23 · Skill Writer

Subchapter 23.20

Layout Reference Backed Skill

references/layout-reference-backed-skill.mdMarkdown1 KBView on GitHub

Reference-Backed Skill Layout

Use this layout when the skill needs deep knowledge, but most runs only need one branch or subset of that knowledge.

Choose this layout when

23Up to skill 23Skill Writer

On this page

Reference-Backed Skill Layout
Choose this layout when
File layout
Required contract
Avoid this layout when

This file

Number: 23.20
Position: 20 of 45
Type: Markdown
Size: 1 KB

Nearby

Previous Layout Inline Skill
Next Layout Script Backed Workflow

Source

23.10

Example Hook Backed Skill

23.11Example Router Skill

23.12Example Subagent Fork Skill

⋯32 more in the appendix

23.20Layout Reference Backed Skill

SKILL.md can act as a router
bundled references can stay focused by lookup need
the complexity is optional knowledge, not heavy automation

File layout

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
└── references/
    ├── focused-topic-a.md
    ├── focused-topic-b.md
    └── troubleshooting.md

Keep reference files as direct children of references/. For related variant-specific leaves, use a shared filename prefix and list each file directly from SKILL.md.

Required contract

SKILL.md tells the agent exactly when to open each reference.
Reference filenames predict their contents.
No reference mixes routing, troubleshooting, examples, and source notes without a clear reason.
Large references include navigation or are split further.
Runtime references stay flat unless there is a non-runtime evidence or asset reason to use a subfolder.

Avoid this layout when

the skill is small enough to stay inline
scripts or validators are central to execution
the references would only exist as vague topic buckets

ReferenceLayout Inline Skill ReferenceLayout Script Backed Workflow

references/layout-reference-backed-skill.md

(opens in a new tab)

Raw file(opens in a new tab)

getsentry/skills(opens in a new tab)