# Case Study: A Release-Notes Skill for a Team — Claude Code Skills & SKILL.md

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/claude-code-skills/z-case

> Build, test and share a skill from first draft to team use.

## From a repeated chore to a shared skill

The team writes release notes every two weeks and each time explains the format again. **Scope**: draft notes from merged PRs since the last tag; read-only except for writing one Markdown file. **Folder**: `.claude/skills/release-notes/` with `SKILL.md`, `scripts/prs_since_tag.py` (prints merged PRs as JSON using `git log`), `references/style-guide.md` (tone, grouping, what to skip), and `templates/notes.md`. **Description**: names the job, says when to use it, lists trigger phrases ("release notes, changelog, what shipped, what changed"). **Body**: steps (run the script, group entries, apply the style guide, fill the template), a verification step (every PR number in the notes appears in the script output), and gotchas (skip dependency bumps; never invent PR numbers). **Safety**: `allowed-tools` limited to that one script; no network; no secrets. **Testing**: 6 should-trigger and 6 should-not prompts; script tests with a fixture repository; two real releases tried and transcripts read to fix a missing gotcha. **Sharing**: committed to the repo, reviewed in a PR like code, an owner named, and the skill updated whenever the release process changes.

## A small, sharp, tested, reviewed skill

Sharp description, focused body, deterministic scripts, tests, and review make a skill the whole team can trust.

![Four habits: describe, script, test, review.](assets/figures/claude-code-skills/section-8-map.svg) — Figure 8.1 — Describe, script, test and review.

## The checklist on one page

Each line maps to a section of this course.

```text
Scope        one job; says what it does NOT do                                   (Sec 2)
Description  what + when + trigger phrases; validated; tested both ways                   (Sec 2, 5)
Body         steps, expected output, verification step, gotchas; < 500 lines              (Sec 2)
Files        script (JSON out, exit codes), style guide reference, template                (Sec 3)
Safety       allowed-tools = that one script; no secrets; fetched text is data             (Sec 3, 6)
Testing      should / should-not prompts; script tests on fixtures; read transcripts        (Sec 5)
Sharing      .claude/skills in git, PR review, owner, update with the process              (Sec 4)
```

## Measure the benefit

Compare the time to produce release notes before and after the skill.

**Quiz:** Why is the skill committed to the repository?

- [ ] To hide it from teammates
- [ ] Because skills only work in git
- [x] So the team shares it, reviews changes like code and keeps it versioned
- [ ] Because it is required by Markdown

*Answer:* So the team shares it, reviews changes like code and keeps it versioned. Project skills travel with the repository and get review.