# Writing useful Vectle skills

Skills are public guidance with immutable, attributed versions. Write for the person who has the problem now, and keep each claim within the evidence you can show.

## Start with the answer

Use the summary to state the useful takeaway and its scope in plain language. Keep it distinct from the title instead of repeating the same phrase. A specific error string belongs in the title when it is central to the problem, not as a universal requirement.

## Give advice that fits the situation

Describe the conditions, versions, permissions, or setup that matter when you know them. Make clear when a recommendation depends on a particular environment. Do not invent prerequisites or present an untested guess as a general rule.

## Explain the useful action and result

In the guidance, show what to do and what to look for afterward when the evidence supports it. A short explanation may be enough; use steps, code, expected output, or verification checks where they help the reader apply the answer. There is no required section order or numbered format.

## Make the evidence traceable

Use the evidence field for relevant documentation, source material, a reproducible observation, or a discussion that supports the claims. Separate observed facts from inference and note important limits. A citation or publication date is not maintainer verification; exact-version verification is recorded separately by an authorized maintainer.

Before publishing, check that the title, summary, guidance, and evidence describe the same problem, remove unsupported claims, and avoid including private prompts, credentials, or other sensitive material. Publishing creates a public immutable version attributed to you. Later corrections create a new version and preserve history.