Publish Skill

Phase 6.5 — Generate Hero Image (default; skip with --no-image)

This phase runs by default. Skip it only if --no-image was passed, or under --dry-run (which shows planned output without generating).

Generate a hero image using the /codex skill. Codex has a built-in image_gen tool that produces images without needing an API key. The image follows the site's apothecary visual language established in the original Codex design session. Fallback: if /codex is unavailable or its image_gen fails, regenerate with the gpt-image-2 or nano-banana skill using the same prompt and the same 16:9 target size/path.

Prompt template — fill in SKILL_NAME, APOTHECARY_NAME, SCENE_BACKDROP, SUBJECT, COMPOSITION_DETAIL, and AVOID_EXTRA:

Use case: stylized-concept
Asset type: 16:9 skill hero image for the Claude Skills site
Primary request: Create a skill-specific hero artwork for the skill "SKILL_NAME", apothecary name "APOTHECARY_NAME". No readable text.
Style reference: Match the existing main site hero style: dark apothecary workbench fused with developer terminal artifacts, hand-tinted copperplate engraving, technical diagram overlays, tactile paper grain, oxidized copper, medicinal green, ink brown, warm bone, tiny electric-blue signal accents.
Scene/backdrop: SCENE_BACKDROP
Subject: SUBJECT
Composition: Wide 16:9, COMPOSITION_DETAIL, quiet dark negative space left, no border.
Lighting: Low raking desk light, sharp engraving detail, warm copper highlights.
Avoid: no readable words, no logos, no human figures, AVOID_EXTRA, no stock-photo look, no neon sci-fi.

Exact prompts from existing hero images (use as style/structure reference):

tdd ("The Test Anvil"):

• Scene: A heavy workbench inside an apothecary cabinet, with brass measuring instruments, drawers, glass vials, and translucent command cards.
• Subject: A small blacksmith anvil used as a testing station, with three distinct stages represented by red wax seal, green reagent glow, and polished brass refactor tool; tiny checklist slips and code-bracket glyphs etched into metal.
• Composition detail: anvil and three-stage testing ritual centered-right
• Avoid extra: no generic fantasy forge, no smoke-heavy scene

jtbd ("The Hiring Compass"):

• Scene: A researcher's apothecary desk with interview cards, opportunity maps, tiny sample vials, brass compass, and drawer labels represented only by abstract marks.
• Subject: A brass compass pointing through customer-job constellations, annotated review-mining cards, small scales for scoring opportunities, and translucent terminal cards with abstract brackets.
• Composition detail: compass and opportunity map centered-right
• Avoid extra: no corporate stock imagery, no generic charts, no bright flat UI, no blurry glow

skill-studio ("The Automation Architect"):

• Scene: A precise apothecary drafting bench with brass calipers, small drawers, vellum workflow maps, index cards, and translucent terminal recipe cards.
• Subject: An architect's compass, interview question cards, a flowchart map, and small vial-like modules arranged into a structured automation blueprint.
• Composition detail: detailed lower and right areas, some quiet negative space for page text overlay if needed
• Avoid extra: no modern stock-photo look, no blurry glow, no readable UI text

telegram-telethon ("The Daemon's Relay"):

• Scene: An apothecary communications bench with relay coils, brass switches, labeled drawers with abstract marks, sealed message tubes, and glass vials.
• Subject: A daemon relay apparatus: brass telegraph key, paper-plane-like message glyphs etched on translucent cards, audio waveform phials, and blue signal lines running between drawers and terminal cards.
• Composition detail: relay apparatus and message tubes centered-right, darker negative space left
• Avoid extra: no Telegram logo, no brand marks, no modern phone mockup

agency-docs-updater ("The Publisher's Engine"):

• Scene: A compact apothecary publishing press connected to terminal recipe cards, archive drawers, reels, and document trays.
• Subject: A brass engine that transforms a meeting transcript scroll into three outputs: a video reel glyph, a bound documentation sheet, and a clean index card; conveyor belts, gears, redaction veil strips, and synchronized blue trace lines.
• Composition detail: publishing engine centered-right
• Avoid extra: no YouTube logo, no brand marks, no modern UI screenshot, no generic printer

vision-bench ("The Judge's Loupe"):

• Scene: A dark apothecary judging bench with comparison trays, specimen drawers, translucent image plates, and brass optical instruments.
• Subject: A large judge's loupe examining two image plates side by side, small scoring weights and calibration vials, vision-model glyphs as abstract eye diagrams, and blue signal traces connecting evaluation cards.
• Composition detail: loupe and image comparison plates centered-right
• Avoid extra: no realistic eyeballs, no modern UI screenshot, no generic camera stock image

Subject crafting guidelines:

• Map the skill's core action to a physical apothecary/workshop metaphor
• Each subject should have: a central object (anvil, compass, loupe, engine), supporting detail objects (cards, vials, glyphs), and subtle digital traces (blue signal lines, terminal brackets)
• The metaphor should be immediately recognizable to someone who knows what the skill does
• Keep subject descriptions to 1-2 sentences

Steps:

1. Craft all template fields (scene, subject, composition, avoid) based on the skill's purpose
2. Invoke the /codex skill with the assembled prompt, requesting a 16:9 image saved to ~/ai_projects/claude-skills-site/public/images/SKILL_NAME-hero.jpg
3. Verify the image was created and is approximately 1672x941 pixels (the standard size for existing heroes)
4. Update the .mdx frontmatter: change # hero_image: to hero_image: "/images/SKILL_NAME-hero.jpg"
5. Stage the image file alongside the .mdx in Phase 8

If Codex is not available or image generation fails, warn the user and continue without the image. The skill publishes fine without a hero image.

Phase 7 — Show Diff and Confirm

1. Run git -C ~/ai_projects/claude-skills-site diff to show all changes.
2. Present the diff to the user.
3. Ask: "Publish these changes? This will commit and push to claude-skills-site." Wait for confirmation.

Phase 8 — Commit and Push

1. Stage the changed files (include the hero image — generated by default):

   git -C ~/ai_projects/claude-skills-site add \
     src/content/skills/<skill-name>.mdx \
     src/content/bundles/<bundle>.mdx \
     public/images/<skill-name>-hero.jpg   # omit only if --no-image / no image was produced

2. Commit with message: feat: add <skill-name> skill to site
   • For --update: feat: update <skill-name> skill on site
3. Push: git -C ~/ai_projects/claude-skills-site push
4. Report the commit hash and confirm success.

Error Recovery

MDX Template

---
name: "<skill-name>"
tagline: "<tagline>"
apothecary_name: "<apothecary_name>"
bundle: <bundle>
tags: [<tags>]
accent_color: <color>
# hero_image:
auto_description: "<description>"
auto_triggers: [<triggers>]
auto_tools: []
auto_last_synced: "<date>"
auto_last_commit: "<date>"
auto_activity: []
install_command: ""
repo_path: "<skill-name>"
dependencies: [<deps>]
---

## What it does

<body>

## Key features

<features>

## When to use

<when>