Agent skill

XML Standards

by MadAppGang in MadAppGang/claude-code

XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands.

MITAuto-check passed

Install XML Standards

skills CLI
$ npx skills add MadAppGang/claude-code --skill xml-standards -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install MadAppGang/claude-code xml-standards --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/MadAppGang/claude-code.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/agentdev/skills/xml-standards .claude/skills/xml-standards && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
xml-standards
GitHub stars
285
Token cost
~1.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
97 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
69
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands.

  • Works in 4 steps: Proper Hierarchy - Tags must be properly… → Closing Tags - All opening tags must… → Semantic Attributes - Use name,… → …
  • Implementing agents to ensure proper XML structure following Anthropic best practices
  • SKILL.md covers Core Tags (Required for ALL…, Specialized Tags by Agent Type, Nesting Rules and Code Blocks in XML
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

XML Standards is an agent skill from MadAppGang/claude-code. XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands. Use when designing or implementing agents to ensure proper XML structure following Anthropic best practices.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

The repository describes itself as: claude code plugins marketplace. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Implementing agents to ensure proper XML structure following Anthropic best practices

Example prompts

  • “/xml-standards”

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Proper Hierarchy - Tags must be properly nested
  2. Closing Tags - All opening tags must have closing tags
  3. Semantic Attributes - Use name, priority, order attributes
  4. Consistent Naming - Use lowercase-with-hyphens for tag names

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6097ad4. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are xml).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

XML Standards loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 47 tokens; SKILL.md has 97 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~47
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from MadAppGang/claude-code at commit 6097ad4, republished under its MIT licence (© MadAppGang). 97 words, ~1,393 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/xml-standards/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
xml-standards
description
XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands. Use when designing or implementing agents to ensure proper XML structure following Anthropic best practices.

plugin: agentdev updated: 2026-01-20

XML Tag Standards

Core Tags (Required for ALL Agents/Commands)

<role>

Defines agent identity and purpose.

xml
<role>
  <identity>Expert [Domain] Specialist</identity>
  <expertise>
    - Core skill 1
    - Core skill 2
    - Core skill 3
  </expertise>
  <mission>
    Clear statement of what this agent accomplishes
  </mission>
</role>
<instructions>

Defines behavior constraints and workflow.

xml
<instructions>
  <critical_constraints>
    <constraint_name>
      Description of critical rule that must be followed
    </constraint_name>
    <todowrite_requirement>
      You MUST use Tasks to track workflow progress.
    </todowrite_requirement>
  </critical_constraints>

  <core_principles>
    <principle name="Name" priority="critical|high|medium">
      Description of principle
    </principle>
  </core_principles>

  <workflow>
    <phase number="1" name="Phase Name">
      <step>Step description</step>
      <step>Step description</step>
    </phase>
  </workflow>
</instructions>
<knowledge>

Domain-specific best practices and templates.

xml
<knowledge>
  <section_name>
    Best practices, patterns, or reference material
  </section_name>
  <templates>
    <template name="Template Name">
      Template content
    </template>
  </templates>
</knowledge>
<examples>

Concrete usage scenarios (2-4 required).

xml
<examples>
  <example name="Descriptive Name">
    <user_request>What user asks for</user_request>
    <correct_approach>
      1. Step one
      2. Step two
      3. Step three
    </correct_approach>
  </example>
</examples>
<formatting>

Communication style and output format.

xml
<formatting>
  <communication_style>
    - Style guideline 1
    - Style guideline 2
  </communication_style>
  <completion_message_template>
    Template for completion messages
  </completion_message_template>
</formatting>

Specialized Tags by Agent Type

Orchestrators (Commands)
xml
<orchestration>
  <allowed_tools>Task, Bash, Read, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, AskUserQuestion</allowed_tools>
  <forbidden_tools>Write, Edit</forbidden_tools>

  <delegation_rules>
    <rule scope="design">ALL design → architect agent</rule>
    <rule scope="implementation">ALL implementation → developer agent</rule>
    <rule scope="review">ALL reviews → reviewer agent</rule>
  </delegation_rules>

  <phases>
    <phase number="1" name="Phase Name">
      <objective>What this phase achieves</objective>
      <steps>
        <step>Step description</step>
      </steps>
      <quality_gate>Exit criteria for this phase</quality_gate>
    </phase>
  </phases>
</orchestration>

<error_recovery>
  <strategy>
    Recovery steps for common failures
  </strategy>
</error_recovery>
Planners (Architects)
xml
<planning_methodology>
  <approach>How planning is performed</approach>
  <deliverables>What planning produces</deliverables>
</planning_methodology>

<gap_analysis>
  <checklist>Items to verify during planning</checklist>
</gap_analysis>

<output_structure>
  <format>Structure of planning output</format>
</output_structure>
Implementers (Developers)
xml
<implementation_standards>
  <file_writing_standards>
    <standard name="Standard Name">Description</standard>
  </file_writing_standards>

  <quality_checks mandatory="true">
    <check name="check_name" order="1">
      <tool>Tool name</tool>
      <command>Command to run</command>
      <requirement>What must pass</requirement>
      <on_failure>Recovery action</on_failure>
    </check>
  </quality_checks>

  <validation_checks>
    <check order="1" name="Check Name">
      Validation criteria
    </check>
  </validation_checks>
</implementation_standards>
Reviewers
xml
<review_criteria>
  <focus_areas>
    <area name="Area Name" priority="critical|high|medium" weight="20%">
      **Check:**
      - Item to verify
      - Item to verify

      **Common Issues:**
      - Issue description

      **Critical if**: Condition for critical severity
      **High if**: Condition for high severity
    </area>
  </focus_areas>

  <feedback_format>
    Template for review feedback
  </feedback_format>
</review_criteria>

<approval_criteria>
  <status name="PASS">Criteria for passing</status>
  <status name="CONDITIONAL">Criteria for conditional approval</status>
  <status name="FAIL">Criteria for failure</status>
</approval_criteria>
Testers
xml
<testing_strategy>
  <approach>Testing methodology</approach>
  <test_types>
    <type name="Type Name">Description</type>
  </test_types>
</testing_strategy>

<coverage_requirements>
  <requirement>Coverage criteria</requirement>
</coverage_requirements>

Nesting Rules

  1. Proper Hierarchy - Tags must be properly nested
  2. Closing Tags - All opening tags must have closing tags
  3. Semantic Attributes - Use name, priority, order attributes
  4. Consistent Naming - Use lowercase-with-hyphens for tag names

Code Blocks in XML

xml
<template name="Example">
```language
// code here - note: opening ``` directly under tag
</template>
```

Character Escaping

Only in XML attribute values and text nodes (NOT in code blocks):

  • &lt; for <
  • &gt; for >
  • &amp; for &

© MadAppGang, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in plugins/agentdev/skills/xml-standards of MadAppGang/claude-code.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6097ad4

Compare with similar skills

XML Standards next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

XML Standards compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
XML Standards this skillMadAppGang/claude-code285—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Telemetry Standardssupabase/supabase111k—~2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Cpp Coding Standardsaffaan-m/ECC276k4 repos~5.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Java Coding Standardsaffaan-m/ECC276k1 repos~2.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Coding Standardsaffaan-m/ECC276k3 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Coding Standardsaffaan-m/ECC276k2 repos~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

Similar skills

  • Telemetry Standards

    supabase/supabase

    Official

    PostHog event tracking standards for Supabase Studio. An agent skill from supabase/supabase.

    111k GitHub stars~2k tokensUpdated today
    Data & AnalyticsAuto-check passed
  • C++ coding standards based on the C++ Core Guidelines (isocpp.github.io).

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 4 repos~5.6k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed
  • Java coding standards for Spring Boot and Quarkus services: naming, immutability, Optional usage, streams, exceptions, generics, CDI, reactive patterns, and project layout.

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.9k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed
  • Coding Standards

    affaan-m/ECC

    适用于TypeScript、JavaScript、React和Node.js开发的通用编码标准、最佳实践和模式. An agent skill from affaan-m/ECC.

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 3 repos~2.6k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed
  • Coding Standards

    affaan-m/ECC

    TypeScript、JavaScript、React、Node.js開発のための汎用コーディング標準、ベストプラクティス、パターン。

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~2.6k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed
  • Coding Standards

    affaan-m/ECC

    TypeScript, JavaScript, React, Node.js 개발을 위한 범용 코딩 표준, 모범 사례 및 패턴.

    276k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~2.7k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

More from MadAppGang/claude-code

All 69 skills in this repo
  • Content Brief

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    Content brief template and creation methodology for SEO-optimized content.

    285 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~959 tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Context Detection

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    A skill your agent uses when detecting project technology stack from files/configs/directory structure, auto-loading framework-specific skills, or analyzing multi-stack fullstack projects (e.g…

    285 GitHub stars~5.4k tokensUpdated 6 mo ago
    Auto-check passed
  • Content Optimizer

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    On-page SEO optimization techniques including keyword density, meta tags, heading structure, and readability.

    285 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~694 tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Keyword Cluster Builder

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    Techniques for expanding seed keywords and clustering by topic and intent.

    285 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~674 tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Serp Analysis

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    SERP analysis techniques for intent classification, feature identification, and competitive intelligence.

    285 GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1k tokens
    Auto-check passed
  • Agent Coordination Discipline

    MadAppGang/claude-code

    A skill your agent uses when deciding whether to launch an agent, selecting which agent to use, or coordinating multiple agents.

    285 GitHub stars~3.8k tokensUpdated 6 mo ago
    Auto-check passed

Questions about XML Standards

What does XML Standards do?

XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands. XML Standards is an agent skill from MadAppGang/claude-code. XML tag structure patterns for Claude Code agents and commands.

When should I use XML Standards?

XML Standards fits situations like: implementing agents to ensure proper XML structure following Anthropic best practices.

How do I install XML Standards in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add MadAppGang/claude-code --skill xml-standards -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/agentdev/skills/xml-standards in MadAppGang/claude-code) into .claude/skills/xml-standards in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install XML Standards in Codex?

Run `npx skills add MadAppGang/claude-code --skill xml-standards -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/agentdev/skills/xml-standards in MadAppGang/claude-code) into .agents/skills/xml-standards in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use XML Standards in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add MadAppGang/claude-code --skill xml-standards -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/xml-standards, .gemini/skills/xml-standards, .github/skills/xml-standards and .opencode/skills/xml-standards in your project.

What does XML Standards need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: XML Standards is instructions for the agent only.

Does XML Standards access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is XML Standards safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does XML Standards use?

XML Standards is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does XML Standards use?

About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to XML Standards?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with XML Standards: Telemetry Standards (supabase/supabase, 111k stars), Cpp Coding Standards (affaan-m/ECC, 276k stars), Java Coding Standards (affaan-m/ECC, 276k stars) and Coding Standards (affaan-m/ECC, 276k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains XML Standards?

MadAppGang (a GitHub organization) maintains it in MadAppGang/claude-code, which has 285 GitHub stars. The repository holds 69 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on March 15, 2026.

Source: MadAppGang/claude-code on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.