Length
thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist
A skill your agent uses when generating URL slugs from article titles, auditing URL structures for unnecessary depth or length, or reviewing URL patterns in a CMS or router configuration.
Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts.
MITAuto-check passed
Install Constraint Specification
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specification --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .claude/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .claude/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specificationType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specification --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .agents/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .agents/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specification --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .cursor/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .cursor/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git --path skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specification --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .gemini/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .gemini/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specificationInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .github/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .github/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills constraint-specification --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification .opencode/skills/constraint-specification && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "constraint-specification" agent skill from https://github.com/Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills/tree/main/skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification into .opencode/skills/constraint-specification/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "constraint-specification", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
constraint-specification- GitHub stars
- 181
- Token cost
- ~627 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 296 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 11
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts.
- SKILL.md covers Types of Constraints, Writing Effective Constraints, Constraint Interactions and Design Artefacts
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Constraint Specification is an agent skill from Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills. Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts.
Its SKILL.md is about 630 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: AI Design Skills Collection: agentic skills, commands, and plugins for designing AI products — from interaction patterns to alignment, evaluation, agent orchestration, and prompt… The licence is MIT.
Example prompts
- “/constraint-specification”
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit f41b650. 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.
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
Constraint Specification loads about 627 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 25 tokens; SKILL.md has 296 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills at commit f41b650, republished under its MIT licence (© Owl-Listener). 296 words, ~627 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/constraint-specification/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- constraint-specification
- description
- Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts.
Constraint Specification
Constraints are the rules that shape AI output — what format to use, how long to be, what to include, what to exclude. Well-specified constraints produce predictable, useful outputs. Vague constraints produce inconsistent results.
Types of Constraints
Format constraints:
- Output structure (JSON, markdown, plain text, bullet points, prose)
- Section headings and organisation
- Required fields and optional fields
- Data types and schemas Length constraints:
- Word count ranges (not exact numbers — models are bad at counting)
- Section length proportions ("spend 60% on analysis, 40% on recommendations")
- Minimum and maximum bounds
- Conciseness directives ("be brief" vs. "be thorough") Content constraints:
- Topics to include and exclude
- Required information elements
- Prohibited content
- Source restrictions (only use provided context, don't use external knowledge) Tone constraints:
- Formality level
- Emotional register
- Audience-appropriate language
- Voice and style guidelines Quality constraints:
- Accuracy requirements ("cite sources", "flag uncertainty")
- Completeness requirements ("address all aspects of the question")
- Originality requirements ("don't repeat the question back")
- Actionability requirements ("every recommendation must be implementable")
Writing Effective Constraints
- Be specific: "Keep responses under 200 words" beats "be concise"
- Prioritise: When constraints conflict, state which wins. "Accuracy over brevity."
- Provide examples: Show what a constrained output looks like
- Test boundaries: What happens at the edge of each constraint?
- Separate hard and soft constraints: Hard constraints must always be met. Soft constraints are preferences.
Constraint Interactions
Constraints interact and can conflict:
- "Be thorough" vs. "Keep it under 100 words"
- "Be creative" vs. "Follow this exact format"
- "Be helpful" vs. "Don't give medical advice" Resolve conflicts explicitly in the prompt. Don't make the model guess which constraint takes priority.
Design Artefacts
- Constraint specification documents per output type
- Constraint priority hierarchies
- Constraint test cases (inputs designed to stress each constraint)
- Constraint violation examples (what bad looks like)
- Constraint evolution logs (how constraints changed and why)
© Owl-Listener, 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 skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification of Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit f41b650
Compare with similar skills
Constraint Specification 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constraint Specification this skillOwl-Listener/ai-design-skills | 181 | — | ~627 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Lengththedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist | 74k | — | ~764 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Agent Specificationruvnet/ruflo | 74k | 3 repos | ~1.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Specificity Managementthedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist | 74k | — | ~477 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Constraint Enginelijigang/ljg-skills | 7.5k | — | ~2.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Create Specificationgithub/awesome-copilot | 40k | 1 repos | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
Similar skills
Agent Specification
ruvnet/ruflo
Agent skill for specification - invoke with $agent-specification
Specificity Management
thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist
A skill your agent uses when reviewing stylesheets, component styles, and responsive behavior related to Keep CSS specificity low and flat.
Constraint Engine
lijigang/ljg-skills
Finds the handful of constraints that truly define a domain, role, product or debate, grades each by hardness, and explains the behavior those constraints produce.
- Official
Create Specification
github/awesome-copilot
Create a new specification file for the solution, optimized for Generative AI consumption.
- Official
Update Specification
github/awesome-copilot
Update an existing specification file for the solution, optimized for Generative AI consumption based on new requirements or updates to any existing code.
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Questions about Constraint Specification
What does Constraint Specification do?
Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts. Constraint Specification is an agent skill from Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills. Defining output format, length, tone, and content boundaries within prompts.
How do I install Constraint Specification in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification in Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills) into .claude/skills/constraint-specification in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Constraint Specification in Codex?
Run `npx skills add Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/prompt-architecture/constraint-specification in Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills) into .agents/skills/constraint-specification in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Constraint Specification 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 Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills --skill constraint-specification -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/constraint-specification, .gemini/skills/constraint-specification, .github/skills/constraint-specification and .opencode/skills/constraint-specification in your project.
What does Constraint Specification need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Constraint Specification is instructions for the agent only.
Does Constraint Specification 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 Constraint Specification 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 Constraint Specification use?
Constraint Specification 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 Constraint Specification use?
About 627 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.5k 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 Constraint Specification?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Constraint Specification: Length (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars), Agent Specification (ruvnet/ruflo, 74k stars), Specificity Management (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars) and Constraint Engine (lijigang/ljg-skills, 7.5k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Constraint Specification?
Owl-Listener (a GitHub user) maintains it in Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills, which has 181 GitHub stars. The repository holds 11 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on June 9, 2026.
Source: Owl-Listener/ai-design-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.