---
title: "Reference Skills"
description: "The 71 user-invocable:false skills auto-injected into agent context — the knowledge library behind OrchestKit agents."
canonical: "https://orchestkit.yonyon.ai/docs/skills/reference-skills"
---

# Reference Skills

The 71 user-invocable:false skills auto-injected into agent context — the knowledge library behind OrchestKit agents.

{/* GENERATED by scripts/_build-docs-generate.py from skill frontmatter (#2120) — do not edit by hand. */}

## What Are Reference Skills?

Reference skills are the **71 skills** with `user-invocable: false` in their frontmatter. You never invoke them directly — they are automatically injected into agent context through three paths:

1. **Agent frontmatter** — each agent declares the skills it needs; when the agent spawns, those skills load automatically.
2. **Command-skill composition** — a command skill (e.g. `/ork:implement`) pulls in reference skills via its `skills:` field.
3. **Keyword auto-suggest** — the `skill-auto-suggest` hook injects matching skills based on keywords in your prompt.

Skills are grouped below by the `agent:` field they declare. Skills with no `agent:` are cross-cutting — shared across agents or the core system.

---

## Accessibility

**Primary agent:** `accessibility-specialist`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `accessibility` | Accessibility patterns for WCAG 2.2 compliance, keyboard focus management, React Aria component patterns, cognitive inclusion, native HTML-first philosophy, and user preference honoring. Use when implementing screen reader support, keyboard navigation, ARIA patterns, focus traps, accessible component libraries, reduced motion, or cognitive accessibility. |

---

## Backend & Distributed Systems

**Primary agent:** `backend-system-architect`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `api-design` | API contract design for REST and GraphQL, covering resource shape, URL and header versioning with deprecation windows, RFC 9457 Problem Details error handling, and OpenAPI specs. Use when specifying the wire contract an endpoint exposes, choosing a versioning scheme, or standardizing error response bodies across services. Framework-agnostic protocol layer, not runtime implementation. |
| `architecture-decision-record` | ADR templates in the Nygard format with context, decision, consequences, and alternatives. Use when writing ADRs, recording an architectural decision, or evaluating options. |
| `architecture-patterns` | Architecture validation and patterns for clean architecture, backend structure enforcement, project structure validation, test standards, and context-aware sizing. Use when designing system boundaries, enforcing layered architecture, validating project structure, defining test standards, or choosing the right architecture tier for project scope. |
| `distributed-systems` | Distributed systems patterns for locking, resilience, idempotency, and rate limiting. Use when implementing distributed locks, circuit breakers, retry policies, idempotency keys, token bucket rate limiters, or fault tolerance patterns. |
| `domain-driven-design` | DDD tactical patterns for complex business modeling including entities, value objects, aggregates, domain services, repositories, specifications, and bounded contexts. Python dataclass implementations with TypeScript alternatives. Use when building rich domain models, enforcing invariants, or separating domain logic from infrastructure. |
| `python-backend` | Production Python async patterns including asyncio TaskGroup, FastAPI dependency injection and middleware, SQLAlchemy 2.0 async sessions, and database connection pool tuning. Python 3.11+ runtime concerns such as ExceptionGroup, cancellation semantics, and session rollback. Use when building async services, wiring FastAPI dependencies, or tuning database connection pools. Runtime implementation layer, not the API wire contract. |

---

## CI/CD

**Primary agent:** `ci-cd-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `devops-deployment` | Use when setting up CI/CD pipelines, containerizing applications, deploying to Kubernetes, or writing infrastructure as code. DevOps & Deployment covers GitHub Actions, Docker, Helm, and Terraform patterns. |

---

## Code Quality

**Primary agent:** `code-quality-reviewer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `code-review-playbook` | Structured review processes, conventional comments, language-specific checklists, and feedback templates. Use when reviewing PRs, conducting code review, or standardizing review practice. |
| `quality-gates` | Use when assessing task complexity, before starting complex tasks, when stuck after multiple attempts, or reviewing code against best practices. Provides quality-gates scoring (1-5), escalation workflows, and pattern library management. |

---

## Data Pipelines & RAG

**Primary agent:** `data-pipeline-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `golden-dataset` | Golden dataset lifecycle patterns for curation, versioning, quality validation, and CI integration. Use when building evaluation datasets, managing dataset versions, validating quality scores, or integrating golden tests into pipelines. |
| `rag-retrieval` | Retrieval-Augmented Generation patterns for grounded LLM responses. Use when building RAG pipelines, embedding documents, implementing hybrid search, contextual retrieval, HyDE, agentic RAG, multimodal RAG, query decomposition, reranking, or pgvector search. |

---

## Database

**Primary agent:** `database-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `database-patterns` | Database design and migration patterns for Alembic migrations, schema design (SQL/NoSQL), and database versioning. Use when creating migrations, designing schemas, normalizing data, managing database versions, or handling schema drift. |

---

## Debugging

**Primary agent:** `debug-investigator`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `errors` | Error pattern analysis and troubleshooting for Claude Code sessions. Categorizes errors (network, auth, model, tool, memory, permission) with known resolution patterns, searches memory for prior occurrences, and suggests recovery steps. Delegates to debug-investigator agent for complex root cause analysis. Use when handling errors, fixing failures, or troubleshooting session issues. |

---

## API Emulation

**Primary agent:** `emulate-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `emulate-seed` | Generate emulate seed configs for stateful API emulation. Wraps Vercel's emulate tool for GitHub, Vercel, Google OAuth, Slack, Apple Auth, Microsoft Entra, AWS, Okta, Clerk, Resend, Stripe, and MongoDB Atlas APIs — full state machines, not mocks. Use when setting up test environments, CI pipelines, integration tests, or offline development. |

---

## Frontend Performance

**Primary agent:** `frontend-performance-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `performance` | Performance optimization patterns covering Core Web Vitals, React render optimization, lazy loading, image optimization, backend profiling, LLM inference, and sustainability UX. Use when improving page speed, debugging slow renders, optimizing bundles, reducing image payload, profiling backend, deploying LLMs efficiently, or reducing digital carbon footprint. |

---

## Frontend & UI

**Primary agent:** `frontend-ui-developer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `ai-ui-generation` | AI-assisted UI generation patterns for json-render, v0.app, Google Stitch, Bolt Cloud, and Cursor workflows. Covers prompt engineering for component and full-stack app generation, review checklists for AI-generated code, design token injection, refactoring for design system conformance, and CI gates for quality assurance. Use when generating UI components with AI tools, rendering multi-surface MCP visual output, reviewing AI-generated code, or integrating AI output into design systems. |
| `animation-motion-design` | Animation and motion design patterns using Motion library (formerly Framer Motion) and View Transitions API. Use when implementing component animations, page transitions, micro-interactions, gesture-driven UIs, or ensuring motion accessibility with prefers-reduced-motion. |
| `design-system-tokens` | Design token management with the W3C Design Token spec, three-tier hierarchy (global/alias/component), OKLCH color, Style Dictionary transforms, and dark mode theming. Use when creating token files, implementing theme systems, or building design-to-code pipelines. |
| `figma-design-handoff` | Figma-to-code design handoff patterns including Figma Variables to design tokens pipeline, component spec extraction, Dev Mode inspection, Auto Layout to CSS Flexbox/Grid mapping, and visual regression with Applitools. Use when converting Figma designs to code, documenting component specs, setting up design-dev workflows, or comparing production UI against Figma designs. |
| `i18n-date-patterns` | Implements internationalization (i18n) in React applications. Covers user-facing strings, date/time handling, locale-aware formatting, ICU MessageFormat, and RTL support. Use when building multilingual UIs or formatting dates/currency. |
| `interaction-patterns` | UI interaction design patterns for skeleton loading, infinite scroll with accessibility, progressive disclosure, modal/drawer/inline selection, drag-and-drop with keyboard alternatives, tab overflow handling, and toast notification positioning. Use when implementing loading states, content pagination, disclosure patterns, overlay components, reorderable lists, or notification systems. |
| `react-server-components-framework` | Use when building Next.js 16+ apps with React Server Components. Covers App Router, Cache Components (replacing experimental_ppr), streaming SSR, Server Actions, and React 19 patterns for server-first architecture. |
| `responsive-patterns` | Responsive design with Container Queries, fluid typography, cqi/cqb units, subgrid, intrinsic layouts, foldable devices, and mobile-first patterns for React applications. Use when building responsive layouts or container queries. |
| `storybook-testing` | Storybook 10 testing patterns with Vitest integration, ESM-only distribution, CSF3 typesafe factories, play() interaction tests, Chromatic TurboSnap visual regression, module automocking, accessibility addon testing, and autodocs generation. Use when writing component stories, setting up visual regression testing, configuring Storybook CI pipelines, or migrating from Storybook 9. |
| `ui-components` | UI component library patterns for shadcn/ui and Radix Primitives. Use when building accessible component libraries, customizing shadcn components, using Radix unstyled primitives, or creating design system foundations. |
| `vite-advanced` | Advanced Vite 8 patterns including Rolldown-powered builds, advancedChunks, Environment API, plugin development, SSR configuration, library mode, and build optimization. Use when customizing build pipelines, creating plugins, or configuring multi-environment builds. |
| `zustand-patterns` | Reference for Zustand 5.x state management including slices, middleware, Immer, useShallow, persistence, selectors, and devtools integration. Documents 7 core patterns with TypeScript examples and anti-patterns. Use when building React state management with Zustand instead of Redux. |

---

## Genui Architect

**Primary agent:** `genui-architect`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `json-render-catalog` | json-render component catalog patterns for AI-safe generative UI. Define Zod-typed catalogs that constrain what AI can generate, use @json-render/shadcn for 36 pre-built components, optimize specs with YAML mode, and apply the three edit modes (patch/merge/diff) for progressive updates. Use when building AI-generated UIs, defining component catalogs, or integrating json-render into React/Vue/Svelte/React Native/Ink/Next.js projects. |

---

## LLM, RAG & AI

**Primary agent:** `llm-integrator`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `llm-integration` | LLM integration patterns for function calling, streaming responses, local inference with Ollama, and fine-tuning customization. Use when implementing tool use, SSE streaming, local model deployment, LoRA/QLoRA fine-tuning, or multi-provider LLM APIs. |

---

## Multimodal Specialist

**Primary agent:** `multimodal-specialist`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `multimodal-llm` | Vision, audio, video generation, and multimodal LLM integration patterns. Use when processing images, transcribing audio, generating speech, generating AI video (Kling v3, Sora 2, Veo 3.1 std/lite/fast, Runway Gen-4.5 via `gen4_turbo`), or building multimodal AI pipelines. |

---

## Product & Strategy

**Primary agent:** `product-strategist`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `business-case` | Business case analysis with ROI, NPV, IRR, payback period, and TCO calculations for investment decisions. Use when building financial justification, cost-benefit analysis, build-vs-buy comparisons, or sensitivity analysis. |
| `competitive-analysis` | Strategic analysis frameworks including Porter's Five Forces (industry attractiveness), SWOT (internal positioning), and competitive landscape mapping with battlecard generation. Produces competitor profiles, feature gap analysis, and positioning recommendations. Use when analyzing market position, evaluating threats, or building sales battlecards. |
| `market-sizing` | TAM/SAM/SOM market sizing with top-down and bottom-up estimation methods, cross-validation of assumptions, and divergence reconciliation. Generates investor-ready materials with growth projections and confidence intervals. Use when estimating addressable markets, validating opportunity size, or preparing pitch deck market slides. |
| `okr-design` | OKR trees, KPI dashboards, North Star Metric, leading/lagging indicators, and experiment design. Use when setting team goals, defining success metrics, building measurement frameworks, or designing A/B experiment guardrails. |
| `prioritization` | Prioritization frameworks — RICE, WSJF, ICE, MoSCoW, and opportunity cost scoring for backlog ranking. Use when prioritizing features, comparing initiatives, justifying roadmap decisions, or evaluating trade-offs between competing work items. |
| `product-analytics` | A/B test evaluation, cohort retention analysis, funnel metrics, and experiment-driven product decisions. Use when analyzing experiments, measuring feature adoption, diagnosing conversion drop-offs, or evaluating statistical significance of product changes. |
| `product-frameworks` | Product management frameworks for business cases, market analysis, strategy, prioritization, OKRs/KPIs, personas, requirements, and user research. Use when building ROI projections, competitive analysis, RICE scoring, OKR trees, user personas, PRDs, or usability testing plans. |
| `user-research` | User personas, customer journey maps, interview guides, usability testing, and card sorting. Use when building user understanding, mapping customer experiences, planning user research sessions, or defining Jobs-to-Be-Done. |

---

## Python Performance

**Primary agent:** `python-performance-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `async-jobs` | Async job processing patterns for background tasks, Celery workflows, task scheduling, retry strategies, and distributed task execution. Use when implementing background job processing, task queues, or scheduled task systems. |

---

## Release Engineer

**Primary agent:** `release-engineer`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `documentation-patterns` | Technical documentation patterns for READMEs, ADRs, API docs (OpenAPI 3.1), changelogs, and writing style guides. Use when creating project documentation, writing architecture decisions, documenting APIs, or maintaining changelogs. |

---

## Security

**Primary agent:** `security-auditor`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `security-patterns` | Security patterns for authentication, defense-in-depth, input validation, OWASP Top 10, LLM safety, and PII masking. Use when implementing auth flows, security layers, input sanitization, vulnerability prevention, prompt injection defense, or data redaction. |

---

## Testing

**Primary agent:** `test-generator`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `testing-e2e` | End-to-end testing patterns with Playwright — page objects, AI agent testing, visual regression, accessibility testing with axe-core, and CI integration. Use when writing E2E tests, setting up Playwright, implementing visual regression, or testing accessibility. |
| `testing-integration` | Integration and contract testing patterns — API endpoint tests, component integration, database testing, Pact contract verification, property-based testing, and Zod schema validation. Use when testing API boundaries, verifying contracts, or validating cross-service integration. |
| `testing-llm` | LLM and AI testing patterns — mock responses, evaluation with DeepEval/RAGAS, structured output validation, and agentic test patterns (generator, healer, planner). Use when testing AI features, validating LLM outputs, or building evaluation pipelines. |
| `testing-perf` | Performance and load testing patterns — k6 load tests, Locust stress tests, pytest execution optimization (xdist parallel, plugins), test type classification, and performance benchmarking. Use when writing load tests, optimizing test execution speed, or setting up pytest infrastructure. |
| `testing-unit` | Unit testing patterns for isolated business logic tests — AAA pattern, parametrized tests (test.each, @pytest.mark.parametrize), fixture scoping (function/module/session), mocking with MSW/VCR at network level, and test data management with factories (FactoryBoy, faker-js). Use when writing unit tests, setting up mocks, structuring test data, optimizing test speed, choosing fixture scope, or reducing test boilerplate. Covers Vitest, Jest, pytest. |

---

## Web Research

**Primary agent:** `web-research-analyst`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `browser-tools` | Security wrapper over the upstream agent-browser skill, adding URL blocklisting, rate limiting, robots.txt enforcement, and scraping guardrails. Use when automating browser workflows that need safety limits. |
| `web-research-workflow` | Unified decision tree for web research and competitive monitoring. Auto-selects WebFetch, Tavily, or agent-browser based on target site characteristics and available API keys. Includes competitor page tracking, snapshot diffing, and change alerting. Use when researching web content, scraping, extracting raw markdown, capturing documentation, or monitoring competitor changes. |

---

## LangGraph & Workflows

**Primary agent:** `workflow-architect`

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `agent-orchestration` | Agent orchestration patterns for agentic loops, multi-agent coordination, alternative frameworks, and multi-scenario workflows. Use when building autonomous agent loops, coordinating multiple agents, evaluating CrewAI/AutoGen/Swarm, or orchestrating complex multi-step scenarios. |
| `langgraph` | LangGraph 1.x (LTS) Python workflow patterns for state management, delta channels, resilience (node timeouts, error handlers, graceful drain), routing, parallel execution, supervisor-worker, tool calling, checkpointing, human-in-loop, streaming (v2 format), subgraphs, and functional API. Use when building LangGraph pipelines, multi-agent systems, or AI workflows. |
| `task-dependency-patterns` | Task Management patterns with TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskGet, TaskList tools. Decompose complex work into trackable tasks with dependency chains. Use when managing multi-step implementations, coordinating parallel work, or tracking completion status. |

---

## Cross-Cutting Skills

These skills do not declare an `agent:` field — they serve multiple agents or the core system.

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `analytics` | Queries local analytics across OrchestKit projects for agent usage, skill frequency, hook timing, team activity, session replay, cost estimation, and model delegation trends. Privacy-safe with hashed project IDs. Supports time-range filtering and comparative analysis. Use when reviewing performance, estimating costs, or understanding usage patterns. |
| `audit-full` | Single-pass codebase analysis leveraging a 1M-token context window for comprehensive security scanning, architecture review, and dependency auditing. Loads entire codebases for cross-file pattern detection and generates structured audit reports with severity-ranked findings. Use when you need whole-project analysis before releases or security reviews. |
| `bare-eval` | Run isolated eval and grading calls using CC 2.1.81 --bare mode. Constructs claude -p --bare invocations for skill evaluation, trigger testing, and LLM grading without plugin/hook interference. Use when running eval pipelines, grading skill outputs, benchmarking prompt quality, or testing trigger accuracy in isolation. |
| `chain-patterns` | Chain patterns for multi-phase pipelines: MCP detection, handoff files, checkpoint-resume, worktree agents, CronCreate monitoring. Use when building or debugging a pipeline skill. |
| `configure` | Interactive wizard for OrchestKit settings: MCP servers, hook permissions, keybindings, and install presets. Use when customizing plugin behavior or managing settings. |
| `demo-producer` | Universal demo video creator for skills, agents, plugins, tutorials, CLI commands, and code walkthroughs. Generates scripts, storyboards, VHS terminal recordings, and Remotion video compositions with task-tracked production phases. Use when producing video showcases, marketing content, or terminal recordings. |
| `github-operations` | GitHub CLI operations for issues, PRs, milestones, and Projects v2. Covers gh commands, REST API patterns, and automation scripts. Use when managing GitHub issues, PRs, milestones, or Projects with gh. |
| `issue-progress-tracking` | GitHub issue workflow ceremony using gh CLI — labels issues as in-progress, creates feature branches (issue/N-description), commits with issue references, posts progress comments, and links PRs with Closes #N. Keeps issues in sync with development work. Use when starting work on an issue, tracking progress, or completing work with a PR. |
| `mcp-patterns` | MCP server building, advanced patterns, and security hardening. Use when building MCP servers, implementing tool handlers, choosing a transport, adding OAuth authentication, wiring MCP Apps UI with @mcp-ui, hardening MCP security, or debugging MCP integrations. |
| `mcp-visual-output` | Interactive MCP visual output via @json-render/mcp: upgrade plain JSON tool responses to dashboards rendered in sandboxed iframes inside MCP clients like Claude, Cursor, and ChatGPT. Use when a tool result would read better as a stat grid, data table, or status badge than as text. For the server itself (transport, auth, tool handlers, security) reach for ork:mcp-patterns. |
| `memory-fabric` | Knowledge graph orchestration layer with entity extraction, natural language query parsing, deduplication (>85% similarity), and cross-reference boosting. Unifies search results ranked by recency, relevance, and authority. Use when designing memory retrieval, building entity graphs, or optimizing knowledge graph queries. |
| `monitoring-observability` | Monitoring and observability patterns for Prometheus metrics, Grafana dashboards, Langfuse v4 LLM tracing (as_type, score_current_span, should_export_span, LangfuseMedia), and drift detection. Use when adding logging, metrics, distributed tracing, LLM cost tracking, or quality drift monitoring. |
| `multi-surface-render` | Multi-surface rendering with json-render — one JSON spec produces React web, Next.js, React Native, Ink terminal UIs, PDFs, emails, Remotion videos, OG images, and 3D scenes. Covers renderer target selection, registry mapping, and platform APIs (renderToBuffer, renderToStream, renderToFile). Use when generating output for several platforms or creating PDF reports, email templates, demo videos, or social images from one component spec. |
| `paired-probe` | Refuse a verdict a probe did not earn. Runs a check where the fault IS present and where it is NOT, and blocks the answer when both arms print the same thing, because a check that cannot disagree with you has measured nothing. Also catches the zero-sample sweep that reads as "clean" and the swallowed error that reads as success. Use before reporting any status, audit, sweep, or "nothing found" result, and whenever a check surprises you by passing. |
| `portless` | Named HTTPS .localhost URLs with portless (v0.15.x). Eliminates port collisions, gives agents stable URLs, adds branch-named subdomains for git worktrees, LAN mode (--lan), and Tailscale sharing. Use when setting up a local dev environment or testing from phones and tablets on the same wifi. Do NOT use for production deployments, CI environments (set PORTLESS=0), or DNS/hosting configuration. |
| `release-management` | Automates GitHub releases with semantic versioning, changelog generation from merged PRs, and gh CLI integration. Supports draft, prerelease, and standard release workflows with task-tracked multi-phase execution. Use when creating releases, tagging versions, or publishing changelogs. |
| `scope-appropriate-architecture` | Right-sizes architecture to project scope, classifying projects into 6 tiers to prevent over-engineering. Use when designing architecture, selecting patterns, or detecting a project tier. |
| `storybook-mcp-integration` | Reference for the Storybook MCP server itself (@storybook/addon-mcp): 6 tools across 3 toolsets (dev, docs, testing), availability detection, and per-agent toolset filtering. Use when setting up the server or calling these tools directly against components that already exist. For the end-to-end pipeline that turns a mockup into a new component and consumes these tools as one stage, use design-to-code. |
| `testing-patterns` | Redirect — testing-patterns was split into 5 focused sub-skills. Use when looking for testing-patterns, writing tests, or test automation. Redirects to testing-unit, testing-e2e, testing-integration, testing-llm, or testing-perf. |

---

## How Reference Skills Get to Agents

The link between a reference skill and its agent is bidirectional: the skill's `agent:` field names its owning agent, and the agent's `skills:` array lists the skills it loads. When an agent spawns, Claude Code injects each listed skill's content into the agent's context window.

---

## What's Next

- [Command Skills](/docs/skills/command-skills) — the commands that orchestrate these reference skills.
- [Composing Skills Into Workflows](/docs/skills/skill-composition) — how everything fits together.
- [Writing Skills](/docs/skills/writing-skills) — add reference skills for your own domain.