Skill Extraction

Pattern Extraction

Extract reusable patterns, skills, and methodology documentation from existing codebases.

OpenClaw / Moltbot / Clawbot

npx clawhub@latest install extraction

Before Starting

MANDATORY: Read these reference files based on what you're extracting: ExtractingRead FirstAny extractionmethodology-values.md — priority order and what to look forSpecific categoriesextraction-categories.md — detailed patterns per categoryGenerating skillsskill-quality-criteria.md — quality checklist

Phase 1: Discovery

• Analyze the project to understand what exists.
• Scan for project structure:
• Root directory layout
• Key config files (package.json, tailwind.config.*, etc.)
• Documentation (README, docs/, etc.)
• Source organization (src/, app/, components/, etc.)
• Identify tech stack:
• IndicatorTechnologypackage.json with reactReacttailwind.config.*Tailwind CSScomponents.jsonshadcn/uigo.modGoDockerfileDockerk8s/ or .yaml manifestsKubernetesturbo.jsonTurborepoMakefileMake automation
• Look for design system signals:
• Custom Tailwind config (not defaults)
• CSS variables / custom properties
• Theme files
• Design documentation
• Mood boards or reference lists
• Capture key findings:
• What's the tech stack?
• What's the folder structure?
• Is there a documented design direction?
• What workflows exist (Makefile, scripts)?

Phase 2: Categorization

Map discoveries to extraction categories, prioritized: Priority order: Design Systems — Color tokens, typography, spacing, motion, aesthetic documentation UI Patterns — Component organization, layouts, interactions Architecture — Folder structure, data flow, API patterns Workflows — Build, dev, deploy, CI/CD Domain-Specific — Patterns unique to this application type For each category found, note: What specific patterns exist? Where are they defined? (file paths) Are they documented? (comments, docs) Are they worth extracting? (used in multiple places, well-designed) Filter by value: ExtractSkipPatterns used across multiple componentsOne-off solutionsCustomized configs with intentionDefault configurationsDocumented design decisionsArbitrary choicesReusable infrastructureProject-specific hacks

Phase 3: Extraction

For each valuable pattern, generate outputs. Design Systems → Design System Doc + Skill Read the Tailwind config, CSS files, theme files Extract actual token values (colors, typography, spacing) Document the aesthetic direction Create: docs/extracted/[project]-design-system.md using design-system.md template ai/skills/[project]-design-system/SKILL.md if patterns are reusable Architecture → Methodology Doc Document folder structure with reasoning Capture data flow patterns Note key technical decisions Create docs/extracted/[project]-summary.md using project-summary.md template Patterns → Skills For each pattern worth a skill: Load skill-quality-criteria.md Use skill-template.md template Verify the quality checklist: Description has WHAT, WHEN, KEYWORDS No explanations of basics Claude knows Has specific NEVER list < 300 lines ideal Create ai/skills/[project]-[pattern]/SKILL.md

Phase 4: Validation

Before writing output, validate extracted content. For each skill, verify: Description has WHAT, WHEN, and trigger KEYWORDS >70% expert knowledge (not in base Claude model) <300 lines (max 500) Has "When to Use" section with clear triggers Has code examples (if applicable) Has NEVER Do section with anti-patterns Project-agnostic (no hardcoded project names) For documentation, verify: Actual values extracted (not placeholders) Templates fully filled out Aesthetic direction documented (for design systems) File paths are correct Conflict detection: Before creating a new skill, check if similar skills exist: # Check existing skills in the target repo ls ai/skills/*/ SituationActionSimilar skill existsEnhance existing skill insteadOverlapping patternsNote overlap, may merge in refinementUnique patternProceed with new skill

Phase 5: Output

Write extracted content to target locations. Methodology Documentation: docs/extracted/ ├── [project]-summary.md # Overall methodology ├── [project]-design-system.md # Design tokens and aesthetic └── [project]-architecture.md # Code patterns (if complex) Skills: ai/skills/ └── [project]-[category]/ ├── SKILL.md └── references/ # (if needed for detailed content) Create docs/extracted/ directory if it doesn't exist.

Design System Extraction (Highest Priority)

When a project has intentional design work, extract thoroughly: Must capture: Color palette (primary, secondary, accent, semantic) Typography (fonts, scale, weights) Spacing scale Motion/animation patterns The "vibe" or aesthetic direction Look in: tailwind.config.js / tailwind.config.ts globals.css / app.css / root CSS files theme.ts / theme.js Any design documentation Generate: Design system documentation with actual values Skill capturing the aesthetic philosophy (if distinctive)

Workflow Extraction

Look for: Makefile targets package.json scripts Docker configurations CI/CD workflows Extract: Dev setup commands Build processes Deployment patterns

Error Handling

SituationResolutionNo patterns foundCreate project summary only; document why extraction failedPattern too project-specificSkip or generalize by removing project namesIncomplete patternExtract what exists, note gaps in skillQuality criteria not metRevise skill or skip patternSimilar skill already existsUpdate existing skill instead of creating newCan't find source filesNote in extraction log, skip that category When extraction fails partially: Complete what can be extracted Document gaps in the project summary Note "Incomplete extraction" in output Suggest what additional information would be needed

NEVER Do

NEVER extract default configurations — Only extract customized, intentional patterns NEVER create skills for basic concepts — Claude already knows React, Tailwind basics NEVER skip the aesthetic — Design philosophy is highest priority NEVER generate skills > 500 lines — Use references/ for detailed content NEVER create skills without good descriptions — Description determines if skill activates NEVER extract one-off solutions — Focus on patterns used in multiple places NEVER skip validation phase — Quality check before writing output NEVER leave project names in skills — Make patterns project-agnostic NEVER create duplicate skills — Check for existing similar skills first

Quality Check Before Finishing

Design system captured (if one exists)? Methodology summary created? Skills have proper descriptions (WHAT, WHEN, KEYWORDS)? Skills pass the expert knowledge test? Anti-patterns documented in skills? Output files created in correct locations?

After Extraction: Staging for Refinement

If you're extracting to later consolidate patterns across multiple projects: Copy results to the skills toolkit repo for staging: # From this project, copy to the skills repo staging area cp -r ai/skills/[project]-* /path/to/skills-repo/ai/staging/skills/ cp -r docs/extracted/* /path/to/skills-repo/ai/staging/docs/ Staging folder structure: ai/staging/ ├── skills/ # Extracted skills from multiple projects │ ├── project-a-design-system/ │ ├── project-b-ui-patterns/ │ └── ... └── docs/ # Extracted methodology docs ├── project-a-summary.md ├── project-b-design-system.md └── ... After staging content from multiple projects: Say "refine staged content" or "consolidate staged skills" The refinement process will: Identify patterns across projects Consolidate into project-agnostic skills Update methodology docs with insights Promote refined skills to active locations

Related Skills

Agent: ai/agents/extraction/ — Autonomous extraction workflow Command: /extract-patterns — Quick extraction command Next step: ai/skills/refinement/ — Consolidate extracted patterns Quality criteria: references/skill-quality-criteria.md