---
title: "Standardization of Skills Directory Structure"
date: 2026-01-14
keywords: [skills, refactor, standardization, codex, directory-structure, assets, references]
commits: 1
compression_status: uncompressed
---

# Session Summary

**Date:** 2026-01-14
**Focus Area:** Skills Repository Architecture and Standardization

# Accomplishments

- [x] Standardized skills directory structure to match Codex conventions
- [x] Renamed `templates/` directories to `assets/` in `worklog`, `template`, `review-gate`, and `hq` skills
- [x] Removed redundant `skills/` subdirectories from individual skill folders (e.g., `skills/worklog/skills`)
- [x] Moved loose documentation files to `references/` directories in `niri-window-capture` and `spec-review`
- [x] Updated all `SKILL.md` and `README.md` files to reference the new paths
- [x] Verified no broken references remained in the codebase
- [x] Closed issue `skills-zxek`

# Key Decisions

## Decision 1: Adopt `assets/` and `references/` convention

- **Context:** The skills repo had inconsistent naming (`templates/` vs `assets/`) and loose documentation files cluttering skill roots.
- **Options considered:**
  1. Keep as is (mix of styles) - confusing for agents and users.
  2. Adopt Codex standard (`assets/`, `references/`) - consistent, future-proof.
- **Rationale:** Codex uses `assets/` for templates and static files, and `references/` for context. Aligning with this standard ensures compatibility and reduces cognitive load for both human and AI agents.
- **Impact:** Cleaner directory structure, clearer file organization, better compatibility with Codex tools.

## Decision 2: Remove redundant `skills/` subdirectories

- **Context:** Many skills contained a nested `skills/` directory (e.g., `skills/worklog/skills/worklog.md`).
- **Rationale:** These were likely artifacts of previous build processes or redundant copies. They added noise and confusion.
- **Impact:** Reduced file count, removed potential for stale duplicate files.

# Problems & Solutions

| Problem | Solution | Learning |
|---------|----------|----------|
| `grep` failing on binary files | Used `grep -I` or ignored binary files explicitly | Use specific flags to avoid grep errors on binaries |
| Updating multiple file references | Used `replace` tool iteratively | Systematic search-and-replace is safer than bulk regex |

# Technical Details

## Code Changes

- Total files modified: ~39
- Key changes:
  - `skills/worklog/templates/` -> `skills/worklog/assets/`
  - `skills/hq/templates/` -> `skills/hq/assets/`
  - `skills/review-gate/templates/` -> `skills/review-gate/assets/`
  - Moved `skills/niri-window-capture/*.md` -> `skills/niri-window-capture/references/`
  - Moved `skills/spec-review/*.md` -> `skills/spec-review/references/`

## Commands Used

```bash
# Rename templates to assets
[ -d skills/worklog/templates ] && mv skills/worklog/templates skills/worklog/assets

# Find references to update
grep -r "templates/" skills/ | grep -v "node_modules"

# Remove redundant subdirectories
rm -rf skills/*/skills
```

# Context for Future Work

## Next Steps

- Monitor for any broken links that might have been missed (though search was thorough).
- Encourage future skill creators to follow the `assets/` and `references/` pattern.

# Session Metrics

- Commits made: 1
- Files touched: 39
- Lines added/removed: +294/-2978 (large removal due to deleting redundant files)
