Skills: Multi-Step Workflow Skills
Last updated: 2026-08-31
Complex tasks can't be completed in one step — multi-step Skills encode "how to break down, how to chain, and what to do when things go wrong" into the process.
1. Workflow Design Principles
(1) Task Decomposition
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Task Decomposition Principles
├── Each step has clear input and output
├── Each step is independently verifiable
├── Dependencies between steps are clear
├── Critical steps have checkpoints
└── Exceptions have fallback plans
(2) Step Types
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential | Must execute in order | Install dependencies then build |
| Conditional | Execute only when condition is met | Enter debugging only when tests fail |
| Optional | Can be skipped | Documentation generation |
| Loop | Execute repeatedly | Batch process files |
| Checkpoint | State confirmation and snapshot | Post-build verification |
2. Workflow Orchestration
(1) Linear Workflow
Simplest sequential execution:
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New Feature Development Workflow
1. Requirements analysis → Output: Requirements document
2. Technical design → Output: Design document
3. Code implementation → Output: Source code
4. Unit testing → Output: Test report
5. Code review → Output: Review comments
6. Merge & deploy → Output: Deployment status
(2) Conditional Branch Workflow
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Deployment Workflow
1. Pre-check
2. Run tests
3. Condition check:
- Tests pass → Continue deployment
- Tests fail → Debug & fix → Back to step 2
4. Deploy to staging
5. Health check:
- Pass → Ask whether to deploy to production
- Fail → Rollback + notify
(3) Parallel Workflow
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Parallel Task Example
┌→ Unit Tests ─┐
Pre-check ──┤→ Code Review ─┤→ Aggregate results → Deploy
└→ Security Scan ─┘
3. Exception Handling & Recovery
(1) Error Classification
| Level | Handling Strategy | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Ignorable | Log and continue | Non-critical warnings |
| 🟡 Retryable | Retry N times then escalate | Network timeout |
| 🔴 Must Stop | Rollback to checkpoint, notify human | Data loss |
(2) Checkpoint Mechanism
MARKDOWN
## Checkpoint Setup
1. Before critical steps: git commit to save state
2. Before dangerous operations: Confirm user intent
3. Before irreversible operations: Create backup
4. After each phase: Output progress report
(3) Interruption Recovery
MARKDOWN
## Interruption Recovery Flow
1. Read last progress record
2. Confirm completed steps
3. Continue from incomplete step
4. Verify state of completed steps
4. Workflow Skill Practice
▶ Example: Release Workflow
Alice created a standardized version release Skill:
YAML
---
name: release-workflow
description: "Version release workflow"
triggers:
- keyword: "release"
tools:
- Read
- Write
- Edit
- Bash
- Grep
---
MARKDOWN
## Release Flow
1. Bash: git status (confirm working tree clean)
2. Bash: npm test (full test suite)
3. Edit: Update version number
4. Bash: git tag + git push
5. Write: Generate CHANGELOG
6. Bash: npm run build
7. Bash: Deploy to staging + health check
8. Confirm then deploy to production
Bob said: "The biggest fear in releases is skipping steps — Skills lock the process in so you can't forget to run tests before going live."
❓ FAQ
Q Do too many steps affect performance?
A Yes. We recommend no more than 8 core steps and no more than 3 checkpoints. For more steps, consider splitting into multiple chained Skills.
Q How to recover after interruption?
A Each critical step outputs a state record (file or log); after interruption, read the record to determine the recovery point.
Q Do conditional branches make workflows too complex?
A Yes. We recommend no more than 3 branches and no more than 2 nesting levels. For more complex logic, consider splitting into independent Skills.
📖 Summary
- Design principles: Each step has clear I/O, is verifiable, has a fallback plan
- Three orchestration types: linear, conditional branch, parallel
- Exception handling: Error classification, checkpoint mechanism, interruption recovery
- Practical advice: Steps <8, branches <3, nesting <2
📝 Exercises
- Basic (⭐): Create a linear workflow Skill implementing the "test → build → deploy" three-step process.
- Intermediate (⭐⭐): Create a conditional branch workflow Skill that enters debugging flow automatically when tests fail.
- Advanced (⭐⭐⭐): Create a complete release Skill with checkpoints, exception recovery, and rollback mechanisms.
