Getting Started

From zero to ANCC-compliant in 7 steps.

1. Install ancc

brew install ppiankov/tap/ancc

Or via Go:

go install github.com/ppiankov/ancc/cmd/ancc@latest

2. Generate SKILL.md

ancc init my-tool

Creates docs/SKILL.md with all required sections pre-filled. The template passes all structural validation checks out of the box.

ancc init generates documentation only — use it when you already have a tool and want to add ANCC compliance. For a complete project from scratch (Go binary, Makefile, CI, tests, SKILL.md), use ancc scaffold my-tool --type scanner instead.

3. Fill in sections

Edit docs/SKILL.md. Replace placeholder content with real data:

4. Validate

ancc validate .

Expected output:

  skill-md-exists           pass   SKILL.md found
  skill-md-install          pass   Install section found
  skill-md-commands         pass   4 command(s) documented
  skill-md-not-do           pass   "What this does NOT do" section found
  not-do-min-items          pass   not-do section has 3 items
  scope-pressure            pass   4 commands, 5 sections
  ...

  Summary: 30 checks, 28 pass, 0 fail, 2 warn

Fix any fail results. Warnings are recommendations — address them when ready.

5. Add doctor command

Implement my-tool doctor --format json with the standard schema:

{
  "status": "healthy",
  "checks": [
    {"name": "config", "status": "pass", "message": "config valid"},
    {"name": "database", "status": "pass", "message": "reachable"}
  ]
}

6. Run doctor

my-tool doctor --format json | jq '.status'

Verify the tool can report its own health. An agent uses this to decide whether to trust the tool's output.

7. Next steps