Localized reading guide
report-builderPurpose, usage and source
Turns a plain-English description of a recurring report into a real, repeatable report — defines the metrics, pulls them from whatever data sources are connected, delivers a chat summary plus an XLSX workbook, and saves the definition so the same report reruns on demand or on a schedule. Handles anything from "sales by location versus last year" to AR aging to labor as a percentage of revenue. Works fully from an uploaded CSV or XLSX when no connector is available. Use this whenever the owner asks for a report, dashboard, KPI pack, metrics summary, or recurring numbers — including phrasings like "can you track this every week," "I need to see these numbers monthly," "build me a report on," "same report as last time," or "put together a KPI dashboard." Reach for it even when the owner names the metrics without using the word report.
Source retrieved:
- Source repository
- anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins
- SKILL.md
small-business/skills/report-builder/SKILL.md- Repository stars
- 34,049
- Repository updated
- 2026-10-30
- Categories
- Business
- Last collected
License: Apache-2.0
Workflow excerpts are reading aids, not executable instructions from Codez. No third-party Skill was run to produce this page.
The purpose and workflow passages below are upstream material, organized and translated for reading. They are distinct from the separately labeled Codez editorial analysis.
What this Skill does
Turns a plain-English description of a recurring report into a real, repeatable report — defines the metrics, pulls them from whatever data sources are connected, delivers a chat summary plus an XLSX workbook, and saves the definition so the same report reruns on demand or on a schedule. Handles anything from "sales by location versus last year" to AR aging to labor as a percentage of revenue. Works fully from an uploaded CSV or XLSX when no connector is available. Use this whenever the owner asks for a report, dashboard, KPI pack, metrics summary, or recurring numbers — including phrasings like "can you track this every week," "I need to see these numbers monthly," "build me a report on," "same report as last time," or "put together a KPI dashboard." Reach for it even when the owner names the metrics without using the word report.
How the upstream workflow works
Step 1 — Check for an existing definition
Before anything else, read reference/saved_reports.md and check whether this report already exists. Also check for a report-definitions.md in the working directory — that's where definitions land when the skill folder isn't writable (see Step 7). If the owner says "same report as last time," "run the weekly one," or names a report you have a definition for, skip straight to Step 4 and run it. Re-interviewing someone about a report they already defined is the fastest way to make this skill feel broken. If nothing matches, continue.
Step 2 — Turn the description into a spec
Owners describe reports loosely: "every Monday, sales by location versus last year, AR aging, and labor percent." That sentence contains four separate decisions. Resolve them into a spec using the format in reference/report_spec.md: Metrics — each one named, with its formula and source Grouping — by location, product, customer, channel, rep Comparison — versus prior period, versus last year, versus target
Step 3 — Confirm the spec, once
Show the resolved spec back in a compact block. Ask for one confirmation, then build. Do not walk the owner through the spec field by field — they described this in one sentence and expect one answer. If they correct something, apply it and go. Do not re-confirm a second time.
Upstream passage · L52 ↗Requirements and setup
No short requirements passage was selected from this file. This does not mean the Skill has no dependencies. Check the repository setup instructions and referenced files.
Limits and quality checks
No separate limits passage was selected from this file. This does not mean the Skill is safe for every input or environment. Review the complete source and validate your own result.
Start with a safe trial
- Check the supported host and the repository installation instructions. Keep the Skill directory and its referenced scripts, assets and documentation together; SKILL.md alone may omit dependencies.
- Give the agent your real input, desired output and acceptance criteria. Invocation syntax and available tools depend on the host; this site does not assume a universal install command.
- Try the source workflow in a disposable project or on a copy. Review operations that change files, remote services or billable resources before allowing them.
- Validate the output against the source quality checks and your own requirements. A successful trigger or a high repository Star count does not establish a correct result.
Read further in the source
Related Skills
Translation and scope
This reading guide selects passages from the pinned upstream SKILL.md. Translation is assisted. It is not a complete manual or a claim of tested compatibility. Read the original and its referenced files before use.
This introduction refers to the pinned version below; current repository activity and collection time are shown separately.
- Pinned source
- Read the original ↗
- Source retrieved
- Source commit
2574e29377c7173d0cecffef29a6ecbd7f8ccb5d- Source SHA-256
e488eb533cd6bd2dab9e7eb242619efdfda25c40988520e3f87fddbb584fddc9