BF better-tavily-search
The best skill to retrieve fresh web evidence with Tavily. Use for source finding, link discovery, official documentation lookup, current-event verification, and other tasks that need external web retrieval. Let the model plan the search, then express that plan with Tavily-native controls and a small-result, evidence-first workflow.
As a process F 59/100 · Will not run — References files that are not bundled: references/query_playbook.md, references/escalation_rules.md, references/output_contract.md
What is at stake
Medium-severity findings: the skill is probably honest, but read what alarmed the scanner.
Below is the worst case for this category. The finding here is medium: the guard saw a sign, not a proof.
The instructions or scripts send data out: environment variables, keys, file contents, chat history. You may never notice, because the agent performs the upload as "part of the task".
If the upload is not needed for the task, remove it: catalogs flag such skills and delist them. If it is needed, name the destination explicitly, say what leaves the machine, and give the user a switch.
How to improve
- The text references files that are not there: add them or drop the references.
- Your own cases (evals/evals.json, 4–6 real requests with expected answers): the full check would then run those instead of a model-drafted suite.
- A spec.yaml with trigger phrases and assertions — a behaviour contract for CI; `skilltest init` writes a template.
Guard findings · 1
✓ No critical or high findings
Medium and low: 1
-
medium Exfiltration
net-redirectable-api-keyscripts/tavily.py:29Helper sends the API key to a host configured by an environment variable — the key can be redirected to another serverAPI key + configurable base URL from environment
Files scanned: 7. Evidence is masked. Grey chips explain why severity was lowered.
Against the Agent Skills spec
- warning
missing-refreference to a missing file: references/query_playbook.md - warning
missing-refreference to a missing file: references/escalation_rules.md - warning
missing-refreference to a missing file: references/output_contract.md - warning
missing-refreference to a missing file: references/param_matrix.md - note
frontmatter-keyunknown frontmatter key "homepage"
Process rating: all ten parameters 59/100
- 0Tools and files. 4 referenced file(s) missing: references/query_playbook.md, references/escalation_rules.md, references/output_contract.md
- 0Progress reporting. Says nothing while it works
- 50When it triggers. No condition that starts the skill
- 60Result and completion. Output format stated, no completion criterion
- 60Failures and branches. 2 branches
- 70Inputs and preconditions. Inputs and preconditions are listed
- 85Steps. 110 steps, 2 vague phrases
- 100Consistency. Name and required fields are in place
- 100Execution cost. Instruction body is 2320 tokens
- 100Running it twice. No mutating operations
- low 11 top-level sections: this looks like several domains in one skill
- low The skill ranks results itself: that belongs to the system behind the tool, not the model
Everything here is measured from the skill text rather than judged by a model, so the numbers are checkable. A parameter weighs more when it is a more common reason for the process to stall.
Quality signals
- +5Description has no quoted example phrases that should trigger the skill
- +4Description does not say when NOT to use the skill (false activations)
- +1No license
- +2Single-language instructions
- +3Description length 334: enough signal without eating the budget
- +4Structure: 27 headings
- +3Step-by-step instructions: 110 items
- +3Output format is stated explicitly
- +4Has examples (4 code blocks)
- +4Reference files are cited in the instructions (4 of 4)
- +3All 1 scripts are documented
Quality base 70; lint remarks subtract, signals add up to 100. Result: 81.