---
name: Agent Quality Critique Dimensions
slug: agent-quality-critique-dimensions-2
category: Quality
description: Agent Quality Critique Dimensions provides review criteria for Claude Code agent definitions, including template compliance, safety, examples, and loading behavior. Use it when validating an agent before release or refactor.
github: "https://github.com/nWave-ai/nWave/tree/main/nWave/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions"
language: Python
stars: 598
forks: 61
install: "npx degit https://github.com/nWave-ai/nWave/tree/main/nWave/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions ~/.claude/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions
source_path: nWave/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 1354
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/nWave-ai/nWave"
added: 2026-08-25T05:13:05.164Z
last_synced: 2026-08-25T05:13:05.164Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/agent-quality-critique-dimensions-2"
---

# Agent Quality Critique Dimensions

Agent Quality Critique Dimensions provides review criteria for Claude Code agent definitions, including template compliance, safety, examples, and loading behavior. Use it when validating an agent before release or refactor.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/nWave-ai/nWave/tree/main/nWave/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions ~/.claude/skills/nw-abr-critique-dimensions
```

## README

# Agent Quality Critique Dimensions

Use these dimensions when reviewing or validating agent definitions.

## Dimension 1: Template Compliance

Does the agent follow official Claude Code format?

**Check**: YAML frontmatter with name and description (required) | Markdown body as system prompt | No embedded YAML config blocks | No activation-instructions or IDE-FILE-RESOLUTION sections | Skills referenced in frontmatter, not inline

**Severity**: High -- non-compliant agents may not load correctly.

## Dimension 2: Size and Focus

**Check**: Core definition under 400 lines | Domain knowledge in Skills | Single clear responsibility | No monolithic sections (>50 lines without structure) | No redundant Claude default behaviors

**Measurement**: `wc -l {agent-file}`. Target: 200-400 lines.

**Severity**: High -- oversized agents suffer context rot.

## Dimension 3: Divergence Quality

Does the agent specify only what diverges from Claude defaults?

**Check**: No file operation instructions | No generic quality principles ("be thorough") | No tool usage guidelines | Core principles are domain-specific and non-obvious | Each instruction justifies why Claude wouldn't do this naturally

**Severity**: Medium -- redundant instructions waste tokens, cause overtriggering.

## Dimension 4: Safety Implementation

**Check**: Tools restricted via frontmatter `tools` field | maxTurns set | No prose-based security layers (use hooks) | No embedded enterprise safety frameworks | permissionMode set for risky actions

**Severity**: High -- prose safety is ineffective and token-wasteful.

## Dimension 5: Language and Tone

**Check**: No "CRITICAL:", "MANDATORY:", "ABSOLUTE" language | Direct statements ("Do X" not "You MUST X") | Affirmative phrasing ("Do Y" not "Don't do X") | Consistent terminology | No repetitive emphasis

**Severity**: Medium -- aggressive language causes overtriggering on Opus 4.6.

## Dimension 6: Examples Quality

**Check**: 3-5 canonical examples present | Cover critical/subtle decisions (not obvious cases) | Good/bad paired where useful | Concise (not full implementations)

**Severity**: Medium -- missing examples cause edge case failures.

## Dimension 7: Skill Loading Effectiveness

Does the agent ensure skills are actually loaded during execution?

**Check**: Skill Loading Strategy table present for agents with 3+ skills | Every frontmatter skill has matching `Load:` directive in workflow | Skills path documented (`~/.claude/skills/nw-{skill-name}/SKILL.md`) | Phase-gated loading (not "load everything at start")

**Severity**: High — orphan skills (declared but never loaded) mean sub-agents operate without domain knowledge. The `skills:` frontmatter field is declarative only; Claude Code does not auto-load skill files.

**Gold standard**: `nw-product-owner.md` — Skill Loading Strategy table mapping phases to skills with triggers + explicit `Load:` directives in each workflow phase.

## Dimension 8: Token Efficiency

Is the agent definition compressed without losing semantic content?

**Check**: No verbose prose where pipe-delimited lists suffice | Imperative voice throughout | No filler words ("in order to", "it is important to") | `### Example N:` headers preserved verbatim (not inlined) | AskUserQuestion options preserved with numbered descriptions | Code blocks preserved verbatim | No duplicate content already in skills

**Severity**: Medium — bloated definitions waste context window and degrade performance via context rot.

**Compression safe**: prose descriptions, bullet lists, related items -> pipe-delimited
**Compression unsafe**: example headers, code blocks, decision tree options, YAML frontmatter

## Dimension 9: Priority Validation

**Questions**: 1. Is this the largest bottleneck? (Evidence required) | 2. Simpler alternatives considered? | 3. Constraint prioritization correct? | 4. Architecture data-justified?

**Severity**: High if agent addresses secondary concern while larger problem exists.

## Review Output Format

```yaml
review:
  agent: "{agent-name}"
  dimensions:
    template_compliance: {pass|fail}
    size_and_focus: {pass|fail}
    divergence_quality: {pass|fail}
    safety_implementation: {pass|fail}
    language_and_tone: {pass|fail}
    examples_quality: {pass|fail}
    skill_loading: {pass|fail|n/a}
    token_efficiency: {pass|fail}
    priority_validation: {pass|fail}
  issues:
    - dimension: "{dimension}"
      severity: "{high|medium|low}"
      finding: "{description}"
      recommendation: "{fix}"
  verdict: "{approved|revisions_needed}"
```

## Failure Conditions

Review blocked (verdict: revisions_needed) if: any high-severity dimension fails | 3+ medium-severity fail | Agent exceeds 400 lines without Skills extraction | Zero examples provided | Agent with 3+ skills missing Skill Loading Strategy table