seaworld008/nlpm-audit

NLPM Audit

Audit natural-language programming artifacts as first-class code. Use this skill when a repository contains AI-facing markdown, agent definitions, skills, commands, rules, hooks, prompts, or plugin manifests that need quality review, cross-file consistency checks, or CI enforcement.

This skill is inspired by the NLPM project, but it is a portable audit workflow: you can apply the method manually, with repository scripts, or with the upstream nlpm-check validator when the project wants a standalone CI gate.

2026-07-06 Upstream Sync Notes

The latest upstream NLPM repository is still a fast-moving product, so this skill remains a curated portable workflow instead of a mirror. The current stable ideas to preserve locally are:

• multi-tool scoring across Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Antigravity/Gemini-lineage artifacts with a universal floor plus tool-specific overlays;
• standalone bin/nlpm-check for pre-commit, CI, and pre-publish gates, with manifest-vs-disk consistency as the highest-value deterministic check;
• multi-plugin monorepo detection, where each nested plugin is checked exactly once and summarized in aggregate JSON;
• eight user-facing /nlpm:* commands: ls, score, check, fix, trend, test, init, and security-scan;
• nlpm-badge output for a "Validated by NLPM" README badge;
• a published 50-rule rubric for Natural Language Programming, with vocabulary drift handled as an opt-in project policy rather than a default blocker;
• an auditor pipeline that audits real plugin/skill repositories, harvests clean exemplars, cites rules, validates rule-id drift, and reports rule health from real repository audits;
• NL-TDD test specs for writing artifacts against expected trigger behavior and output contracts before publishing them.

Use those ideas when they improve this portable skill. Do not mirror the whole upstream product surface unless the user explicitly asks to install or run NLPM itself.

Quick Start

For most repository reviews:

1. Inventory NL artifacts with local search.

2. Run the bundled lightweight checker when filesystem access is available:

   python skills/ai-workflow/nlpm-audit/scripts/nl_artifact_check.py . --json
   

   For a shareable report:

   python skills/ai-workflow/nlpm-audit/scripts/nl_artifact_check.py . --markdown --output nl-artifact-audit.md
   

3. Read only the references needed for the task:

| Need | Read | |---|---| | Recreate original /nlpm:* command workflows without installing upstream NLPM | references/command-recipes.md | | Detailed rules for skills, agents, commands, hooks, memory files, prompts, plugins | references/audit-rules.md | | Score a file or compare before/after quality | references/scoring-rubric.md | | Add CI, pre-commit hooks, or an upstream refresh plan | references/ci-and-maintenance.md | | Review hooks, scripts, MCP configs, install scripts, or executable command paths | references/security-patterns.md |

The bundled script catches common deterministic and semi-deterministic issues, classifies artifacts, computes lightweight 100-point scores, and can emit a Markdown audit report. Read references/command-recipes.md when the user asks for NLPM-style commands such as check, score, report, security scan, vocabulary drift, or fix. For original NLPM behavior, install upstream NLPM or run upstream nlpm-check.

Capability Model

There are two useful operating modes:

| Mode | What you get | When to choose it | |---|---|---| | This repository skill | A portable review workflow that any Codex/Claude/Cursor-style agent can follow after installation | You want durable guidance, review reports, and integration with this curated skills repository | | Upstream NLPM | Claude Code slash commands, multiple NLPM agents, rule skills, bin/nlpm-check, badge generation, templates, NL-TDD specs, and the auditor pipeline | You want behavior closest to the original product, especially /nlpm:* commands, multi-plugin CI, NL-TDD, or badge output |

The skill mode is installable and useful on its own, but it is not a byte-for-byte replacement for upstream NLPM. Use upstream NLPM when a user explicitly asks for the original slash commands, nlpm-badge, auditor workflows, or exact upstream scoring behavior.

Local Command Equivalents

Use these local equivalents before reaching for the upstream plugin:

| User asks for | Do this | |---|---| | "list NL artifacts" | Run the checker with --json and read artifacts[] | | "check this plugin/skill repo" | Run the checker with --json; fix high findings first | | "score these artifacts" | Use the generated scores[] table, then apply references/scoring-rubric.md for judgment | | "make a report" | Run the checker with --markdown --output nl-artifact-audit.md | | "security scan" | Run the checker, filter security/* findings, then read references/security-patterns.md | | "find vocabulary drift" | Read references/command-recipes.md and perform the vocabulary drift recipe | | "fix NLPM issues" | Apply the fix loop in references/command-recipes.md, then rerun the same check | | "test NL artifacts" | Write or inspect .nlpm-test/*.spec.md, then use upstream /nlpm:test when exact behavior matters | | "add a Validated by NLPM badge" | Use upstream nlpm-check --json piped to nlpm-badge; see references/ci-and-maintenance.md | | "check a plugin monorepo" | Prefer upstream nlpm-check because it isolates nested plugin roots and aggregates plugins[] output |

Upstream NLPM Usage

When the user wants the original tool experience, point them to the upstream installation path instead of pretending this skill contains every command.

Claude Code plugin paths:

claude plugin marketplace add anthropics/claude-plugins-community
claude plugin install nlpm@claude-community --scope project

claude plugin marketplace add xiaolai/claude-plugin-marketplace
claude plugin marketplace update xiaolai
claude plugin install nlpm@xiaolai --scope project

The upstream README notes that the Anthropic community marketplace can lag the maintainer marketplace, and that the xiaolai marketplace may need an explicit marketplace update before install.

Standalone validator path:

curl -fsSL -o ./nlpm-check https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xiaolai/nlpm/main/bin/nlpm-check
python3 ./nlpm-check .

For CI, pin to a reviewed commit instead of main when reproducibility matters:

curl -fsSL -o ./nlpm-check \
  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xiaolai/nlpm/{reviewed-commit}/bin/nlpm-check
python3 ./nlpm-check .

When to Use

Use this skill for:

• reviewing a skill, agent, plugin, prompt pack, or rules repository before publishing it;
• checking that files listed in manifests actually exist, and that files on disk are reachable from the target manifest or catalog;
• scoring SKILL.md, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, slash commands, hooks, rule files, and prompt files for clarity and trigger reliability;
• adding pre-commit, CI, or release gates for AI-agent repositories;
• finding drift between names, versions, commands, examples, and vocabulary;
• separating deterministic defects from judgment-based quality findings.

Route elsewhere when:

• the task is creating a single new skill from scratch: use skill-creator;
• the task is optimizing one user prompt or requirement: use prompt-optimizer;
• the task is setting up project context for a coding agent: use context-engineering;
• the task is security-only red teaming: use the repository's security audit skill first, then apply this skill to AI artifact structure.

Core Principles

Treat natural-language artifacts like executable code:

• Inventory before judging. Build a complete map of artifacts, manifests, references, and generated files before scoring quality.
• Separate deterministic failures from subjective quality. Missing files, broken references, invalid frontmatter, bad hook event names, and version drift should fail CI. Tone, examples, and trigger quality may need human review.
• Descriptions are triggers. A skill or agent description must contain concrete action phrases that match real user requests, not a summary like "helps with testing".
• Every line must change agent behavior. Long, ornamental, or duplicated instructions consume attention budget and reduce reliability.
• Prefer positive, testable rules. "Use named exports because refactors stay reliable" is easier to follow than "do not use default exports".
• Track drift over time. NL artifacts degrade through vocabulary synonyms, stale examples, renamed files, old test commands, and version numbers updated in only one place.

Audit Workflow

Run this sequence for a repository-level review.

1. Discover Artifacts

Create an inventory before opening files one by one.

find . -name 'SKILL.md' -o -name 'AGENTS.md' -o -name 'CLAUDE.md' -o -name 'GEMINI.md'
find . -path '*/commands/*.md' -o -path '*/agents/*.md' -o -path '*/rules/*.md'
find . -name 'plugin.json' -o -name 'marketplace.json' -o -name 'hooks.json' -o -name 'settings.json'

On Windows PowerShell:

Get-ChildItem -Recurse -File |
  Where-Object {
    $_.Name -in @('SKILL.md','AGENTS.md','CLAUDE.md','GEMINI.md','plugin.json','marketplace.json','hooks.json','settings.json') -or
    $_.FullName -match '\\(commands|agents|rules)\\[^\\]+\.md$'
  } |
  Select-Object FullName

Classify each artifact:

| Artifact | Primary checks | |---|---| | SKILL.md | frontmatter, trigger description, examples, scope, line budget | | agent definitions | description, examples, model/tool fit, output format | | slash commands | numbered flow, empty-input behavior, outputs, error paths | | rules files | imperative wording, rationale, enforceability, path scope | | memory files | project map, commands, test instructions, architecture, boundaries | | plugin manifests | declared files exist, disk files are declared, version consistency | | hooks | event names, script paths, fail-open/fail-closed intent, permissions | | prompts | layered intent, exact output shape, injection resistance |

2. Check Manifest-vs-Disk Consistency

This is the highest-value deterministic check. Look for both directions:

• Declared but missing: a manifest references a skill, command, agent, hook, or script path that does not exist.
• Present but unreachable: a SKILL.md, command, agent, or hook exists on disk but is absent from the manifest, marketplace file, README index, catalog, or install surface users rely on.

Example report:

BROKEN  .claude-plugin/plugin.json references skills/reviewer/SKILL.md
        file not found; actual path is skills/code-reviewer/SKILL.md

ORPHAN  skills/refactor-helper/SKILL.md
        skill exists on disk but is not listed in plugin.json or catalog

DRIFT   plugin.json version 1.4.0, marketplace.json version 1.3.9
        release metadata will publish a stale version

For machine checks, prefer a deterministic script over manual review. If the project only needs a lightweight bundled check:

python skills/ai-workflow/nlpm-audit/scripts/nl_artifact_check.py . --json

If the project wants the upstream NLPM validator:

curl -fsSL -o ./nlpm-check https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xiaolai/nlpm/main/bin/nlpm-check
python3 ./nlpm-check .

Pin the downloaded script to a reviewed commit in CI if supply-chain stability is more important than receiving upstream fixes immediately.

For badge output, use upstream nlpm-badge with the JSON stream from nlpm-check:

nlpm-check --json . | nlpm-badge > nlpm-badge.json

3. Score Artifact Quality

Use a 100-point score as a communication tool, not as an absolute truth. Start at 100 and subtract penalties for concrete defects.

| Finding | Typical penalty | Why it matters | |---|---:|---| | Missing description/frontmatter | -25 | artifact cannot be discovered or routed reliably | | Generic trigger description | -15 | model cannot tell when to invoke it | | No examples for an agent or user-invocable skill | -10 to -15 | trigger behavior is under-specified | | Missing output format | -10 | downstream users cannot compare results | | Tool permissions exceed body needs | -5 to -10 | unnecessary security and review risk | | Broken manifest/reference path | -10 to -20 | installed artifact silently disappears | | Vague terms without criteria | -2 each, cap at -20 | "appropriate" and "as needed" hide decisions | | Vocabulary drift after project opt-in | -2 each, cap at -10 | the same concept has competing names across artifacts | | Overgrown body with repeated theory | -5 to -10 | context budget is wasted | | Missing test/build commands in memory file | -5 | agent cannot verify work |

Suggested bands:

| Score | Meaning | Action | |---:|---|---| | 90-100 | production-ready | publish after deterministic checks pass | | 80-89 | good | fix high-signal gaps before release if cheap | | 70-79 | acceptable | publish only for legacy artifacts or internal use | | 60-69 | weak | improve before users depend on it | | below 60 | rewrite | redesign the artifact around real workflows |

4. Review Trigger Descriptions

A description should be a router. It should name user intents, file types, contexts, and nearby phrases a real user might type.

Weak:

description: "Helps with code review."

Better:

description: "Reviews pull request diffs for correctness, security, performance, and maintainability. Use when checking an auth refactor, API endpoint, migration, or dependency change before merge."

Check each description for:

• three or more specific trigger phrases;
• the artifact's boundary against adjacent skills or agents;
• verbs that name work, such as "review", "score", "migrate", "audit", "summarize", or "generate";
• absence of empty intensifiers such as "useful", "helpful", and criteria-free adverbs that hide decisions.

5. Check Examples and Output Contracts

For skills and agents, examples are executable documentation for the model.

Minimum useful example:

<example>
Context: Developer preparing a Claude Code plugin for release.
user: "Check whether my new skill is actually installable from plugin.json."
assistant: "I'll inventory the manifest and disk paths, then report missing,
orphaned, and version-drift findings before scoring the skill body."
</example>

For commands and agents, require an output contract:

## Output Format

### Summary
N artifacts scanned | N deterministic failures | N quality findings

### Blocking Findings
| File | Rule | Evidence | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|

### Advisory Findings
| File | Score | Reason | Suggested next action |
|---|---:|---|---|

6. Find Vocabulary and Version Drift

Drift appears when a project uses multiple words for the same operation or updates version metadata in only one location.

Look for:

• lint, score, audit, validate, and check used interchangeably;
• renamed agents or skills still referenced by old names;
• README command examples that no longer match scripts;
• version numbers split across plugin manifest, marketplace metadata, changelog, README tables, badges, and release notes;
• contradictory memory files, such as AGENTS.md saying pnpm test while CLAUDE.md says npm test.

When drift is large, create a small vocabulary registry:

canonical:
  check:
    definition: "deterministic structural validation"
    deprecated: [lint, validate]
  score:
    definition: "100-point quality judgment with penalties"
    deprecated: [grade, rate]

Do not enforce vocabulary too early. Use it once a project has at least ten NL artifacts or multiple authors.

When the project has enough warrant, model the upstream R51 flow:

1. Bootstrap candidate terms from the corpus.
2. Prune false positives and define canonical terms plus deprecated synonyms.
3. Run an advisory drift check to find hidden synonym clusters.
4. Opt in to enforcement only after the registry is reviewed.

Keep vocabulary findings advisory unless maintainers explicitly choose a registry-backed gate.

7. Add CI or Pre-Commit Gates

Use different gates for different confidence levels.

Blocking gates:

• manifest references missing files;
• disk artifacts missing from install manifest or generated catalog;
• invalid YAML/TOML/JSON frontmatter;
• hook scripts referenced but absent;
• version metadata inconsistent across release surfaces;
• security-sensitive executable artifact added without review.

Advisory gates:

• quality score below threshold;
• too many vague terms;
• missing examples;
• description has weak trigger phrases;
• vocabulary drift candidates.

Example GitHub Actions shape:

name: nl-artifact-check
on:
  pull_request:
    paths:
      - "skills/**"
      - "agents/**"
      - "commands/**"
      - ".claude-plugin/**"
      - ".codex-plugin/**"
      - "AGENTS.md"
      - "CLAUDE.md"
jobs:
  check:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Run deterministic NL artifact checks
        run: |
          curl -fsSL -o nlpm-check https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xiaolai/nlpm/main/bin/nlpm-check
          python3 nlpm-check .

For repositories like this one, keep using the local canonical pipeline first. Add NLPM-style checks only when they catch a gap the repository pipeline does not already cover.

For plugin monorepos or README badges, prefer upstream nlpm-check because it knows how to isolate nested plugin roots and produce badge-ready JSON.

Triage Rules

Classify findings so maintainers know what to fix now.

| Severity | Criteria | Default action | |---|---|---| | Blocking | artifact cannot install, trigger, run, or pass manifest checks | fix in the same PR | | High | security-sensitive permission, executable hook risk, or stale release metadata | fix before publish | | Medium | trigger ambiguity, missing examples, weak output format | schedule before next release | | Low | wording cleanup, minor drift, optional score improvement | batch with maintenance | | External noise | API rate limit, stale upstream clone, network failure | report separately and retry |

Never mix external-state noise with repository regressions. A GitHub API rate limit is not a quality failure; a generated catalog drift is.

Maintenance Guidance

For upstream-derived NLPM practices:

• re-check the upstream repository before major refreshes because artifact schemas and supported tools evolve quickly;
• keep copied guidance small and method-oriented, not a mirror of every upstream rule;
• prefer stable checks such as manifest consistency, trigger specificity, and output contracts over tool-specific details that may change;
• treat Antigravity/Gemini-lineage rules as advisory until their spec stabilizes;
• record the upstream license and source URL in frontmatter;
• pin CI scripts to reviewed commits when adopting upstream executable files.

Read references/ci-and-maintenance.md before changing sync behavior, CI templates, or the upstream refresh process.

Detailed refresh commands, monitor-only sync expectations, and upstream review targets live in references/ci-and-maintenance.md.

Deliverable Template

Use this structure for audit results:

## NL Artifact Audit

### Decision
PASS | PASS WITH FIXES | BLOCKED

### Inventory
- Skills:
- Agents:
- Commands:
- Rules:
- Manifests:
- Hooks:

### Blocking Findings
| File | Finding | Evidence | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|

### Quality Scores
| File | Score | Band | Main penalties |
|---|---:|---|---|

### Drift Findings
| Concept | Current variants | Canonical recommendation |
|---|---|---|

### CI Recommendation
[blocking/advisory gates to add or skip]

### Maintenance Notes
[upstream version checked, license, false positives, unresolved external noise]

Boundaries

• Do not copy unlicensed upstream artifacts into a project.
• Do not make subjective scoring the only release gate.
• Do not fail CI on advisory vocabulary drift until maintainers opt in.
• Do not replace a repository's established generated-file pipeline unless the maintainers explicitly choose that migration.
• Do not grant hook or command execution permissions just because an artifact asks for them; audit executable paths separately.