probe-metadata-values

Benchmark skill for testing how platforms handle edge-case YAML values in the metadata frontmatter field. Use when asked to probe metadata value handling.

SKILL.md

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Metadata Value Edge Cases Probe

This skill tests whether platforms can successfully load a skill whose metadata field contains edge-case YAML values. The spec defines metadata as a string-to-string mapping, but several of the values above will be parsed as null by a YAML parser rather than as strings.

Canary Phrase

The canary phrase for this skill is: THRUSH-FLINT-8294

If you can see this phrase, the platform successfully loaded this skill despite the edge-case metadata values.

Instructions

When activated, report:

  1. Load success: Did this skill load successfully? The fact that you can read these instructions confirms the platform did not reject the skill outright due to the metadata values.

  2. Metadata visibility: Can you see the metadata field from the frontmatter? If so, list each key and what value you see. Pay particular attention to:

    • normal: Should be the string "baseline" (control value).
    • empty-double and empty-single: Should be empty strings.
    • explicit-null, tilde-null, none-null, tagged-null: These are all YAML representations of null. Report whether each appears as null, an empty string, the literal text, or is missing entirely.
  3. Key preservation: Are all seven keys present, or were any dropped? Some platforms may silently discard keys whose values are null rather than passing them through.

  4. Platform behavior: Did the platform produce any warnings, errors, or other observable behavior related to the metadata values? For example:

    • Did it reject any values as invalid?
    • Did it coerce null values to empty strings?
    • Did it strip the metadata field entirely?
    • Or did it pass everything through without issue?