Skill text or a complete skill folder?

Choose based on whether the instructions reference external resources. Copying prose is enough only when that prose is self-contained; it cannot make scripts and templates appear in the environment.

Compare the practical differences

Decision	Skill text	Local skill folder
Best fit	Self-contained guidance	Guidance with scripts, templates or assets
Useful property	Easy to inspect inside a role	Keeps resources available at their original location
What to check	Does not automatically fetch referenced files	Requires checking resource paths and dependencies

A concrete choice

A writing tone rule may work as plain text. A presentation workflow that calls a rendering script needs the script and its dependencies as well.

Verify the choice

Read every resource reference and run a limited fixture before using the skill on important inputs.

Write the reason for your choice into the task brief or setup notes. Then run a small representative task and compare the actual result with the requirement that drove the decision. Keep any unmet requirement visible rather than declaring the whole workflow ready from a single successful step.

Continue with the setup

The related desktop guide explains the relevant controls and limits. Use the current application state when applying this comparison; the presence of an option in a document does not mean every dependency on your computer is ready.