# Guide — what to ask illo skill

HTML: https://illo-skill.com/guide.html
Agent reference: https://illo-skill.com/llms.txt
Procedure: https://github.com/tmchow/illo-skill/tree/main/skills/illo/SKILL.md

## Quick start

```text
/illo you are the bottleneck
/illo https://yourblog.com/shipping-discipline hero + 3 images
/illo surprise me
/illo using Blip, make a flowchart of how a newsletter issue ships
/illo install mole character pack
```

## What to ask for

| You want | Ask for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One image for an idea | Editorial scene (default) | `/illo scope creep has a smell` |
| Illustrate a whole article | Hero + inline set | `/illo <url> hero + 3 images` |
| Before→after, fail→fix | Mini-comic | `/illo stuck → slice → shipped as a mini-comic` |
| Named pipeline, flowchart, timeline | Explainer diagram | `/illo using Blip, make a flowchart of how a newsletter issue ships` |
| Mascot sticker / overlay | Character cutout | `/illo pip cutout waving` |
| Invent something for me | Surprise / random | `/illo surprise me` |
| X Article hero / banner | 1536 × 640 banner | `/illo X Article banner for this post` |
| Match a site or brand | Named or derived palette | `/illo scope creep has a smell emerald green accent` |
| Your own mascot | Character builder | `/illo build a character` |

A flowchart, labeled workflow, or "walk the stages" locks **labeled stages** inside explainer — not a mini-comic. Arrow notes sit on the arrows: a verb on the main flow, a condition on the return. The generic explainer ask remains `/illo how a book gets published explainer diagram`.

## When not to use a register

- Editorial scenes are **not** for traceable structures (use an explainer) or overlay stickers (use a cutout).
- Explainer diagrams are **not** for emotional metaphors — those stay scenes.
- Cutouts are **not** for illustrating an article.
- Surprise mode is **not** for a concrete idea the user already has.

Characters couple one mascot with one bundled print look. Do not treat style as freely swappable. Catalog: https://illo-skill.com/characters.json