diff --git a/great_docs/assets/post-render.py b/great_docs/assets/post-render.py
index d3a7ceb..865569a 100644
--- a/great_docs/assets/post-render.py
+++ b/great_docs/assets/post-render.py
@@ -4380,11 +4380,6 @@ def generate_markdown_pages():
         if not html_file.endswith(".html"):
             continue
 
-        # Skip skill.html as the raw skill.md is served directly as a resource
-        # and should not be overwritten by a generated .md from rendered HTML
-        if rel == "skill.html" or rel == os.path.join("skill.html"):
-            continue
-
         try:
             with open(html_file, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
                 content = f.read()
@@ -4735,28 +4730,6 @@ def _param_dl_to_html(m):
 print("##GD:PASS:Markdown pages generated", flush=True)
 
 
-# ── Clean up skill.html ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Quarto renders skill.md → skill.html despite the !skill.md exclusion in
-# project.render when skill.md is also in project.resources.  The raw skill.md
-# is served as-is; the rendered skills.html page is the intended viewer.
-# Delete the spurious skill.html so it doesn't confuse users or agents.
-_skill_html = os.path.join("_site", "skill.html")
-if os.path.exists(_skill_html):
-    os.remove(_skill_html)
-    print("Removed spurious _site/skill.html (raw skill.md is served directly)")
-
-# Fix links in skills.html that Quarto rewrote from skill.md → skill.html
-_skills_page = os.path.join("_site", "skills.html")
-if os.path.exists(_skills_page):
-    with open(_skills_page, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-        _skills_content = f.read()
-    _fixed = _skills_content.replace('href="./skill.html"', 'href="skill.md"')
-    if _fixed != _skills_content:
-        with open(_skills_page, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-            f.write(_fixed)
-        print("Fixed skill.md link in skills.html")
-
-
 # ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 # STRIP COLGROUP TAGS FROM TABLES
 # ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
diff --git a/great_docs/core.py b/great_docs/core.py
index 93e2e58..1949052 100644
--- a/great_docs/core.py
+++ b/great_docs/core.py
@@ -11,6 +11,21 @@
 from .config import Config
 from ._subprocess import TEXT_MODE_KWARGS
 
+# Quarto's default input file types, enumerated as render globs. Used to seed
+# `project.render` whenever we also add `!` exclusions. A recursive `**` glob
+# overpowers any negation that follows it (so `!skill.md` would be ignored),
+# whereas these per-extension globs still match recursively while letting the
+# exclusions take effect.
+_QUARTO_RENDER_GLOBS = [
+    "*.qmd",
+    "*.md",
+    "*.markdown",
+    "*.rmd",
+    "*.Rmd",
+    "*.rmarkdown",
+    "*.ipynb",
+]
+
 
 def _patch_griffe():
     """Ensure griffe has CyclicAliasError and AliasResolutionError at top level.
@@ -3602,7 +3617,7 @@ def _add_project_resources(
 
         if render_excludes:
             if "render" not in project:
-                project["render"] = ["**"]
+                project["render"] = list(_QUARTO_RENDER_GLOBS)
             render = project["render"]
             if isinstance(render, str):
                 render = [render]  # pragma: no cover
@@ -11164,10 +11179,12 @@ def _update_quarto_config(self) -> None:
             if "skill.md" not in config["project"]["resources"]:
                 config["project"]["resources"].append("skill.md")
 
-            # Exclude skill.md from rendering (Quarto renders .md by default)
-            # The render list needs "**" first (render everything), then exclusions
+            # Exclude skill.md from rendering (Quarto renders .md by default).
+            # The render list enumerates Quarto's default input globs before the
+            # exclusions; a recursive `**` would overpower the `!skill.md`
+            # negation and render skill.md anyway (see issue #228).
             if "render" not in config["project"]:
-                config["project"]["render"] = ["**"]
+                config["project"]["render"] = list(_QUARTO_RENDER_GLOBS)
             if "!skill.md" not in config["project"]["render"]:
                 config["project"]["render"].append("!skill.md")
 
diff --git a/tests/test_great_docs.py b/tests/test_great_docs.py
index 713aa80..6a6fa0f 100644
--- a/tests/test_great_docs.py
+++ b/tests/test_great_docs.py
@@ -3256,6 +3256,34 @@ def test_assets_config_update_only_when_copied():
         assert "assets/**" not in config["project"]["resources"]
 
 
+def test_skill_render_exclusion_uses_enumerated_globs():
+    """_update_quarto_config() excludes skill.md without a recursive ** glob.
+
+    A recursive "**" in the render list overpowers any "!" negation, so Quarto
+    would render skill.md → skill.html anyway (see issue #228). The render list
+    must enumerate Quarto's default input globs instead.
+    """
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_dir:
+        project_path = Path(tmp_dir)
+
+        pyproject = project_path / "pyproject.toml"
+        pyproject.write_text('[project]\nname = "test"\nversion = "0.1.0"')
+
+        docs = GreatDocs(project_path=tmp_dir)
+        docs.project_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        docs._update_quarto_config()
+
+        quarto_yml = docs.project_path / "_quarto.yml"
+        with open(quarto_yml, "r") as f:
+            config = read_yaml(f)
+
+        render = config["project"]["render"]
+        assert "!skill.md" in render
+        assert "**" not in render
+        assert "*.qmd" in render
+        assert "*.md" in render
+
+
 def test_user_guide_config_option_overrides_default_dir():
     """Test that user_guide config option takes precedence over user_guide/ directory."""
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp_dir:
@@ -9416,6 +9444,10 @@ def test_process_custom_pages_passthrough_and_raw():
         assert "custom/app.js" in resources
         assert "custom/widget.html" in resources
         assert "!custom/widget.html" in render
+        # The render list must enumerate Quarto's default input globs rather
+        # than a recursive "**", which would overpower the "!" exclusions.
+        assert "**" not in render
+        assert "*.qmd" in render
 
 
 def test_process_custom_pages_missing_dir():