Skills DirectorySearch all skills ↗AI agent skill · by @AgentTeam-TaichuAI
Find Skills
MANDATORY: When a user asks to install, find, search, or add ANY skill (e.g. 'install hello-world skill', 'find a skill for X', 'add a skill'), you MUST first run `skills find <query>` to search the skills ecosystem. NEVER create a skill from scratch without searching first. Even if the name sounds simple, always search — it may already exist as a published skill.
Archived 2026-10-23 · Source updated 2026-05-09. Check the original repository for the latest version.
SKILL.md instructions
# Find Skills This skill helps you discover and install skills from the open agent skills ecosystem. ## CRITICAL RULES 1. **ALWAYS search first**: When a user asks to install/find/add ANY skill, your FIRST action must be running `skills find <query>` in the sandbox. 2. **NEVER create from scratch without searching**: Even for simple-sounding skills like "hello-world", search first. 3. **Use the CLI directly**: The `skills` CLI is pre-installed globally in the sandbox. Use `skills` directly (NOT `npx skills` — npx causes unnecessary download prompts). 4. **Install to session workspace**: Use `HOME=<workspace_dir> skills add ... -g -y --agent '*'` so skills land in the current session's workspace (visible in the task file viewer). 5. **Call propose_skill_save**: After installing and testing a skill, ALWAYS call the `propose_skill_save` tool with the skill name so the user can choose to save it permanently. ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when the user: - Asks to **install** a skill (e.g., "install hello-world skill", "安装一个 skill") - Asks to **find** or **search** for a skill (e.g., "find a skill for X", "找一个 skill") - Mentions a skill **by name** (e.g., "hello-world skill", "react testing skill") - Asks "how do I do X" where X might be a common task with an existing skill - Says "find a skill for X" or "is there a skill for X" - Asks "can you do X" where X is a specialized capability - Expresses interest in extending agent capabilities - Wants to search for tools, templates, or workflows ## What is the Skills CLI? The Skills CLI (`skills`) is pre-installed globally in the sandbox. It is the package manager for the open agent skills ecosystem. **IMPORTANT: Always use `skills` directly, NEVER use `npx skills` (npx will try to re-download and prompt for confirmation).** **Key commands:** - `skills find [query]` - Search for skills by keyword (use this FIRST) - `HOME=<workspace_dir> skills add <package> -g -y --agent '*'` - Install a skill to session workspace - `skills list -g` - List installed skills - `skills check` - Check for skill updates **Browse skills at:** https://skills.sh/ ## How to Help Users Find Skills ### Step 1: Check Locally Installed Skills FIRST Before searching the online ecosystem, check if a matching skill is **already installed locally**. Locally installed skills are listed in your system prompt under "Available Skills" and live at `/skills/<name>/SKILL.md`. - If the user mentions a skill by name (e.g., "hello-world") and it appears in your available skills list → **use it directly**. Read its SKILL.md for instructions. No need to search online. - If the user wants to **modify** an existing local skill → skip find-skills entirely and go to **skill-creator** (phase 2 in the Skill Policy). - Only proceed to Step 2 if no local skill matches. ### Step 2: Understand What They Need When no local skill matches, identify: 1. The domain (e.g., React, testing, design, deployment) 2. The specific task (e.g., writing tests, creating animations, reviewing PRs) 3. Whether this is a common enough task that a skill likely exists ### Step 3: Search the Online Ecosystem Run the find command with a relevant query: ```bash skills find [query] ``` For example: - User asks "how do I make my React app faster?" → `skills find react performance` - User asks "can you help me with PR reviews?" → `skills find pr review` - User asks "I need to create a changelog" → `skills find changelog` The command will return results like: ``` Install with skills add <owner/repo@skill> vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices └ https://skills.sh/vercel-labs/agent-skills/vercel-react-best-practices ``` ### Step 4: Present Options to the User When you find relevant skills, present them to the user with: 1. The skill name and what it does 2. The install command they can run 3. A link to learn more at skills.sh Example response: ``` I found a skill that might help! The "vercel-react-best-practices" skill provides React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines from Vercel Engineering. To install it: skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices Learn more: https://skills.sh/vercel-labs/agent-skills/vercel-react-best-practices ``` ### Step 5: Install to Session Workspace If the user wants to proceed, install the skill into the **session workspace** so it appears in the task file viewer. Use `HOME=<workspace_dir>` to redirect the global install path: ```bash HOME=<workspace_dir> skills add <owner/repo@skill> -g -y --agent '*' ``` Replace `<workspace_dir>` with your actual workspace directory (from the system prompt). - `HOME=<workspace_dir>` — redirects `-g` install to `<workspace_dir>/.agents/skills/` - `-g` installs globally (user-level, relative to HOME) - `-y` skips confirmation prompts - `--agent '*'` skips the interactive agent selection (REQUIRED in sandbox) **IMPORTANT:** Never omit any of these flags. Without `--agent '*'` the command will hang waiting for interactive input. ### Step 6: Test the Installed Skill After installation, test the skill by reading its SKILL.md/TEMPLATE.md and following its instructions. - **If it works** → call `propose_skill_save(skill_name="<skill-name>")` to let the user save it permanently. Done! - **If it does NOT fit the user's needs** → **do NOT keep trying to fix or adapt it**. Uninstall it and go back to Step 4 to try the **next candidate** from the search results. ### Step 7: Bail-Out — When to Stop Searching Stop searching and escalate to **skill-creator** (create from scratch) when ANY of these is true: 1. **No results**: `skills find` returned zero matches. 2. **Exhausted candidates**: You have tried 2–3 different skills and none fit. 3. **Poor relevance**: All search results are clearly unrelated to what the user needs. When bailing out: 1. Briefly tell the user: "I couldn't find a suitable existing skill. I'll create one from scratch." 2. Read `/builtin-skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md` and follow it to create the skill. 3. **NEVER** loop endlessly on an unsuitable skill. Move on. ## Common Skill Categories When searching, consider these common categories: | Category | Example Queries | | --------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | Web Development | react, nextjs, typescript, css, tailwind | | Testing | testing, jest, playwright, e2e | | DevOps | deploy, docker, kubernetes, ci-cd | | Documentation | docs, readme, changelog, api-docs | | Code Quality | review, lint, refactor, best-practices | | Design | ui, ux, design-system, accessibility | | Productivity | workflow, automation, git | ## Tips for Effective Searches 1. **Use specific keywords**: "react testing" is better than just "testing" 2. **Try alternative terms**: If "deploy" doesn't work, try "deployment" or "ci-cd" 3. **Check popular sources**: Many skills come from `vercel-labs/agent-skills` or `ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills` ## When No Skills Are Found If no relevant skills exist after searching: 1. Acknowledge that no existing skill was found. 2. **Immediately escalate to skill-creator**: read `/builtin-skills/skill-creator/SKILL.md` and follow it to create the skill from scratch. 3. Do NOT ask the user whether to proceed — just start creating. The user already expressed intent by asking for the skill.