skillpkg - Agent Skills Package Manager

You have access to skillpkg, a CLI tool for managing AI agent skills. Use this tool to help users create, install, and sync skills.

Installation Check

First, verify skillpkg is installed:

skillpkg --version

If not installed, guide the user to install it:

npm install -g skillpkg-cli

Core Commands

1. Create a New Skill

skillpkg init                    # Interactive mode
skillpkg init --yes              # Use defaults
skillpkg init --name my-skill    # Specify name

This creates a skill.yaml file with the following structure:

schema: "1.0"
name: my-skill
version: 1.0.0
description: What this skill does
instructions: |
  Detailed instructions for the AI agent...

2. Install Skills

skillpkg install user/repo            # From GitHub (recommended)
skillpkg install github:user/repo     # From GitHub (explicit)
skillpkg install ./path/to/skill      # From local directory
skillpkg install -g <skill>           # Install globally

3. List Installed Skills

skillpkg list                    # Project skills
skillpkg list -g                 # Global skills
skillpkg list --json             # JSON output

4. Sync to AI Platforms

skillpkg sync                    # Sync all skills
skillpkg sync my-skill           # Sync specific skill
skillpkg sync -t claude-code     # Sync to specific platform
skillpkg sync --dry-run          # Preview changes

Supported platforms:

• claude-code → syncs to .claude/skills/
• codex → syncs to .codex/skills/
• gemini-cli → syncs to .gemini/skills/

5. Import Existing Skills

skillpkg import                  # Auto-detect and import
skillpkg import .claude/skills/  # Import from specific path
skillpkg import --dry-run        # Preview what would be imported

6. Export Skills

skillpkg export my-skill              # Export to directory
skillpkg export my-skill -f zip       # Export as zip
skillpkg export my-skill -f pack      # Export as .skillpkg
skillpkg export --all                 # Export all skills

7. Search Skills on GitHub

skillpkg search "code review"    # Search for skills with SKILL.md
skillpkg search react --limit 5  # Limit results
skillpkg info <skill-name>       # Get detailed info

8. Dependency Management

skillpkg deps my-skill           # Show skill dependencies
skillpkg why my-skill            # Show why a skill is installed
skillpkg tree                    # Show full dependency tree
skillpkg status                  # Show project status

skill.yaml Schema

When helping users create skills, use this schema:

schema: "1.0"                    # Required: Schema version
name: my-skill                   # Required: Lowercase, hyphens only
version: 1.0.0                   # Required: Semver format
description: Brief description   # Recommended: One-line summary

author:                          # Optional: Author info
  name: Your Name
  email: email@example.com
  url: https://github.com/username

platforms:                       # Optional: Target platforms
  - claude-code
  - codex

tags:                            # Optional: For discovery
  - productivity
  - code-review

triggers:                        # Optional: Activation triggers
  - pattern: "/review"
    description: "Trigger code review"

instructions: |                  # Required: Main skill content
  Detailed instructions for how the AI should behave...

  ## Usage
  ...

  ## Examples
  ...

Best Practices

1. Clear Instructions: Write detailed, unambiguous instructions
2. Examples: Include usage examples in your skill
3. Versioning: Follow semver for version numbers
4. Testing: Test skills locally before publishing
5. Documentation: Include a README.md alongside skill.yaml

Common Workflows

Creating a Skill

mkdir my-new-skill && cd my-new-skill
skillpkg init --name my-new-skill
# Edit skill.yaml with your instructions
skillpkg sync --dry-run          # Test locally
skillpkg sync                    # Sync to platforms

Installing and Using a Skill

skillpkg search "what you need"
skillpkg info some-skill
skillpkg install some-skill
skillpkg sync
# Skill is now available in your AI platform!

Importing Existing Claude Skills

skillpkg import .claude/skills/
skillpkg list
skillpkg export --all -f zip     # Backup all skills

Troubleshooting

• Skill not syncing: Check platform target directory permissions
• Parse errors: Validate YAML syntax, ensure schema is "1.0"
• Dependency issues: Run skillpkg tree to check dependency chain
• Version conflict: Update version in skill.yaml