openskills README

The project's README from github.com/numman-ali/openskills. As one markdown file: README.md.

OpenSkills

Universal skills loader for AI coding agents

One CLI. Every agent. Same format as Claude Code.

npm version npm downloads License

Quick Start · How It Works · Commands · Create Skills · FAQ

✨ What Is OpenSkills?

OpenSkills brings Anthropic's skills system to every AI coding agent — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, Codex, and anything that can read AGENTS.md.

Think of it as the universal installer for SKILL.md.

🚀 Quick Start

npx openskills install anthropics/skills
npx openskills sync

By default, installs are project-local (./.claude/skills, or ./.agent/skills with --universal). Use --global for ~/.claude/skills.

✅ Why OpenSkills

🧠 How It Works

Claude Code System Prompt (Skills)

Claude Code ships skills as SKILL.md files and exposes them inside a <available_skills> block. When the user asks for a task, Claude dynamically loads the matching skill.

<available_skills>
<skill>
<name>pdf</name>
<description>Comprehensive PDF manipulation toolkit for extracting text and tables...</description>
<location>plugin</location>
</skill>
</available_skills>

OpenSkills: Same Format, Universal Loader

OpenSkills generates the exact same <available_skills> XML in your AGENTS.md and loads skills via:

npx openskills read <skill-name>

So any agent that can read AGENTS.md can use Claude Code skills without needing Claude Code itself.

Side-by-Side

Aspect Claude Code OpenSkills
Prompt Format <available_skills> XML Same XML
Skill Storage .claude/skills/ .claude/skills/ (default)
Invocation Skill("name") tool npx openskills read <name>
Marketplace Anthropic marketplace GitHub (anthropics/skills)
Progressive Disclosure ✅ ✅
Show the exact AGENTS.md format OpenSkills writes 
<skills_system priority="1">

## Available Skills

<!-- SKILLS_TABLE_START -->
<usage>
When users ask you to perform tasks, check if any of the available skills below can help complete the task more effectively.

How to use skills:
- Invoke: `npx openskills read <skill-name>` (run in your shell)
- The skill content will load with detailed instructions
- Base directory provided in output for resolving bundled resources

Usage notes:
- Only use skills listed in <available_skills> below
- Do not invoke a skill that is already loaded in your context
</usage>

<available_skills>

<skill>
<name>pdf</name>
<description>Comprehensive PDF manipulation toolkit for extracting text and tables, creating new PDFs, merging/splitting documents, and handling forms...</description>
<location>project</location>
</skill>

</available_skills>
<!-- SKILLS_TABLE_END -->

</skills_system>

🔧 Install Skills

From Anthropic Marketplace

npx openskills install anthropics/skills

From Any GitHub Repo

npx openskills install your-org/your-skills

From a Local Path

npx openskills install ./local-skills/my-skill

From Private Git Repos

npx openskills install [email protected]:your-org/private-skills.git

🌍 Universal Mode (Multi-Agent Setups)

If you use Claude Code and other agents with one AGENTS.md, install to .agent/skills/ to avoid conflicts with Claude's plugin marketplace:

npx openskills install anthropics/skills --universal

Priority order (highest wins):

  1. ./.agent/skills/
  2. ~/.agent/skills/
  3. ./.claude/skills/
  4. ~/.claude/skills/

🧰 Commands

npx openskills install <source> [options]  # Install from GitHub, local path, or private repo
npx openskills sync [-y] [-o <path>]       # Update AGENTS.md (or custom output)
npx openskills list                        # Show installed skills
npx openskills read <name>                 # Load skill (for agents)
npx openskills update [name...]            # Update installed skills (default: all)
npx openskills manage                      # Remove skills (interactive)
npx openskills remove <name>               # Remove specific skill

Flags

🧬 The SKILL.md Format

OpenSkills uses Anthropic's exact format:

---
name: pdf
description: Comprehensive PDF manipulation toolkit for extracting text and tables, creating new PDFs, merging/splitting documents, and handling forms.
---

# PDF Skill Instructions

When the user asks you to work with PDFs, follow these steps:
1. Install dependencies: `pip install pypdf2`
2. Extract text using scripts/extract_text.py
3. Use references/api-docs.md for details

Skills are loaded on demand, keeping your agent's context clean and focused.

🧪 Creating Your Own Skills

Minimal Structure

my-skill/
└── SKILL.md

With Resources

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── references/
├── scripts/
└── assets/

Install your own skill:

npx openskills install ./my-skill

git clone [email protected]:your-org/my-skills.git ~/dev/my-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
ln -s ~/dev/my-skills/my-skill .claude/skills/my-skill

Authoring Guide

npx openskills install anthropics/skills
npx openskills read skill-creator

🔄 Updating Skills

If you installed skills from a git repo, you can refresh them anytime:

npx openskills update

To update specific skills, pass a comma-separated list:

npx openskills update git-workflow,check-branch-first

If a skill was installed before updates were tracked, re-install it once to record its source.

✅ Tips

❓ FAQ

Why CLI instead of MCP?

MCP is for dynamic tools. Skills are static instructions + resources.

MCP and skills solve different problems. OpenSkills keeps skills lightweight and universal.

📋 Requirements

📜 License

Apache 2.0

Attribution

Implements Anthropic's Agent Skills specification.

Not affiliated with Anthropic. Claude, Claude Code, and Agent Skills are trademarks of Anthropic, PBC.

openskills (numman-ali/openskills)

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10.8K ·GitHub
Openskills
What is this?OpenSkills is a universal CLI loader that brings Anthropic's Agent Skills system (SKILL.md files) to any AI coding agent, not just Claude Code - including Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, and Codex.
Is this a CLI tool or a plugin I install inside my agent?It's a standalone Node.js CLI you run via npx or install globally; it writes skills to a folder and generates the matching XML block in your AGENTS.md so any compatible agent can read it.
How do I install skills with it?You can pull skills from Anthropic's marketplace, any GitHub repo, a local path, or a private git repo; by default they land in ./.claude/skills (or ./.agent/skills with --universal), and --global installs to ~/.claude/skills instead.
What do I need installed before using it?You need Node.js 20.6 or newer, plus Git if you want to install skills from a repository.
Do I need Claude Code installed for this to work?No - OpenSkills reproduces Claude Code's exact skill format and prompt XML so other agents can use the same skills without Claude Code being present at all.
Does this only work with Claude Code, or other coding agents too?It's built for a multi-agent setup: Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, Codex, and any tool that reads an AGENTS.md file.
Why use a CLI instead of MCP for skills?MCP is meant for dynamic tools, while skills are static instructions and resources that just need to be files on disk - no server required, so OpenSkills keeps them lightweight and works with any agent regardless of MCP support.
Can I update skills after installing them?Yes - if a skill came from a git repo you can refresh it anytime, optionally passing a comma-separated list of skill names to update only specific ones.
What happens if I use Claude Code alongside other agents?Use the --universal flag to install into .agent/skills/ instead of .claude/skills/, avoiding conflicts with Claude's own plugin marketplace; OpenSkills resolves priority across both locations.
Can I create and install my own skills?Yes - you author a SKILL.md with optional resource files, then install it from a local path, and you can symlink it for local development while iterating.
What are similar projects?testsprite-cli, agent-skills, copperhead, open-pstack, pstack, headroom, skills, agentic-playwright
Which topics is it in?windsurf, ci, cli-tool, cursor, skills, anthropic, coding-agent, agent-skills, ai-agent, codex, command-line-tool, claude-code
Creator
numman-ali
Size
0.2 MB
Stars
10.8K
Updated
CommitJan 18Releasev1.5.0Jan 17
Age
11mo
Commits · 90 Days