How to Install AI Agent Skills from Skills.sh

By Synthex

You find a useful skill on Skills.sh (opens in new tab). The page gives you a command that starts with npx, points to GitHub, and includes a few unfamiliar flags.

If that command means nothing to you yet, you are in the right place.

This guide explains what AI agent skills are, what Skills.sh does, what you need to install first, and how to complete your first installation without guessing your way through it.

What you'll learn

• What an AI agent skill is.
• What Skills.sh does and where its skills come from.
• How to prepare your computer for the installer.
• How to inspect a skill before installing it.
• How to install a skill for Codex, Claude Code, or Cursor.
• The difference between a global skill and a project skill.
• How to check, update, and remove installed skills.
• How to solve the most common installation problems.

The short version

For most beginners, the process is:

1. Install the current LTS version of Node.js.
2. Open Skills.sh (opens in new tab) and choose a skill.
3. Read the skill page and check its source.
4. Copy the installation command.
5. Open a terminal.
6. Add -g if you want the skill available in every project.
7. Add -a codex, -a claude-code, or -a cursor to name your AI agent.
8. Run the command and follow the prompts.
9. Start a new chat or task in your agent.
10. Ask the agent to use the skill by name.

We will go through every part below.

What is an AI agent?

An AI agent is an application that combines an AI model with tools it can use to do work.

Depending on the application and the permissions you give it, an agent may be able to read files, edit a project, run commands, search documentation, create images, analyze data, or follow a longer workflow across several steps.

Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor are examples of applications that can work with agent skills. The skill installer supports many others as well.

What is an AI agent skill?

An AI agent skill is a reusable set of instructions for a particular kind of task.

A skill might teach an agent how to:

• Review a website for accessibility problems.
• Create a consistent client report.
• Clean and analyze a spreadsheet.
• Follow a team's design rules.
• Prepare release notes from Git history.
• Use a specific tool or workflow correctly.

Every skill has a main file called SKILL.md. This is a Markdown file that explains what the skill is for and what the agent should do when it uses the skill. A larger skill may also include reference documents, templates, examples, or scripts.

Installing a skill does not install a new AI model. It does not make a paid feature free. It gives a compatible agent additional instructions and resources it can use when the right task comes up.

In plain language: the agent is the worker. A skill is a reusable working method you give it.

What is Skills.sh?

Skills.sh (opens in new tab) is a public directory for finding agent skills. It shows popular skills, categories, source repositories, installation counts, the contents of each SKILL.md, and available security audit results.

Skills.sh usually does not own the skill you are installing. Most skills are stored in public GitHub repositories maintained by their authors. The command on the skill page tells the open-source skills installer where to find that repository and which skill to install from it.

The directory is useful for discovery, but popularity is not proof that a skill is right for your work. The Skills.sh documentation recommends reviewing a skill before installation because the site cannot guarantee the quality or security of every listing.

A few terms before we start

You do not need to become comfortable with the terminal before following this guide. You only need to know where to open it, where to paste a command, and how to read the final result.

Step 1: Make sure you already have an agent

A skill needs a compatible AI agent to use it.

Before installing anything from Skills.sh, make sure you already use the application you want the skill to work with. This guide uses Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor as examples.

Installing a skill does not install one of those applications for you.

Step 2: Install Node.js

The Skills.sh installer runs through npx. The easiest way to get npx is to install Node.js, which also installs npm.

1. Go to the official Node.js download page (opens in new tab).
2. Choose the version marked LTS.
3. Run the installer and keep the standard options unless you have a reason to change them.
4. Close and reopen your terminal after installation.

LTS means long-term support. It is the sensible choice for most people because it receives maintenance updates and is less likely to cause compatibility problems than an experimental release.

Now open a terminal and run these two commands, one at a time:

node --version
npm --version

Each command should print a version number. If it does, Node.js and npm are ready.

If your computer says the command is not recognized or cannot be found, restart the terminal first. If the problem remains, reinstall the current Node.js LTS version.

Step 3: Find a skill

Open Skills.sh (opens in new tab) and browse the directory, choose a topic, or search for the kind of help you want.

Open the page for a skill that looks useful. As an example, the frontend-design (opens in new tab) skill page includes this installation command:

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design

Do not worry about understanding it yet. We will take it apart shortly.

Step 4: Check the skill before installing it

Spend a minute on the skill page before copying the command.

Check these parts:

1. Summary: Does it describe the work you actually want help with?
2. SKILL.md: Are the instructions clear, relevant, and reasonable?
3. Repository: Do you recognize or trust the author and source?
4. Included files: Does the repository contain scripts or other files that deserve a closer look?
5. Security audits: Are any warnings shown?

Security audit results are useful signals, not permanent guarantees. Skills can change, automated checks can miss problems, and an installed skill can guide an agent that already has access to your files and tools.

You do not need to perform a full code audit for every small skill. You should understand what you are adding and avoid installing a skill whose source or instructions make no sense to you.

Step 5: Copy the command

Use the copy button beside the installation command on the skill page.

Here is what each part of the example means:

You normally do not need to write this command yourself. Copy it from the skill page so the repository address and skill name are correct.

Step 6: Choose global or project installation

The command copied from Skills.sh installs into the current project by default.

That is useful when a skill belongs to one project or should be shared with a team. It can be confusing if you opened the terminal in an unrelated folder and expected the skill to work everywhere.

For a first personal skill, a global installation is usually simpler. Add -g to the end of the copied command:

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g

Use a global installation when you want the skill available to your agent across projects.

Use a project installation when the skill belongs to one repository, depends on that project's files, or should travel with the project. Open the terminal inside the project folder and run the copied command without -g.

Step 7: Name the agent

The installer can often detect compatible agents on your computer. Naming the target yourself removes ambiguity.

Add the matching agent flag to the end of the command:

Codex

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g -a codex

Claude Code

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g -a claude-code

Cursor

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g -a cursor

Keep the repository address and skill name from the page you chose. Change only the scope and agent flags you need.

If you want a project installation, remove -g from the relevant example.

Step 8: Run the command

Open your terminal, paste the finished command, and press Enter.

The first run may ask whether npx can download the skills package. Type y and press Enter if the package name shown is skills and the command matches the one you intended to run.

Depending on the command and what the installer detects, you may also be asked to confirm the skill, choose an agent, or choose an installation method.

The two installation methods are:

Choose Symlink unless it causes an error. If symlinks do not work on your computer, run the command again with --copy at the end.

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g -a codex --copy

A successful installation ends with a summary showing the skill name, target agent, and location.

Step 9: Check that the skill is installed

For global skills, run:

npx skills ls -g

For skills in the current project, run:

npx skills list

Look for the skill name in the result.

You can also filter the list by agent. For example:

npx skills ls -g -a codex

The installer also creates or updates a skills-lock.json file. This records where installed skills came from and helps the update command track them.

Step 10: Use the skill

Close and reopen your agent, or start a new chat or task. This gives the application a clean chance to discover the newly installed skill.

Then ask for the skill by name in ordinary language:

Use the frontend-design skill to redesign this settings page.

Or describe a task that clearly matches the skill:

Review this interface and improve its typography, spacing, color system, and visual direction.

Some agents also support special skill shortcuts, but the syntax is not the same in every application. Naming the skill in your request is the clearest starting point.

The agent should read the skill when it is relevant and follow its instructions while doing the work. A skill does not guarantee a perfect result. Your request, project context, model, permissions, and the quality of the skill still matter.

How to install a skill only for one project

Project installation is useful when a skill contains rules that belong to a particular codebase or team.

1. Open the project folder in your editor.
2. Open the editor's terminal, or open a system terminal in that folder.
3. Confirm that the terminal is showing the correct folder.
4. Run the Skills.sh command without -g.

For a Codex project, the example becomes:

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -a codex

The current installer places Codex project skills in .agents/skills/. Claude Code uses .claude/skills/. Cursor can use .agents/skills/ for project skills.

Only commit those files to Git if the project owner wants the skill shared with everyone who works on the repository.

How to find skills from the terminal

You can use the website without learning any extra commands. Once you are comfortable, the CLI can also search the directory.

Open an interactive search:

npx skills find

Search for a topic:

npx skills find accessibility

List the skills available inside a repository without installing them:

npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --list

How to update installed skills

Skills can change after you install them. Use the update command when you want the latest version from the original source.

Update your global skills:

npx skills update -g

Update the skills in the current project:

npx skills update -p

Update one skill by name:

npx skills update frontend-design

An update can change the instructions or scripts you are trusting. Review important changes before using an updated skill on sensitive work.

How to remove a skill

Remove a project skill from the current project:

npx skills remove frontend-design -y

Remove a global skill:

npx skills remove --global frontend-design -y

Leave out -y if you want the installer to ask for confirmation.

If your goal is to remove the skill completely, do not add a specific --agent flag. This lets the command clean the skill from all agent links in that scope.

Run npx skills list or npx skills ls -g afterward to confirm that it is gone.

Common problems

"npx is not recognized" or "command not found"

Node.js and npm are missing, the installation did not finish, or the terminal has not refreshed.

Install the current Node.js LTS release, close the terminal, open it again, and check node --version and npm --version.

PowerShell says scripts are disabled

On Windows, PowerShell may block npx.ps1 because of its script execution settings.

You can use the Windows command wrapper without changing the policy. Replace npx with npx.cmd:

npx.cmd skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g -a codex

The installer chose the wrong agent

Add the correct -a flag:

-a codex
-a claude-code
-a cursor

Use only one of those lines as part of the full installation command.

The skill installed, but the agent does not use it

Check the following:

1. Run the list command and confirm the skill appears.
2. Confirm that you installed it globally or inside the project you are currently using.
3. Start a new chat or task after installation.
4. Ask the agent to use the skill by its exact name.
5. Open the skill's SKILL.md and confirm its description matches your request.

The installer reports a symlink or permission error

Run the same command with --copy at the end. Also make sure your user account can write to the target folder.

A repository contains several skills

Use --list to see their names, then use --skill to choose one:

npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --list
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill web-design-guidelines

The skill was installed in the wrong place

Open the folder where you ran the original project command and remove the skill there. Then reinstall it with -g for global use, or run the project command from the correct project folder.

Optional: turn off installation telemetry

The Skills.sh CLI uses anonymous installation telemetry to help rank skills in the public directory. The official documentation says it does not collect personal or device information.

To disable telemetry for the current PowerShell session, run:

$env:DISABLE_TELEMETRY = "1"

On macOS or Linux, run:

export DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1

Then run your normal npx skills ... command in the same terminal window.

A sensible first installation

For your first skill, choose something narrow and easy to verify. A design review skill, writing style skill, or documentation helper is easier to judge than a skill that deploys software or changes production data.

Use this checklist:

1. Choose one skill with a clear purpose.
2. Read its summary and SKILL.md.
3. Check its repository and audit results.
4. Install it globally for one agent.
5. Confirm it appears in npx skills ls -g.
6. Start a new task and name the skill in your request.
7. Try it on a small piece of real work.
8. Keep it if it helps, update it when needed, or remove it cleanly.

You do not need a large collection. A few skills that solve repeated problems are more useful than dozens you never call or inspect.

What to remember

Skills.sh gives you a practical way to find reusable instructions for compatible AI agents. The installation command looks technical because it includes the source, skill name, scope, and target agent in one line. Each part has a simple job.

Start with the current Node.js LTS release. Inspect the skill. Copy the command from its page. Use -g for an across-project installation and -a to name your agent. Confirm the result with the list command, then start a new task and ask for the skill by name.

That is enough to install and use your first agent skill without treating the terminal like a test you were supposed to study for.

Further reading

• Skills.sh documentation (opens in new tab)
• Skills.sh CLI reference (opens in new tab)
• Skills.sh frequently asked questions (opens in new tab)
• Open-source skills CLI on GitHub (opens in new tab)
• Node.js downloads (opens in new tab)