Agent skill

Heygen

[DEPRECATED] Use create-video for prompt-based video generation or avatar-video for precise avatar/scene control.

AGPL-3.0Auto-check passedMedia & Creative

Install Heygen

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .claude/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .claude/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .agents/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .agents/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .cursor/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .cursor/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git --path .agents/skills/heygen

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .gemini/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .gemini/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .github/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .github/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install calesthio/OpenMontage heygen --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/heygen .opencode/skills/heygen && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "heygen" agent skill from https://github.com/calesthio/OpenMontage/tree/main/.agents/skills/heygen into .opencode/skills/heygen/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "heygen", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: heygen
GitHub stars: 66k
Token cost: ~1.5k tokens
SKILL.md length: 427 words
Files: 21 (incl. references)
Skills in repo: 41
Repo updated: Oct 3, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: AGPL-3.0

At a glance

[DEPRECATED] Use create-video for prompt-based video generation or avatar-video for precise avatar/scene control.

Works in 3 steps: Write an optimized prompt using… → Call mcpheygengenerate_video_agent with… → Call mcpheygenget_video with the…
Tasks that involve AI video generation
SKILL.md covers Tool Selection, Default Workflow, Quick Reference and Reference Files
Needs HEYGEN_API_KEY

What it does

Heygen is an agent skill from calesthio/OpenMontage. [DEPRECATED] Use create-video for prompt-based video generation or avatar-video for precise avatar/scene control. This legacy skill combines both workflows — the newer focused skills provide clearer guidance.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 21 other files, including reference files (for example `references/assets.md`, `references/authentication.md` and `references/avatars.md`).

It sits in Media & Creative, covering AI video generation. It works with HeyGen and Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: World's first open-source, agentic video production system. 12 production pipelines, 100+ tools, 700+ agent skill and production-knowledge files. Turn your AI coding assistant… The licence is AGPL-3.0.

When your agent uses it

Tasks that involve AI video generation

Example prompts

“/heygen”

Requirements

A credential in HEYGEN_API_KEY
Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): mcp__heygen__*

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

Write an optimized prompt using prompt-optimizer.md → visual-styles.md
Call mcpheygengenerate_video_agent with prompt and config (duration_sec, orientation, avatar_id)
Call mcpheygenget_video with the returned video_id to poll status and get the download URL

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 9327439. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:
- mcp__heygen__*
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:
- HEYGEN_API_KEY
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Heygen loads about 1.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~58k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 55 tokens; SKILL.md has 427 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~55
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.5k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them: ~58k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from calesthio/OpenMontage at commit 9327439, republished under its AGPL-3.0 licence (© calesthio). 427 words, ~1,457 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/heygen/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 20 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: heygen
description: [DEPRECATED] Use `create-video` for prompt-based video generation or `avatar-video` for precise avatar/scene control. This legacy skill combines both workflows — the newer focused skills provide clearer guidance.
allowed-tools: mcp__heygen__*
homepage: https://docs.heygen.com/reference/generate-video-agent

HeyGen API (Deprecated)

This skill is deprecated. Use the focused skills instead:

create-video — Generate videos from a text prompt (Video Agent API)

avatar-video — Build videos with specific avatars, voices, scripts, and scenes (v2 API)

This skill remains for backward compatibility but will be removed in a future release.

AI avatar video creation API for generating talking-head videos, explainers, and presentations.

Tool Selection

If HeyGen MCP tools are available (mcp__heygen__*), prefer them over direct HTTP API calls — they handle authentication and request formatting automatically.

Task	MCP Tool	Fallback (Direct API)
Generate video from prompt	`mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent`	`POST /v1/video_agent/generate`
Check video status / get URL	`mcp__heygen__get_video`	`GET /v2/videos/{video_id}`
List account videos	`mcp__heygen__list_videos`	`GET /v2/videos`
Delete a video	`mcp__heygen__delete_video`	`DELETE /v2/videos/{video_id}`

If no HeyGen MCP tools are available, use direct HTTP API calls with X-Api-Key: $HEYGEN_API_KEY header as documented in the reference files.

Default Workflow

Prefer Video Agent for most video requests. Always use prompt-optimizer.md guidelines to structure prompts with scenes, timing, and visual styles.

With MCP tools:

Write an optimized prompt using prompt-optimizer.md → visual-styles.md
Call mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent with prompt and config (duration_sec, orientation, avatar_id)
Call mcp__heygen__get_video with the returned video_id to poll status and get the download URL

Without MCP tools (direct API):

Write an optimized prompt using prompt-optimizer.md → visual-styles.md
POST /v1/video_agent/generate — see video-agent.md
GET /v2/videos/<id> — see video-status.md

Only use v2/video/generate when user explicitly needs:

Exact script without AI modification
Specific voice_id selection
Different avatars/backgrounds per scene
Precise per-scene timing control
Programmatic/batch generation with exact specs

Show full SKILL.md (180 more words)Show less

Quick Reference

Task	MCP Tool	Read
Generate video from prompt (easy)	`mcp__heygen__generate_video_agent`	prompt-optimizer.md → visual-styles.md → video-agent.md
Generate video with precise control	—	video-generation.md, avatars.md, voices.md
Check video status / get download URL	`mcp__heygen__get_video`	video-status.md
Add captions or text overlays	—	captions.md, text-overlays.md
Transparent video for compositing	—	video-generation.md (WebM section)
Use with Remotion	—	remotion-integration.md

Reference Files

Foundation

references/authentication.md - API key setup and X-Api-Key header
references/quota.md - Credit system and usage limits
references/video-status.md - Polling patterns and download URLs
references/assets.md - Uploading images, videos, audio

Core Video Creation

references/avatars.md - Listing avatars, styles, avatar_id selection
references/voices.md - Listing voices, locales, speed/pitch
references/scripts.md - Writing scripts, pauses, pacing
references/video-generation.md - POST /v2/video/generate and multi-scene videos
references/video-agent.md - One-shot prompt video generation
references/prompt-optimizer.md - Writing effective Video Agent prompts (core workflow + rules)
references/visual-styles.md - 20 named visual styles with full specs
references/prompt-examples.md - Full production prompt example + ready-to-use templates
references/dimensions.md - Resolution and aspect ratios

Video Customization

references/backgrounds.md - Solid colors, images, video backgrounds
references/text-overlays.md - Adding text with fonts and positioning
references/captions.md - Auto-generated captions and subtitles

Advanced Features

references/templates.md - Template listing and variable replacement
references/photo-avatars.md - Creating avatars from photos
references/webhooks.md - Webhook endpoints and events

Integration

references/remotion-integration.md - Using HeyGen in Remotion compositions

Files

SKILL.md and 20 other files (references) in .agents/skills/heygen of calesthio/OpenMontage.

SKILL.md
references/assets.md
references/authentication.md
references/avatars.md
references/backgrounds.md
references/captions.md
references/dimensions.md
references/photo-avatars.md
references/prompt-examples.md
references/prompt-optimizer.md
references/quota.md
references/remotion-integration.md
references/scripts.md
references/templates.md
references/text-overlays.md
references/video-agent.md
references/video-generation.md
references/video-status.md
references/visual-styles.md
references/voices.md
… and 1 more

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 9327439

Compare with similar skills

Heygen next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Heygen compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Heygen this skillcalesthio/OpenMontage	66k	—	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	7 days ago
Avatar MixUpload-Post/avatar-mix	131	—	~4.9k	Automated safety check: Notes	MIT	2 mo ago
HyperFrames Video Entry Pointheygen-com/hyperframes	60k	3 repos	~5.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
Cassette Video EditCassette-Editor/oh-my-cassette	119	1 repos	~3.4k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	4 days ago
Super Video MakerBomx/super-video-maker-skill	310	—	~11k	Automated safety check: Notes	None	2 mo ago
VideoNexus-JPF/note-companion	870	3 repos	~3.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	3 days ago

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Questions about Heygen

What does Heygen do?

[DEPRECATED] Use create-video for prompt-based video generation or avatar-video for precise avatar/scene control. Heygen is an agent skill from calesthio/OpenMontage. [DEPRECATED] Use create-video for prompt-based video generation or avatar-video for precise avatar/scene control.

When should I use Heygen?

Heygen fits situations like: tasks that involve AI video generation.

How do I install Heygen in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/heygen in calesthio/OpenMontage) into .claude/skills/heygen in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Heygen in Codex?

Run `npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/heygen in calesthio/OpenMontage) into .agents/skills/heygen in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Heygen in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add calesthio/OpenMontage --skill heygen -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/heygen, .gemini/skills/heygen, .github/skills/heygen and .opencode/skills/heygen in your project.

What does Heygen need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Heygen needs credentials named HEYGEN_API_KEY. Our summary lists: A credential in HEYGEN_API_KEY. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: mcp__heygen__*.

Does Heygen access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Heygen safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Heygen use?

Heygen is published under the AGPL-3.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Heygen use?

About 1.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 56k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Heygen?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Heygen: Avatar Mix (Upload-Post/avatar-mix, 131 stars), HyperFrames Video Entry Point (heygen-com/hyperframes, 60k stars), Cassette Video Edit (Cassette-Editor/oh-my-cassette, 119 stars) and Super Video Maker (Bomx/super-video-maker-skill, 310 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Heygen?

calesthio (a GitHub user) maintains it in calesthio/OpenMontage, which has 65,930 GitHub stars. The repository holds 41 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 3, 2026.

Source: calesthio/OpenMontage on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Heygen

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

HeyGen API (Deprecated)

Tool Selection

Default Workflow

Quick Reference

Reference Files

Foundation

Core Video Creation

Video Customization

Advanced Features

Integration

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from calesthio/OpenMontage

Related

Questions about Heygen