MCP Server Builder
anthropics/skills
Guides the design and implementation of Model Context Protocol servers in TypeScript or Python, from tool naming and error messages to evaluation.
Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns.
Install Techniques
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniques --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .claude/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .claude/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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 install https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniquesType 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.
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniques --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .agents/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .agents/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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.
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniques --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .cursor/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .cursor/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git --path framework-skills/techniques--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniques --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .gemini/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .gemini/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniquesInstalls 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).
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .github/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .github/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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.
$ npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server techniques --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/framework-skills/techniques .opencode/skills/techniques && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "techniques" agent skill from https://github.com/cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server/tree/main/framework-skills/techniques into .opencode/skills/techniques/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "techniques", 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
techniques- GitHub stars
- 154
- Token cost
- ~534 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 218 words
- Files
- 2 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 30
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns.
- A tools payload is too large
- SKILL.md covers Overview, Techniques, Adding a technique and Related
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
- Awkwardly shaped
What it does
Techniques is an agent skill from cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server. Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns. Use when a tool's payload is too large, awkwardly shaped, or expensive to retrieve and you want a proven pattern instead of inventing one. Each technique has a self-contained reference under references/.
Its SKILL.md is about 530 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including reference files (for example `references/outline-on-overflow.md`).
It sits in Agent Workflows, covering MCP servers. It works with Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: Search PubMed/Europe PMC, fetch articles and full text (PMC/EPMC/Unpaywall), citations, MeSH terms via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP. The licence is Apache-2.0.
When your agent uses it
- A tools payload is too large
- Awkwardly shaped
- Expensive to retrieve and you want a proven pattern instead of inventing one
Example prompts
- “/techniques”
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 5a417fb. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
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 no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Techniques loads about 534 tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.3k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 96 tokens; SKILL.md has 218 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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 cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server at commit 5a417fb, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© cyanheads). 218 words, ~534 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/techniques/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- techniques
- description
- Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on `@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core` — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns. Use when a tool's payload is too large, awkwardly shaped, or expensive to retrieve and you want a proven pattern instead of inventing one. Each technique has a self-contained reference under `references/`.
- metadata.author
- cyanheads
- metadata.version
- 0.4
- metadata.audience
- external
- metadata.type
- reference
Overview
A directory of cross-cutting techniques for shaping what a handler returns and how a client retrieves it — patterns that don't belong to a single API surface. Each entry is a self-contained reference under references/: the problem it solves, when to reach for it (and when not to), and how to apply it with current framework primitives.
These are patterns, not new primitives — they compose tool(), output/format() shaping, ctx.state, and the existing helpers. Where a technique has (or will have) a dedicated helper, its reference says so and links the tracking issue.
Techniques
| Technique | Path | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Outline-on-overflow | references/outline-on-overflow.md | A single tool call returns one document-shaped payload too big to inline (e.g. a ~130KB record), and you want an honest section outline + a re-call contract instead of truncating. |
Adding a technique
One file under references/, one row above. A technique earns a place here when it's a reusable response/retrieval pattern that (a) spans more than one tool or server and (b) isn't already covered by an api-* reference. Keep the reference concise: problem → when-to-use → how-to with current primitives → helper status. Bump metadata.version on any change (skill-versioning policy).
Related
design-mcp-server— choosing the tool surface and output shapes up front.add-tool— thetool()builder,format()⟷structuredContentparity, matching response density to context budget.api-canvas—spillover(), the row-collection sibling of outline-on-overflow.
© cyanheads, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in framework-skills/techniques of cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server.
- SKILL.md
- references/outline-on-overflow.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 5a417fb
Compare with similar skills
Techniques 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Techniques this skillcyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server | 154 | — | ~534 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| MCP Server Builderanthropics/skills | 180k | 62 repos | ~2.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| MCP Server BuildershareAI-lab/learn-claude-code | 78k | 5 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| MCP Integration for Pluginsanthropics/claude-plugins-official | 37k | 11 repos | ~3.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Fastmcp Client CLIPrefectHQ/fastmcp | 28k | 1 repos | ~823 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Crush Configurationcharmbracelet/crush | 29k | — | ~3.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence |
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Related
Works with
Categories
Questions about Techniques
What does Techniques do?
Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns. Techniques is an agent skill from cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server. Catalog of reusable response- and data-shaping techniques for MCP servers built on @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core — overflow handling, payload shaping, retrieval patterns.
When should I use Techniques?
Techniques fits situations like: A tools payload is too large; awkwardly shaped; expensive to retrieve and you want a proven pattern instead of inventing one.
How do I install Techniques in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (framework-skills/techniques in cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server) into .claude/skills/techniques in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Techniques in Codex?
Run `npx skills add cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (framework-skills/techniques in cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server) into .agents/skills/techniques in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Techniques 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 cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server --skill techniques -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/techniques, .gemini/skills/techniques, .github/skills/techniques and .opencode/skills/techniques in your project.
What does Techniques need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Techniques is instructions for the agent only.
Does Techniques 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 Techniques 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 Techniques use?
Techniques is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Techniques use?
About 534 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.1k 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 2.8k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Techniques?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Techniques: MCP Server Builder (anthropics/skills, 180k stars), MCP Server Builder (shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code, 78k stars), MCP Integration for Plugins (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 37k stars) and Fastmcp Client CLI (PrefectHQ/fastmcp, 28k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Techniques?
cyanheads (a GitHub user) maintains it in cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server, which has 154 GitHub stars. The repository holds 30 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 4, 2026.
Source: cyanheads/pubmed-mcp-server on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.