Agent skill

Using Aegis

A skill your agent uses when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Using Aegis

skills CLI

$ npx skills add GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis --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/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .claude/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .claude/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis

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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a codex

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis --agent codex

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .agents/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .agents/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a cursor

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis --agent cursor

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .cursor/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .cursor/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git --path skills/using-aegis

--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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a gemini-cli

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

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis --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/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .gemini/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .gemini/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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 GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis

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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a github-copilot

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .github/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .github/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -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 GanyuanRan/Aegis using-aegis --agent opencode

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

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/using-aegis .opencode/skills/using-aegis && 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 "using-aegis" agent skill from https://github.com/GanyuanRan/Aegis/tree/main/skills/using-aegis into .opencode/skills/using-aegis/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "using-aegis", 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: using-aegis
GitHub stars: 1.3k
Used in: 1 other repo
Token cost: ~694 tokens
SKILL.md length: 316 words
Files: 6 (incl. references)
Skills in repo: 21
Repo updated: Oct 9, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing.

Works in 10 steps: User/project instructions outrank Aegis. → Load only the smallest explicitly… → Active codebase question/"what next":… → …
Starting a turn
Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
Checking Aegis skill routing

What it does

Using Aegis is an agent skill from GanyuanRan/Aegis. Use when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing.

Its SKILL.md is about 690 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 6 other files, including reference files (for example `references/antigravity-tools.md`, `references/codex-tools.md` and `references/complexity-governance.md`).

It sits in Development. The repository describes itself as: Make AI coding agents architecture-aware: baseline-first, evidence-verified, drift-checked, and safe across long tasks. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Starting a turn
Checking Aegis skill routing

Example prompts

“/using-aegis”

Workflow steps

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

User/project instructions outrank Aegis.
Load only the smallest explicitly requested or clearly relevant skill/reference;
Active codebase question/"what next": check README/ADR/rules/baseline, else
Primary routes: grill me/grill this plan/审问我/盘问我/拷问我 -> brainstorming (literal/explanatory uses do not); /aegis-goal or Aegis goal: ->…
Implementation only: Classify before implementation. Low stays owner-local;
For writes, the owner workflow surfaces Change Necessity, records
At the first substantive user-visible stage say why Aegis is shaping
Workspace support is lazy; use configured Aegis workspace support only when
Tool/log/memory/search outputs are evidence candidates, not prompt payloads
Read references/skill-discipline.md only when route/order/TDD/workspace/

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 7b7e955. 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

Using Aegis loads about 694 tokens when it runs, and up to ~8k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 17 tokens; SKILL.md has 316 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~17
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~694
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them: ~8k

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 GanyuanRan/Aegis at commit 7b7e955, republished under its MIT licence (© GanyuanRan). 316 words, ~694 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/using-aegis/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 5 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: using-aegis
description: Use when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing.
alwaysApply: true

<SUBAGENT-STOP>Skip for subagents.</SUBAGENT-STOP>

<EXPLICIT-MODE-GATE>
If activation mode is explicit and this request did not explicitly invoke Aegis or a named skill, stay on the fast path; do not route to any Aegis skill. Explicit invocation proceeds normally.
</EXPLICIT-MODE-GATE>

<EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>
You have Aegis. Load explicit/relevant Aegis skill before response/action;
otherwise proceed normally.
</EXTREMELY-IMPORTANT>

Hot Path

User/project instructions outrank Aegis.
Load only the smallest explicitly requested or clearly relevant skill/reference; otherwise stay on the fast path. Compose ui-ux-governance for UI/UX effects; retain task ownership and scope.
Active codebase question/"what next": check README/ADR/rules/baseline, else bounded index-first scan. Non-trivial work passively use relevant CONTEXT-MAP.md/CONTEXT.md; model semantic conflicts only when found.
Primary routes: grill me/grill this plan/审问我/盘问我/拷问我 -> brainstorming (literal/explanatory uses do not); /aegis-goal or Aegis goal: -> goal-framing. Bug, failure, regression, or unexpected behavior routes to systematic-debugging.
Implementation only: Classify before implementation. Low stays owner-local; Medium/high: baseline read-set + plan. Spec Brief or Design Spec only for ambiguous/contract/cross-module medium/high work. TDD: off=no auto route/load; auto=risk-based strict/light/skipped; explicit strict applies. Pure explanation and read-only diagnosis skip implementation/TDD/write gates.
For writes, the owner workflow surfaces Change Necessity, records TaskStartSnapshot, and decides ArchitectureReviewRequired; ceremony alone never creates a branch/worktree.
At the first substantive user-visible stage say why Aegis is shaping non-tiny work; do not wait for the user to ask. structured trace is only for audit/debug/release/long-task review/asked and does not route (Trace Digest).
Workspace support is lazy; use configured Aegis workspace support only when records are needed. Q&A/status writes no project files; tiny work writes no workspace docs unless its owner requires a durable record.
Tool/log/memory/search outputs are evidence candidates, not prompt payloads: summary first; large input index->window->excerpt. Bound history/session/ transcript/log reads by scope/time/lines.
Read references/skill-discipline.md only when route/order/TDD/workspace/ context re-entry/host mapping detail is needed.

Contract: only a real fast path emits Route: fast-path and an Aegis Reason Note; a routed skill owns its next-stage contract.

Files

SKILL.md and 5 other files (references) in skills/using-aegis of GanyuanRan/Aegis.

SKILL.md
references/antigravity-tools.md
references/codex-tools.md
references/complexity-governance.md
references/copilot-tools.md
references/skill-discipline.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 7b7e955

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in GanyuanRan/Aegis, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-pluginsplugins/GanyuanRan/Aegis/skills/using-aegis

Compare with similar skills

Using Aegis 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.

Using Aegis compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Using Aegis this skillGanyuanRan/Aegis	1.3k	1 repos	~694	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Trellis Session Insightmindfold-ai/Trellis	15k	4 repos	~1.7k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	10 days ago
Openspec Verify ChangeFission-AI/OpenSpec	71k	2 repos	~4.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today
Warp Factory Fileswarpdotdev/warp	65k	1 repos	~2.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	AGPL-3.0	today
Migrate Core Code to Submodulestinyhumansai/openhuman	42k	—	~2.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	GPL-3.0	today
Analyze Logsactivepieces/activepieces	25k	1 repos	~1.6k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	today

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More from GanyuanRan/Aegis

All 21 skills in this repo

Anti Entropy Governance
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when touching retiring old logic, collapsing duplicate owners, removing fallbacks, or schema/persistence/source-of-truth boundaries; identify opportunities automatically…
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~3.1k tokens
Auto-check passed
Executing Plans
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when executing a written implementation plan across sessions or with review checkpoints.
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.3k tokens
Auto-check passed
First Principles Review
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when asked for first-principles or Occam's-razor review, or when high-risk decisions involve competing constraints, fallback growth, duplicate owners, or architecture…
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~2.5k tokens
Auto-check passed
Goal Framing
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when the user explicitly sets an Aegis goal with /aegis-goal, Aegis goal:, or asks to define goal, success evidence, stop condition, or task boundaries before work.
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.2k tokens
Auto-check passed
Establishing Project Context
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when the user asks to establish shared project language, or project work exposes a conflicting, renamed, or deprecated domain term that needs active semantic modeling.
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.5k tokens
Auto-check: warnings
Recording Architecture Decisions
GanyuanRan/Aegis
A skill your agent uses when the user asks to create, write, update, amend, supersede, or evaluate an ADR, architecture decision record, durable architecture decision, decision log, or baseline sync…
1.3k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.5k tokens
Auto-check passed

Questions about Using Aegis

What does Using Aegis do?

A skill your agent uses when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing. Using Aegis is an agent skill from GanyuanRan/Aegis. Use when starting a turn or checking Aegis skill routing.

When should I use Using Aegis?

Using Aegis fits situations like: starting a turn; checking Aegis skill routing.

How do I install Using Aegis in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/using-aegis in GanyuanRan/Aegis) into .claude/skills/using-aegis in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Using Aegis in Codex?

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

Can I use Using Aegis 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 GanyuanRan/Aegis --skill using-aegis -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/using-aegis, .gemini/skills/using-aegis, .github/skills/using-aegis and .opencode/skills/using-aegis in your project.

What does Using Aegis need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Using Aegis is instructions for the agent only.

Does Using Aegis 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 Using Aegis 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 Using Aegis use?

Using Aegis is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Using Aegis use?

About 694 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 2.8k 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 7.3k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Using Aegis?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Using Aegis: Trellis Session Insight (mindfold-ai/Trellis, 15k stars), Openspec Verify Change (Fission-AI/OpenSpec, 71k stars), Warp Factory Files (warpdotdev/warp, 65k stars) and Migrate Core Code to Submodules (tinyhumansai/openhuman, 42k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Using Aegis?

GanyuanRan (a GitHub user) maintains it in GanyuanRan/Aegis, which has 1,330 GitHub stars. The repository holds 21 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

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

Install Using Aegis

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Hot Path

Files

Used in 1 other repository

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from GanyuanRan/Aegis

Related

Questions about Using Aegis