Find Skill

find-skill

Helps users discover and install agent skills from the open skills ecosystem.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user:

• Asks "how do I do X" where X might be a common task with an existing skill
• Says "find a skill for X" or "is there a skill for X"
• Asks "can you do X" where X is a specialized capability
• Expresses interest in extending agent capabilities
• Wants to search for tools, templates, or workflows
• Mentions they wish they had help with a specific domain (design, testing, deployment, etc.)

Safety and Authorization

• Discovery and installation are separate actions. A request to find, search for, or recommend a skill does not authorize installation.
• Search installed and repository-local skills first. Use external search only when local results are insufficient and network access is allowed.
• Before external search, reduce the request to 2-5 generic English keywords. Never send or quote private prompt text, secrets, repository or user names, absolute paths, filenames, internal URLs, or other local identifiers.
• A command error, timeout, blocked network request, unavailable CLI, or empty/unparseable output is a search failure, not evidence that a skill does not exist. Only say "no matching skill was found" after the relevant search completed successfully.
• Do not install by default. Project and user installation each require explicit approval of the exact skill, target agent, scope, and command. Never silently retry a failed project install as a user install, or vice versa.

⚠️ Windows Compatibility

On Windows, you MUST use PowerShell to run skills commands!

The default Bash/Git Bash environment on Windows does NOT work with npx skills - commands will return empty output.

Always use this format on Windows:

powershell -Command "npx skills find '[query]'"
# Project install (only after explicit project-scope approval)
powershell -Command "npx skills add [package] -a [agent]"
# User install (only after explicit user-scope approval)
powershell -Command "npx skills add [package] -g -a [agent]"
powershell -Command "npx skills list -g"

What is the Skills CLI?

The Skills CLI (npx skills) is the package manager for the open agent skills ecosystem. Skills are modular packages that extend agent capabilities with specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools.

Key commands (Windows format):

# Search for skills
powershell -Command "npx skills find '[query]'"

# Install a skill into the project (after explicit approval)
powershell -Command "npx skills add [package] -a [agent]"

# Install a skill for the user (after separate explicit approval)
powershell -Command "npx skills add [package] -g -a [agent]"

# List installed skills
powershell -Command "npx skills list -g"

# Check for updates
powershell -Command "npx skills check"

# Update all skills
powershell -Command "npx skills update"

Browse skills at: https://skills.sh/

How to Help Users Find Skills

Step 1: Understand What They Need

When a user asks for help with something, identify:

1. The domain (e.g., React, testing, design, deployment)
2. The specific task (e.g., writing tests, creating animations, reviewing PRs)
3. Whether this is a common enough task that a skill likely exists
4. Whether an installed or repository-local skill already satisfies the request

Step 2: Search for Skills

Check the host's registered skills and readable project skill directories first. If no sufficient local match is found and network access is allowed, derive 2-5 generic English keywords and run the find command. Keep the original prompt and all private paths or identifiers local.

On Windows (REQUIRED):

powershell -Command "npx skills find '[query]'"

On macOS/Linux:

npx skills find [query]

Example searches (Windows format):

Note: Search only supports English keywords! See Chinese keyword reference below.

If the command fails, times out, is blocked, or returns output that cannot be parsed, report the search as unavailable or failed. Do not report that the skill does not exist.

Step 3: Present Options to the User

When you find relevant skills, present them to the user with:

1. The skill name and what it does
2. Separately labeled project and user install commands they can review (Windows format!)
3. A link to learn more at skills.sh

Example response:

I found a skill that might help! The "vercel-react-best-practices" skill provides
React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines from Vercel Engineering.

Project install (review only; requires explicit project-scope approval):
powershell -Command "npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices -a codex"

User install (review only; requires separate user-scope approval):
powershell -Command "npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices -g -a codex"

Learn more: https://skills.sh/vercel-labs/agent-skills/vercel-react-best-practices