Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedDevelopment

Install Add Tool

skills CLI
$ npx skills add strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill add-tool -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk add-tool --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/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands/skills/add-tool .claude/skills/add-tool && 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/

Facts

Skill name
add-tool
GitHub stars
8.7k
Token cost
~171 tokens
SKILL.md length
62 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
14
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript.

  • The user asks to let a Strands agent call application code
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
  • Another deterministic capability

What it does

Add Tool is an agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk. Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript. Use when the user asks to let a Strands agent call application code, an API, or another deterministic capability.

Its SKILL.md is about 170 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Development. It works with Python and TypeScript. The repository describes itself as: Build an agent harness and control it end-to-end. Open-source SDK for production AI agents in Python & TypeScript - any model, any cloud. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • The user asks to let a Strands agent call application code
  • Another deterministic capability

Example prompts

  • “/add-tool”

Requirements

  • Python 3

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit e519d67. 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

Add Tool loads about 171 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 48 tokens; SKILL.md has 62 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~48
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~171

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 strands-agents/harness-sdk at commit e519d67, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© strands-agents). 62 words, ~171 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/add-tool/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
add-tool
description
Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript. Use when the user asks to let a Strands agent call application code, an API, or another deterministic capability.

Add a tool to a Strands agent

Read the shared Strands skill and the tool guide completely.

Inspect the existing agent and implement one narrow tool with a model-readable description and typed input schema. Keep secrets and caller identity out of model-visible parameters. Test the deterministic capability directly, then exercise an agent request that requires the tool when model credentials are available.

© strands-agents, 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

Just SKILL.md in .agents/skills/strands/skills/add-tool of strands-agents/harness-sdk.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit e519d67

Compare with similar skills

Add Tool 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.

Add Tool compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Add Tool this skillstrands-agents/harness-sdk8.7k—~171Automated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Code Review ChecklistshareAI-lab/learn-claude-code78k5 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Skyvern Version BumpSkyvern-AI/skyvern23k—~1kAutomated safety check: NotesAGPL-3.0
Mirage VFS Adapter Authoringstrukto-ai/mirage3.7k—~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
jscpd Code Migration Trackerkucherenko/jscpd6.4k—~5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Code Reviewerjewbetcha/opentrace1162 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT

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Categories

Questions about Add Tool

What does Add Tool do?

Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript. Add Tool is an agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk. Add a custom function tool to a Strands agent in Python or TypeScript.

When should I use Add Tool?

Add Tool fits situations like: the user asks to let a Strands agent call application code; another deterministic capability.

How do I install Add Tool in Claude Code?

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

How do I install Add Tool in Codex?

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

Can I use Add Tool 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill add-tool -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/add-tool, .gemini/skills/add-tool, .github/skills/add-tool and .opencode/skills/add-tool in your project.

What does Add Tool need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Add Tool is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Add Tool 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 Add Tool 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 Add Tool use?

Add Tool 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 Add Tool use?

About 171 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 684 characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Add Tool?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Add Tool: Code Review Checklist (shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code, 78k stars), Skyvern Version Bump (Skyvern-AI/skyvern, 23k stars), Mirage VFS Adapter Authoring (strukto-ai/mirage, 3.7k stars) and jscpd Code Migration Tracker (kucherenko/jscpd, 6.4k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Add Tool?

strands-agents (a GitHub organization) maintains it in strands-agents/harness-sdk, which has 8,731 GitHub stars. The repository holds 14 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: strands-agents/harness-sdk on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.