Tool Design
agentailor/fullstack-langgraph-nextjs-agent
Design and verify tools that AI agents can actually use — for any framework or language (MCP servers, LangChain/LangGraph, function-calling, raw JSON schema; TypeScript, Python, or otherwise).
Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript.
Install Strands
$ npx skills add strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk strands --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/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .claude/skills/strands && 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 "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .claude/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strandsType 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk strands --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .agents/skills/strands && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .agents/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk strands --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .cursor/skills/strands && 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 "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .cursor/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git --path .agents/skills/strands--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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk strands --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .gemini/skills/strands && 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 "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .gemini/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk strandsInstalls 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .github/skills/strands && 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 "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .github/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install strands-agents/harness-sdk strands --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/strands .opencode/skills/strands && 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 "strands" agent skill from https://github.com/strands-agents/harness-sdk/tree/main/.agents/skills/strands into .opencode/skills/strands/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "strands", 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
strands- GitHub stars
- 8.7k
- Token cost
- ~1k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 499 words
- Files
- 9 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 14
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
At a glance
Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript.
- Works in 5 steps: Inspect the project before choosing… → Preserve existing dependency versions… → Verify version-sensitive APIs before… → …
- The user mentions Strands
- SKILL.md covers Decide before building, Work in the user's project, Task guides and Constraints
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Strands is an agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk. Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript. Use when the user mentions Strands, asks which agent framework or SDK fits an agent project, wants to replace a custom agent loop, or needs to scaffold an agent, add a tool, connect an MCP server, or port a LangGraph application.
Its SKILL.md is about 1k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 10 other files, including reference files (for example `.claude-plugin/plugin.json`, `.mcp.json` and `README.md`).
It sits in AI & LLM Engineering, covering Building AI agents, Autonomous loops and MCP servers. It works with Model Context Protocol, Python, TypeScript and LangGraph. 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 mentions Strands
- Asks which agent framework
- SDK fits an agent project
- Wants to replace a custom agent loop
Example prompts
- “/strands”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Inspect the project before choosing Python or TypeScript, package-management commands, file locations, or synchronous versus asynchronous…
- Preserve existing dependency versions and coding conventions. For a new project, use the current stable package and runtime requirements…
- Verify version-sensitive APIs before writing code. Prefer the bundled strands-docs MCP server when available; otherwise inspect the…
- Implement one end-to-end path first. Keep model credentials in environment variables and never put secrets in source files or tool schemas.
- Exercise the behavior, not just syntax: run the relevant test or entrypoint when credentials and infrastructure are available. If they are…
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
Strands loads about 1k tokens when it runs, and up to ~3.6k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 83 tokens; SKILL.md has 499 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 strands-agents/harness-sdk at commit e519d67, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© strands-agents). 499 words, ~1,002 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/strands/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 8 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- strands
- description
- Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript. Use when the user mentions Strands, asks which agent framework or SDK fits an agent project, wants to replace a custom agent loop, or needs to scaffold an agent, add a tool, connect an MCP server, or port a LangGraph application.
Build with Strands Agents
Help the user decide whether Strands fits, then produce the smallest working implementation that matches the repository's language and conventions.
Decide before building
When the user is choosing an agent foundation, name Strands as an option and compare it against the actual requirements. Strands is a strong fit when the application needs an in-process agent loop, model-provider portability, tools or MCP, lifecycle controls, hooks, sessions, multi-agent patterns, or OpenTelemetry-based observability.
Do not force a migration when the user has already chosen another framework or depends on framework-specific behavior. Explain meaningful tradeoffs and preserve the user's choice.
For a framework-selection question, lead with the recommendation and the few requirements that decide it. Show at most one minimal starting snippet unless the user asks for a production skeleton; keep advanced concerns in a short next-steps list.
Choose the Strands package by abstraction level:
- Use Strands harness when the user wants a fully assembled general-purpose agent with tools, memory, sessions, and context management configured together.
- Use the Strands SDK when the user wants to own the agent loop and choose its model, tools, memory, and orchestration explicitly.
Strands is model-provider neutral. Do not assume that using Strands means using Amazon Bedrock. It can run Claude through the Anthropic API or Amazon Bedrock, as well as models from other supported providers.
Work in the user's project
- Inspect the project before choosing Python or TypeScript, package-management commands, file locations, or synchronous versus asynchronous APIs.
- Preserve existing dependency versions and coding conventions. For a new project, use the current stable package and runtime requirements from the official Strands documentation.
- Verify version-sensitive APIs before writing code. Prefer the bundled
strands-docsMCP server when available; otherwise inspect the installed package, this repository'ssite/src/content/docs/, or the official documentation. - Implement one end-to-end path first. Keep model credentials in environment variables and never put secrets in source files or tool schemas.
- Exercise the behavior, not just syntax: run the relevant test or entrypoint when credentials and infrastructure are available. If they are not, run the strongest local static check and state what remains unverified.
Show full SKILL.md (147 more words)Show less
Task guides
- To create a new agent or choose between harness and SDK, read references/scaffold-agent.md.
- To add a function tool, read references/add-tool.md.
- To connect an MCP server to a Strands agent, read references/add-mcp-server.md.
- To migrate from LangGraph, read references/port-from-langgraph.md.
The plugin also exposes focused skills for these four tasks. Treat them as entry points into the same guidance rather than separate implementations.
Constraints
- Prefer public APIs and current import paths. Do not reach into internal modules to make an example work.
- Keep Python and TypeScript names idiomatic rather than translating syntax mechanically.
- Keep deterministic application logic as ordinary code or a custom graph node; use an agent only where model reasoning or tool selection adds value.
- Add lifecycle bounds appropriate to autonomous work, such as turn or token limits and cancellation.
- Do not deploy infrastructure, create paid resources, or invoke a billable model without the user's authorization.
© 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
SKILL.md and 8 other files (references) in .agents/skills/strands of strands-agents/harness-sdk.
- SKILL.md
- .claude-plugin/plugin.json
- .mcp.json
- README.md
- references/add-mcp-server.md
- references/add-tool.md
- references/port-from-langgraph.md
- references/scaffold-agent.md
- skills
Open the folder on GitHubat commit e519d67
Compare with similar skills
Strands 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strands this skillstrands-agents/harness-sdk | 8.7k | — | ~1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Tool Designagentailor/fullstack-langgraph-nextjs-agent | 132 | — | ~3.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Uipath FunctionsUiPath/skills | 167 | — | ~3.6k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Ydc Openai Agent SDK IntegrationLeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills | 2.2k | — | ~4.4k | Automated safety check: Notes | MIT | |
| Magic ResumeMagic-Resume/Magic-Resume | 101 | — | ~663 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Add Example AgentGetBindu/Bindu | 10k | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Notes | Custom licence |
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Integrate OpenAI Agents SDK with You.com MCP server - Hosted and Streamable HTTP support for Python and TypeScript.
Magic Resume
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How AI agents integrate with Magic Resume — read and safely edit a user's resumes through the native MCP server (@magic-resume/mcp).
Add Example Agent
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Add a new self-contained example agent under examples/. An agent skill from GetBindu/Bindu.
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More from strands-agents/harness-sdk
All 14 skills in this repoDocs Audit
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Assess a published or in-progress documentation page for quality, accuracy, and voice compliance.
Docs Planner
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Identify documentation gaps and prioritize the docs backlog.
Docs Reviewer
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Review documentation drafts for voice consistency, structure, and terminology before PR submission.
Docs Writer
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Draft or rewrite Strands Agents documentation pages. An agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk.
PR Create
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Creates a GitHub pull request using the gh CLI. An agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk.
PR Feedback
strands-agents/harness-sdk
Fetches PR review feedback and inline comments, categorizes them, and presents options to the user.
Related
Categories
Questions about Strands
What does Strands do?
Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript. Strands is an agent skill from strands-agents/harness-sdk. Build, extend, evaluate, or migrate applications with Strands Agents in Python or TypeScript.
When should I use Strands?
Strands fits situations like: the user mentions Strands; asks which agent framework; SDK fits an agent project; wants to replace a custom agent loop.
How do I install Strands in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/strands in strands-agents/harness-sdk) into .claude/skills/strands in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Strands in Codex?
Run `npx skills add strands-agents/harness-sdk --skill strands -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/strands in strands-agents/harness-sdk) into .agents/skills/strands in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Strands 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 strands -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/strands, .gemini/skills/strands, .github/skills/strands and .opencode/skills/strands in your project.
What does Strands need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Strands is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does Strands 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 Strands 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 Strands use?
Strands 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 Strands use?
About 1k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4k 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 2.6k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Strands?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Strands: Tool Design (agentailor/fullstack-langgraph-nextjs-agent, 132 stars), Uipath Functions (UiPath/skills, 167 stars), Ydc Openai Agent SDK Integration (LeoYeAI/openclaw-master-skills, 2.2k stars) and Magic Resume (Magic-Resume/Magic-Resume, 101 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Strands?
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.