Generic Assistant
mastra-ai/mastra
Fallback authoring playbook for building general-purpose personal assistant agents that do not fit a more specific archetype.
Customize the assistant's avatar - build a native character, upload an image, or generate one with AI
MITAuto-check passed
Install Vellum Avatar
$ npx skills add vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatar --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/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .claude/skills/vellum-avatar && 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 "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .claude/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatarType 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatar --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .agents/skills/vellum-avatar && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .agents/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatar --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .cursor/skills/vellum-avatar && 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 "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .cursor/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git --path skills/vellum-avatar--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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatar --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .gemini/skills/vellum-avatar && 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 "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .gemini/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatarInstalls 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .github/skills/vellum-avatar && 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 "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .github/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install vellum-ai/vellum-assistant vellum-avatar --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/vellum-avatar .opencode/skills/vellum-avatar && 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 "vellum-avatar" agent skill from https://github.com/vellum-ai/vellum-assistant/tree/main/skills/vellum-avatar into .opencode/skills/vellum-avatar/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "vellum-avatar", 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
vellum-avatar- GitHub stars
- 1.4k
- Token cost
- ~1.6k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 773 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 108
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Customize the assistant's avatar - build a native character, upload an image, or generate one with AI
- Works in 3 steps: Build a character - Pick a body shape,… → Upload an image - Use an existing image… → Generate with AI - Describe what they…
- SKILL.md covers Avatar Modes, Mode 1: Native Character Traits, Mode 2: Upload a Custom Image and Mode 3: AI-Generated Image, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Vellum Avatar is an agent skill from vellum-ai/vellum-assistant. Customize the assistant's avatar - build a native character, upload an image, or generate one with AI
Its SKILL.md is about 1.6k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts. Compatibility notes: Designed for Vellum personal assistants
The repository describes itself as: An AI Assistant that’s easy to setup, does your work 24/7, knows your preferences and gets better over time. The licence is MIT.
Example prompts
- “/vellum-avatar”
Requirements
- Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Vellum personal assistants
Workflow steps
3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Build a character - Pick a body shape, eye style, and color for an animated native character
- Upload an image - Use an existing image file from their computer
- Generate with AI - Describe what they want and let AI create it
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 33cc983. 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 (its code samples are bash and json).
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.
Compatibility
Designed for Vellum personal assistants
From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Context cost
Vellum Avatar loads about 1.6k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 29 tokens; SKILL.md has 773 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant at commit 33cc983, republished under its MIT licence (© vellum-ai). 773 words, ~1,611 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/vellum-avatar/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- vellum-avatar
- description
- Customize the assistant's avatar - build a native character, upload an image, or generate one with AI
- compatibility
- Designed for Vellum personal assistants
- metadata.emoji
- 🎨
You are helping the user customize their assistant's avatar. There are three ways to set an avatar: building a native character from traits, uploading a custom image, or generating one with AI. When the user says they want to change their avatar, present all three options and ask which they prefer.
Avatar Modes
The avatar system supports two representations:
- Native character - Defined by
data/avatar/character-traits.json(body shape, eye style, color). Rendered client-side as an animated character. A static PNG atdata/avatar/avatar-image.pngis auto-generated for use by other clients and the dock icon. - Custom image - A static PNG at
data/avatar/avatar-image.png. Used for uploaded or AI-generated avatars. When set via upload (assistant avatar set), character traits are preserved so the native character can be restored later viaassistant avatar remove. When AI-generated (assistant avatar generate), character trait files are removed.
Mode 1: Native Character Traits
The user picks a body shape, eye style, and color. Present the options conversationally - describe what each looks like so the user can choose without seeing a preview.
Body shapes
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| blob | Soft, amorphous rounded shape |
| cloud | Puffy cloud silhouette |
| sprout | Small plant-like form with a stem |
| star | Five-pointed star |
| ghost | Classic ghost silhouette |
| urchin | Spiky sea-urchin shape |
| stack | Stacked rounded rectangles |
| flower | Flower with petals |
| burst | Spiky starburst |
| ninja | Stealthy masked figure |
Eye styles
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| grumpy | Furrowed, slightly annoyed look |
| angry | Sharp, intense expression |
| curious | Wide, inquisitive eyes |
| goofy | Playful, off-kilter expression |
| surprised | Big round eyes, startled look |
| bashful | Shy, half-closed eyes looking to the side |
| gentle | Soft, kind expression |
| quirky | Asymmetric, offbeat look |
| dazed | Unfocused, dreamy stare |
Colors
| Value | Appearance |
|---|---|
| green | Leafy green |
| orange | Warm orange |
| pink | Soft pink |
| purple | Rich purple |
| teal | Blue-green teal |
| yellow | Bright yellow |
Setting traits
After the user chooses, run the following command to set the character traits. This writes character-traits.json, generates the static PNG, creates an ASCII representation, updates IDENTITY.md, and notifies connected clients — all in one step:
assistant avatar character update --body-shape <value> --eye-style <value> --color <value>The client will detect the traits file and render the animated character.
Mode 2: Upload a Custom Image
The user provides a file path to an image they want to use as their avatar.
Use the CLI command to set it:
assistant avatar set --image "<user-provided-path>"The path can be absolute or relative to the workspace (e.g. conversations/<id>/attachments/Dropped Image.png).
Mode 3: AI-Generated Image
The user describes what they want their avatar to look like. Use the bash tool to run the CLI command below.
IMPORTANT: You MUST set network_mode to "proxied" on this tool call. Without it, the command cannot reach the image generation API and will fail.
{
"command": "assistant avatar generate --description \"<user's description>\"",
"network_mode": "proxied"
}This generates an image using AI and saves it to data/avatar/avatar-image.png.
Removing the Avatar
When the user wants to remove their custom avatar and go back to the default:
assistant avatar removeThis removes the custom image. If a native character was previously configured, it is automatically restored (the character traits are preserved).
Show full SKILL.md (300 more words)Show less
Viewing the Avatar
When the user asks to see their current avatar, get the path and then read it:
assistant avatar getThis prints the absolute path to the avatar image (regenerating from character traits if needed). Then use file_read on the returned path to display the image inline.
To get the avatar as base64 data instead:
assistant avatar get --format base64UX Guidelines
- When the user says they want to change or set their avatar, present all three options:
- Build a character - Pick a body shape, eye style, and color for an animated native character
- Upload an image - Use an existing image file from their computer
- Generate with AI - Describe what they want and let AI create it
- Ask which mode they prefer before proceeding.
- For native characters, walk through each trait one at a time (body shape, then eye style, then color). Describe the options conversationally so the user can choose without seeing them.
- For AI generation, ask the user to describe the avatar they want. Be encouraging - suggest they include details like style, colors, mood, or a character concept.
- After any avatar change, confirm it was applied and let the user know they can change it again anytime.
- After any avatar change, update the
## Avatarsection inIDENTITY.mdwith a plain-text description of the current avatar appearance. Do NOT use markdown image links — write a human-readable description instead. This ensures you remember what you look like across sessions. Example:## Avatar\nA friendly purple cat with green eyes wearing a tiny hat - When the user asks what your avatar looks like, read the
## Avatarsection inIDENTITY.mdfor your text description. - When the user asks you to show or provide your avatar, run
assistant avatar getto get the path, then usefile_readon that path to display the image. Only do this once.
© vellum-ai, MIT. 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 skills/vellum-avatar of vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 33cc983
Compare with similar skills
Vellum Avatar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vellum Avatar this skillvellum-ai/vellum-assistant | 1.4k | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Generic Assistantmastra-ai/mastra | 29k | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| File Uploadsdavila7/claude-code-templates | 33k | 4 repos | ~238 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| File Upload Accessibilitythedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist | 74k | — | ~418 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Avatar Videocalesthio/OpenMontage | 66k | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 | |
| Customizeanthropics/claude-for-legal | 9.6k | 4 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
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File Upload Accessibility
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A skill your agent uses when reviewing templates, rendered HTML, or shared components related to Make file uploads accessible.
Avatar Video
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Create AI avatar videos with precise control over avatars, voices, scripts, scenes, and backgrounds using HeyGen's v2 API.
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Questions about Vellum Avatar
What does Vellum Avatar do?
Customize the assistant's avatar - build a native character, upload an image, or generate one with AI. Vellum Avatar is an agent skill from vellum-ai/vellum-assistant.
How do I install Vellum Avatar in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/vellum-avatar in vellum-ai/vellum-assistant) into .claude/skills/vellum-avatar in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Vellum Avatar in Codex?
Run `npx skills add vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/vellum-avatar in vellum-ai/vellum-assistant) into .agents/skills/vellum-avatar in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Vellum Avatar 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 vellum-ai/vellum-assistant --skill vellum-avatar -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/vellum-avatar, .gemini/skills/vellum-avatar, .github/skills/vellum-avatar and .opencode/skills/vellum-avatar in your project.
What does Vellum Avatar need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Vellum Avatar is instructions for the agent only. Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Designed for Vellum personal assistants.
Does Vellum Avatar 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 Vellum Avatar 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 Vellum Avatar use?
Vellum Avatar 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 Vellum Avatar use?
About 1.6k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.4k 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 Vellum Avatar?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Vellum Avatar: Generic Assistant (mastra-ai/mastra, 29k stars), File Uploads (davila7/claude-code-templates, 33k stars), File Upload Accessibility (thedaviddias/Front-End-Checklist, 74k stars) and Avatar Video (calesthio/OpenMontage, 66k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Vellum Avatar?
vellum-ai (a GitHub organization) maintains it in vellum-ai/vellum-assistant, which has 1,408 GitHub stars. The repository holds 108 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.
Source: vellum-ai/vellum-assistant on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.