| name | find-skills |
| description | Helps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. Start with the skills.sh registry via `npx skills find`; if there are no good matches, fall back to a GitHub deep search for SKILL.md patterns before concluding no skill exists. |
Find Skills
This skill helps you discover and install skills from the open agent skills ecosystem.
Default Workflow (Two-Stage)
- Search the registry first (fast + installable):
npx skills find <query>
- If found: present top options + ask what to install
- If not found: fall back to GitHub deep search (skill-hunter style) to discover skills that may not be indexed yet
- If still not found: help the user directly, or propose creating a new skill
Notes:
- Prefer non-interactive usage in a coding agent: always pass a query (avoid
npx skills find with no args).
- To disable Skills CLI telemetry, set
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 (or DO_NOT_TRACK=1) when running npx skills ....
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.)
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:
npx skills find [query] - Search for skills interactively or by keywordnpx skills add <package> - Install a skill from GitHub or other sourcesnpx skills check - Check for skill updatesnpx skills update - Update all installed skills
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:
- The domain (e.g., React, testing, design, deployment)
- The specific task (e.g., writing tests, creating animations, reviewing PRs)
- Whether this is a common enough task that a skill likely exists
Step 2: Search for Skills
Run the find command with a relevant query:
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 npx -y skills find [query]
For example:
- User asks "how do I make my React app faster?" →
npx skills find react performance
- User asks "can you help me with PR reviews?" →
npx skills find pr review
- User asks "I need to create a changelog" →
npx skills find changelog
The command will return results like:
Install with npx skills add <owner/repo@skill>
vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices
└ https://skills.sh/vercel-labs/agent-skills/vercel-react-best-practices
Step 3: Present Options to the User
When you find relevant skills, present them to the user with:
- The skill name and what it does
- The install command they can run
- 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.
To install it:
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills@vercel-react-best-practices
Learn more: https://skills.sh/vercel-labs/agent-skills/vercel-react-best-practices
Step 4: Offer to Install
If the user wants to proceed, you can install the skill for them:
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 npx -y skills add <owner/repo@skill> -g --agent codex -y
The -g flag installs globally (user-level) and -y skips confirmation prompts.
Common Skill Categories
When searching, consider these common categories:
| Category | Example Queries |
|---|
| Web Development | react, nextjs, typescript, css, tailwind |
| Testing | testing, jest, playwright, e2e |
| DevOps | deploy, docker, kubernetes, ci-cd |
| Documentation | docs, readme, changelog, api-docs |
| Code Quality | review, lint, refactor, best-practices |
| Design | ui, ux, design-system, accessibility |
| Productivity | workflow, automation, git |
Tips for Effective Searches
- Use specific keywords: "react testing" is better than just "testing"
- Try alternative terms: If "deploy" doesn't work, try "deployment" or "ci-cd"
- Check popular sources: Many skills come from
vercel-labs/agent-skills or ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills
When No Skills Are Found
If no relevant skills are found in the registry, do a quick GitHub deep search before concluding "no skill exists".
Fallback: GitHub Deep Search (skill-hunter style)
This is useful when a skill exists in a repo but isn't indexed in skills.sh yet.
-
If gh is available, search for skill markdown files by keyword:
gh search code "KEYWORD path:/^./.?(opencode|ai|llm|claude|codex|agents|pi|cursor|factory)\\/skills?\\/.*\\.md$/" --limit 20
Tips:
- Use 2–4 specific keywords (e.g.,
playwright e2e, nextjs performance, pr review).
- Prefer results that contain a
SKILL.md and look actively maintained.
-
Turn a promising hit into an install:
-
If you have an owner/repo that looks right, list available skills:
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 npx -y skills add owner/repo --list
-
Then install the specific skill name(s):
DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 npx -y skills add owner/repo --skill "<skill-name>" -g --agent codex -y
-
If gh is not available, skip this fallback and:
- Try broader/synonym queries in
npx skills find ..., or
- Browse categories on https://skills.sh/ and install from a repo directly, or
- Proceed without a skill (see next section).
Still Nothing Found
If there still isn't a good match:
- Acknowledge that no existing skill was found
- Offer to help with the task directly using your general capabilities
- Suggest the user could create their own skill with
npx skills init
Example:
I searched for skills related to "xyz" but didn't find any matches.
I can still help you with this task directly! Would you like me to proceed?
If this is something you do often, you could create your own skill:
npx skills init my-xyz-skill
