skill-loader

name	skill-loader
description	Load and install skills from external GitHub repositories. Manages skill sources and keeps local skills up-to-date. Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"escotilha"}

Skill Loader

Load and install Claude Code skills from external GitHub repositories.

Overview

This skill manages external skill sources, allowing you to:

• Load skills from any GitHub repository containing Claude Code skills
• Maintain a list of trusted skill sources
• Update skills from all configured sources
• Install individual skills or entire collections

Activation

This skill activates when the user wants to:

• Load skills from a GitHub URL
• Add a new skill source
• Update existing skills
• List configured sources

Workflow

1. Load Skills from URL

When user provides a GitHub URL:

User: "Load skills from https://github.com/escotilha/skills"

Steps:

1. Parse and validate the GitHub URL
2. Check if repository contains skills (look for skills/ directory)
3. Clone repository to temporary location
4. Copy skills to ~/.claude/skills/
5. Copy agents to ~/.claude/agents/
6. Optionally save source to ~/.claude/skill-sources.json
7. Report installed skills

2. Add Skill Source (Persistent)

Save a repository as a trusted source:

User: "Add skill source https://github.com/escotilha/skills"

Steps:

1. Validate repository URL
2. Add to ~/.claude/skill-sources.json
3. Optionally install skills immediately

3. Update All Skills

Refresh skills from all sources:

User: "Update skills" or "/update-skills"

Steps:

1. Read ~/.claude/skill-sources.json
2. For each source, pull latest changes
3. Copy updated skills/agents
4. Report what changed

4. List Sources

Show configured sources:

User: "List skill sources"

Implementation

Parsing GitHub URLs

Accept these formats:

• https://github.com/owner/repo
• https://github.com/owner/repo.git
• github.com/owner/repo
• owner/repo (shorthand)

Extract: owner and repo name

Directory Structure

Skills are installed to:

~/.claude/
├── skills/              # Skill definitions
│   ├── skill-name/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── ...
├── agents/              # Agent definitions
│   ├── agent-name.md
│   └── ...
└── skill-sources.json   # Configured sources

skill-sources.json Format

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/escotilha/skills",
      "name": "escotilha-skills",
      "added": "2026-01-25T00:00:00Z",
      "lastUpdated": "2026-01-25T00:00:00Z",
      "enabled": true
    }
  ],
  "settings": {
    "autoUpdate": false,
    "backupBeforeUpdate": true
  }
}

Clone and Install Process

# Create temp directory
TEMP_DIR=$(mktemp -d)

# Clone repository (shallow for speed)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/owner/repo.git "$TEMP_DIR"

# Check for skills directory
if [ -d "$TEMP_DIR/skills" ]; then
    # Copy skills (preserve directory structure)
    cp -r "$TEMP_DIR/skills/"* ~/.claude/skills/
fi

# Check for agents directory
if [ -d "$TEMP_DIR/agents" ]; then
    # Copy agents
    cp -r "$TEMP_DIR/agents/"* ~/.claude/agents/
fi

# Cleanup
rm -rf "$TEMP_DIR"

Safety Checks

Before installing:

1. Validate repository exists - Use GitHub API or git ls-remote
2. Check for skills structure - Must have skills/ or agents/ directory
3. Warn on overwrites - Alert if existing skills will be replaced
4. Backup existing - Optionally backup before overwriting

Error Handling

• Invalid URL: Provide format examples
• Repo not found: Suggest checking URL
• No skills found: Explain expected structure
• Permission denied: Suggest checking git credentials
• Network error: Retry with exponential backoff

Commands

Command	Description
/load-skills <url>	Load skills from GitHub URL
/add-source <url>	Add URL as persistent source
/update-skills	Update from all sources
/list-sources	List configured sources
/remove-source <name>	Remove a source

Examples

Load from URL

User: Load skills from https://github.com/escotilha/skills

Claude: [skill-loader activates]
- Cloning repository...
- Found 6 skills: autonomous-dev, claude-setup-optimizer, cpo-ai-skill, cto, fulltest-skill, worktree-scaffold
- Found 6 agents: frontend-agent, api-agent, database-agent, devops-agent, fulltesting-agent, orchestrator-fullstack
- Installing to ~/.claude/skills/ and ~/.claude/agents/
- Done! Skills are now available.
- Would you like to save this as a skill source? (y/n)

Add Persistent Source

User: Always load skills from https://github.com/escotilha/skills

Claude: [skill-loader activates]
- Adding source to ~/.claude/skill-sources.json
- Source "escotilha-skills" added successfully
- Installing skills now...
- 6 skills and 6 agents installed

Update All Sources

User: Update my skills

Claude: [skill-loader activates]
- Reading skill sources...
- Found 2 sources: escotilha-skills, my-custom-skills
- Updating escotilha-skills... 2 skills updated
- Updating my-custom-skills... no changes
- Update complete!

Memory Integration

When the user says "always load skills from X", this skill:

1. Adds the source to ~/.claude/skill-sources.json
2. Installs the skills immediately
3. Remembers the preference for future sessions

Output Format

After successful installation, report:

Installed Skills:
- skill-name-1 (v1.0.0) - Description
- skill-name-2 (v2.1.0) - Description

Installed Agents:
- agent-name-1 - Description
- agent-name-2 - Description

Source saved: escotilha-skills
Location: ~/.claude/skills/

Troubleshooting

"Repository not found"

• Check the URL is correct
• Ensure the repository is public or you have access

"No skills found in repository"

• Repository must have a skills/ directory with SKILL.md files
• Or an agents/ directory with .md agent files

"Permission denied"

• For private repos, ensure git credentials are configured
• Use SSH URLs if HTTPS fails

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