| name | skill-downloader |
| description | Download skills from GitHub URLs, direct .skill/.zip links, or local paths. Use when a user provides a GitHub URL to a skill folder (including /blob or /tree), a repo root URL, a raw.githubusercontent.com URL, or a local/remote .skill or .zip that should be fetched and saved locally. |
Skill Downloader
Overview
Download skills from supported sources and save them locally for later use.
Handle GitHub repo URLs, GitHub folder or file URLs, raw GitHub file URLs, direct .skill/.zip links, and local paths.
Quick Start
Run the downloader script with a URL or local path:
python scripts/download_skill.py "https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/skill-creator" --output .
The script prints the final saved path.
Workflow
1) Classify the input
Determine whether the input is a local path or a URL. If it is a GitHub URL, identify which pattern it matches.
Use the patterns listed in references/api_reference.md.
2) Download and save
Use the script with the appropriate options:
python scripts/download_skill.py <source> [--output <dir>] [--name <name>] [--ref <git-ref>] [--force]
- For GitHub web URLs, pass the URL directly. The script downloads the repo zip and extracts the given path.
- For repo root URLs, use
--ref if the branch is not main.
- For direct .skill or .zip links, the file is downloaded as-is.
- For local files or folders, the path is copied into the output directory.
3) Verify the result
Confirm the output path exists. If it is a folder, verify it contains SKILL.md at the top level.
Troubleshooting
- If a GitHub download fails with 404, confirm the branch and use
--ref to override.
- If a repo path is missing, confirm the URL points to the correct /blob or /tree path.
- If the output name conflicts, use
--name or --force.
Resources
- scripts/download_skill.py
- references/api_reference.md
