skill-lookup

name	skill-lookup
description	Search, retrieve, and install Agent Skills from a registry using MCP tools. Use when the user asks to find skills, browse skill catalogs, install a skill for an AI assistant, or extend AI capabilities with reusable AI agent components.
license	MIT

Skill Lookup

Overview

Use this skill to search a skill registry, inspect candidate skills, and install selected skills into a concrete <skill-root> without assuming a specific assistant or editor.

When to Use

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• find an existing skill before building one
• browse a registry by topic, category, or tag
• inspect the files included in a skill
• install a skill into a local or project skill directory

Core Workflow

1. Search the registry with search_skills using the user's task, domain, and likely triggers.
2. Present concise results with title, description, author, and file summary.
3. If the user selects a candidate, fetch the full package with get_skill.
4. Ask for or infer the target <skill-root> for installation.
5. Save SKILL.md and any companion files under <skill-root>/{slug}/.
6. Verify that the saved SKILL.md is present and that the frontmatter is intact.
7. Explain what the installed skill does and when it should activate.

Available Tools

• search_skills: Search for skills by keyword, category, or tag
• get_skill: Retrieve one skill with all files and metadata

Inputs / Assumptions

• query should reflect the user's actual problem, not just a generic domain label
• limit should stay small enough to review meaningfully
• category and tag filters are optional refinements, not mandatory inputs
• Installation should use a real <skill-root> chosen for the current environment

Examples

Example search

search_skills({"query": "code review", "limit": 5, "category": "coding"})

Example retrieval

get_skill({"id": "abc123"})

Example installation layout

<skill-root>/skill-slug/
├── SKILL.md
├── reference.md
└── scripts/

Optional Host Notes

• Some environments expose separate user-level and workspace-level skill roots. Treat that as a deployment choice rather than a requirement of the skill itself.
• Some environments refresh skills automatically, while others need reload, reindex, or restart before a new installation becomes visible.
• If the user explicitly asks for host-specific installation steps, provide them after the generic workflow is clear.

Validation Checklist

• Search results were shown before proposing custom skill creation
• The selected skill was fetched with full file contents
• Files were saved under a concrete <skill-root>/{slug}/
• SKILL.md exists after installation
• The frontmatter remained intact after saving
• The user was told what the skill does and when it should activate

Best Practices

Follow the constraints, conventions, and cautions documented below, and prefer the documented path over improvisation.

References

Use any linked scripts, assets, reference files, and companion resources mentioned in this document.