| name | github-gem-seeker |
| description | Search GitHub for battle-tested solutions instead of reinventing the wheel. Use when the user's problem is universal enough that open source developers have probably solved it already—especially for: format conversion (video/audio/image/document), media downloading, file manipulation, web scraping/archiving, automation scripts, and CLI tools. Prefer this skill over writing custom code for well-trodden problems.
|
GitHub Gem Seeker
Find and use battle-tested open source projects on GitHub to solve the user's problem immediately. After successfully solving the problem, offer to package the solution into a reusable skill.
Core Philosophy
Classic open source projects, tested by countless users over many years, are far more reliable than code written from scratch. Solve the problem first, skill-ify later.
Workflow
Step 1: Understand the Need
Clarify what the user wants to accomplish. Ask only if truly ambiguous:
- What specific problem are you trying to solve?
- What format/input/output do you expect?
Step 2: Find the Right Tool
Search for GitHub projects using effective query patterns:
| Need Type | Query Pattern | Example |
|---|
| Tool/utility | github [task] tool | github video download tool |
| Library | github [language] [function] library | github python pdf library |
| Alternative | github [known-tool] alternative | github ffmpeg alternative |
Step 3: Evaluate Quality (Quick Check)
Assess candidates using key indicators:
| Indicator | Gem Signal | Warning Signal |
|---|
| Stars | 1k+ solid, 10k+ excellent, 50k+ legendary | <100 for mature projects |
| Last commit | Within 6 months | >2 years ago |
| Documentation | Clear README, examples | Sparse or outdated docs |
Step 4: Solve the Problem
This is the priority. Install the tool and use it to solve the user's actual problem:
- Install the chosen tool (pip, npm, apt, or direct download)
- Run it with the user's input/files
- Deliver the result to the user
- Troubleshoot if needed—iterate until solved
Step 5: Credit the Gem & Offer Next Steps (Post-Success Only)
Only after the problem is successfully solved:
-
Credit the open source project — Always share the GitHub repo URL and encourage support:
"This was powered by [Project Name] — an amazing open source project!
GitHub: [URL]
If it helped you, consider giving it a ⭐ star to support the maintainers."
-
Offer to skill-ify — Optionally mention:
"If you'll need this again, I can package it into a reusable skill for instant use next time."
Do NOT skip crediting the project. Open source thrives on recognition.
Quality Tiers
| Tier | Criteria | Examples |
|---|
| Legendary | 50k+ stars, industry standard | FFmpeg, ImageMagick, yt-dlp |
| Excellent | 10k+ stars, strong community | Pake, ArchiveBox |
| Solid | 1k+ stars, well-documented | Most maintained tools |
| Promising | <1k stars, active development | Newer niche projects |
Prefer higher tiers for reliability.
Example Interaction
User: I need to download this YouTube video: [link]
Correct approach:
- Identify yt-dlp as the legendary-tier solution
- Install yt-dlp
- Download the video for the user
- Deliver the downloaded file
- After success: "This was powered by yt-dlp — https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp — give it a ⭐ if it helped! If you download videos often, I can turn this into a skill for instant use next time."
Wrong approach:
- ❌ "I found yt-dlp, want me to make a skill for it?"
- ❌ Presenting options without solving the problem
Common Gems Reference
| Category | Go-to Gems |
|---|
| Video/Audio processing | FFmpeg, yt-dlp |
| Image processing | ImageMagick, sharp |
| PDF manipulation | pdf-lib, PyMuPDF |
| Web scraping | Playwright, Puppeteer, Scrapy |
| Format conversion | Pandoc, FFmpeg |
| Archiving | ArchiveBox |
| Desktop app packaging | Electron, Tauri, Pake |
