Using the Skills NPM Package
The skills npm package is a powerful CLI tool published by Vercel Labs that manages agent skills - reusable instruction sets that extend coding agent capabilities across multiple platforms.
💡 COMPANION SKILL: The official find-skills skill (from vercel-labs/skills package) provides AI-assisted skill discovery and evaluation. Always load it alongside this skill for enhanced discovery capabilities.
What is the Skills Package?
The skills CLI is a unified interface for:
- Discovering skills from GitHub repositories and other sources
- Installing skills to multiple coding agents simultaneously
- Managing skill installations with updates, removal, and listing
- Creating new skills following the Agent Skills specification
- Searching skill repositories by keyword or interactively
Official Documentation: https://www.npmjs.com/package/skills
Installation & Setup
Install the CLI
npm install -g skills
# or use npx without installation
npx skills [command]
Verify Installation
skills --version
npx skills --help
Key Features & Capabilities
⭐ Enhanced Discovery with find-skills
Use the official find-skills skill for intelligent skill discovery:
- AI-powered skill evaluation and recommendations
- Contextual skill search based on your needs
- Quality assessment and compatibility checking
- Integration guidance and best practices
Load this skill when you need to find skills for specific use cases.
1. Discover Skills
Interactive Search - Browse available skills visually:
npx skills find
Keyword Search - Find skills by specific criteria:
npx skills find typescript
npx skills find flutter
npx skills find supabase
2. Install Skills from Repositories
From GitHub (shorthand):
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills
From GitHub (full URL):
npx skills add https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills
Direct skill path:
npx skills add https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/tree/main/skills/web-design-guidelines
From GitLab or other git sources:
npx skills add https://gitlab.com/org/repo
npx skills add git@github.com:owner/repo.git
From local path:
npx skills add ./my-local-skills
3. Installation Options
List available skills without installing:
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --list
Install specific skills:
npx skills add owner/repo --skill frontend-design --skill skill-creator
Install to specific agents (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Claude Code):
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills -a github-copilot -a claude-code
Install all skills:
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --all
Global installation (available across projects):
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills -g
Non-interactive (CI/CD friendly):
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill frontend-design -y
4. Manage Installed Skills
List all installed skills:
npx skills list
# or
npx skills ls
Filter by agent:
npx skills ls -a claude-code -a cursor
Check for updates:
npx skills check
Update skills to latest versions:
npx skills update
Remove skills:
npx skills remove my-skill
npx skills remove --all # Remove all
5. Create New Skills
Create new skill template:
npx skills init my-skill
Skill structure (SKILL.md template):
---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill does and when to use it
---
# My Skill
Introduction and context...
## When to Use
Describe scenarios where this skill should be used.
## Steps
1. First, do this
2. Then, do that
Supported Agents
The skills CLI works with 40+ coding agents including:
- GitHub Copilot - Copilot in VS Code and other editors
- Claude Code - Anthropic's Claude Code platform
- Cursor - Advanced code editor with AI
- OpenCode - Open-source agent platform
- Cline - Another popular coding agent
- Windsurf - Code editor with AI capabilities
- Continue - Open-source code completion
- And 30+ more agents (Amp, Kimi CLI, Replit, Codex, etc.)
Each agent stores skills in its own directory:
~/.claude/skills/(Claude Code - global).claude/skills/(Claude Code - project).cursor/skills/(Cursor - project)~/.cursor/skills/(Cursor - global)- Similar patterns for other agents
Skill Discovery Workflow for Flutter
Step 1: Search for Available Skills
# Search for Flutter-related skills
npx skills find flutter
# Search for state management
npx skills find "state management"
# Search for specific integrations
npx skills find supabase
Step 2: List Before Installing
# See what's available in a repository
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --list
# Filter to specific skills
npx skills add some-org/flutter-skills --list
Step 3: Preview Skill Content
When considering a skill:
- View the source repository
- Read the SKILL.md file directly on GitHub
- Assess relevance and quality
- Check last update date
Step 4: Install Selected Skills
# Install specific Flutter-related skills
npx skills add my-flutter-repo/skills --skill "flutter-testing" --skill "performance-optimization"
# Install to project scope (committed with code)
npx skills add my-flutter-repo/skills --skill "flutter-testing"
# Install globally (available everywhere)
npx skills add my-flutter-repo/skills -g
Step 5: Verify Installation
npx skills ls -a github-copilot
Finding Flutter & Supabase Skills
Official Skill Repositories
Vercel Labs Agent Skills:
- Repository: https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills
- Command:
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills - Contains frontend, backend, and general development skills
Skills Directory:
- Browse: https://skills.sh/
- Search and filter by topic, agent, and category
- Community-contributed and curated skills
Searching for Specific Technologies
Search patterns:
npx skills find flutter
npx skills find supabase
npx skills find "firebase integration"
npx skills find "state management"
npx skills find testing
GitHub search for skill repositories:
- Search GitHub for "agent-skills" + technology
- Look for repositories with multiple SKILL.md files
- Check
.github/skills/,skills/, or.claude/skills/directories
Important: Always Check Current Documentation
⚠️ This skill description is based on skills v1.4.1
The npm package updates frequently with new features and agent support. When using this skill:
-
Always check the latest documentation:
- https://www.npmjs.com/package/skills
- GitHub repo: https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills
-
Verify agent compatibility:
- New agents are added regularly
- Agent paths may change
- Check latest supported agents list
-
Check for new search features:
- The CLI evolves with new commands
- Search capabilities expand over time
- New installation options may be available
-
Review breaking changes:
- Before major version updates
- Especially if using in CI/CD pipelines
- Check release notes on npm
Best Practices
✅ DOs
- Use
--listfirst to preview available skills before installing - Search multiple sources - Not all skills are in one repository
- Keep skills updated - Run
npx skills updateregularly - Organize by scope - Use project scope for team-specific skills, global for personal tools
- Version control - Commit symlink information or skill references
- Document reasoning - Note why a skill was installed and what it does
❌ DON'Ts
- Don't install all skills indiscriminately - Clutter reduces clarity
- Don't skip the --list preview - Avoid installing irrelevant skills
- Don't ignore skill sources - Verify repository credibility
- Don't forget to read SKILL.md - Understand what you're installing
- Don't use outdated repositories - Watch for abandoned projects
Troubleshooting
"No skills found"
# Ensure you're searching valid repositories
npx skills add owner/repo --list
# Check for typos in repository name
# Verify repository contains SKILL.md files
Skill not loading in agent
- Verify installation path:
npx skills ls - Check agent's skill directory exists
- Ensure SKILL.md has proper YAML frontmatter
- Try reinstalling:
npx skills add source --skill name -y
Permission errors
# For global installation
npx skills add repo -g
# Or use --copy instead of symlink
npx skills add repo --copy
Conflicting skills
- Skills can have same name across agents
- Use
-aflag to target specific agents - Remove first if upgrading:
npx skills remove old-skill
Integration with Flutter Development
Recommended Workflow
-
When starting new project or feature:
npx skills find flutter npx skills add flutter-community/skills --list -
When exploring new patterns:
npx skills find "state management" npx skills find "testing" -
When integrating external services:
npx skills find supabase npx skills find firebase npx skills find stripe -
Keep skills current:
npx skills check npx skills update
Commands Quick Reference
| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| npx skills add <repo> | Install skills from repository |
| npx skills find [query] | Search for skills |
| npx skills list | List installed skills |
| npx skills check | Check for updates |
| npx skills update | Update all skills |
| npx skills remove <skill> | Remove a skill |
| npx skills init [name] | Create new skill template |
Resources
- Official find-skills Skill: https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills/tree/main/skills/find-skills
- npm Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/skills
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills
- Skills Directory: https://skills.sh/
- Agent Skills Spec: https://agentskills.io/
- Vercel Blog: https://vercel.com/blog
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