upstash__context7/docs/skills.mdx

---
title: Skills
description: Install, search, and manage AI coding assistant skills from the Context7 registry
---

Skills are reusable prompt templates that extend the capabilities of your AI coding assistants. They allow you to share and install common workflows like React best practices, web design guidelines, PDF processing, and more across projects and teams.

Context7 maintains a registry of skills at [context7.com/skills](https://context7.com/skills) that can be installed directly into your AI coding assistant with a single command.

## What Are Skills?

Skills follow the [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) open standard — a specification that works across multiple AI coding tools. A skill is a directory containing a `SKILL.md` file with instructions that your AI assistant loads when relevant.

**Why use skills?**

- **Standardize workflows**: Ensure consistent code reviews, commit messages, or documentation across your team
- **Share expertise**: Package domain knowledge (e.g., "how we handle authentication") as reusable prompts
- **Save time**: Install pre-built skills instead of repeatedly explaining the same patterns to your AI assistant

**Popular skills:**

| Skill | What it does |
|-------|--------------|
| `vercel-react-best-practices` | Teaches Claude modern React patterns, Server Components, and performance optimization |
| `web-design-guidelines` | Guides Claude on UI/UX principles, spacing, typography, and responsive layouts |
| `pdf` / `docx` / `xlsx` | Enables Claude to read, create, and manipulate Office documents and PDFs |
| `supabase-postgres-best-practices` | Helps Claude write optimized Postgres queries, RLS policies, and auth flows |
| `seo-audit` | Lets Claude analyze pages for SEO issues and suggest improvements |
| `browser-use` | Allows Claude to control browsers for testing and automation |

## The Context7 Skills Registry

The [Context7 Skills Registry](https://context7.com/skills) is a searchable marketplace of skills indexed from GitHub repositories. Each skill is identified by its repository path (e.g., `/anthropics/skills`) and skill name.

When browsing or searching skills, you'll see:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Name** | The skill identifier used for installation |
| **Description** | What the skill does and when to use it |
| **Install Count** | Number of times the skill has been installed |
| **Trust Score** | Quality and safety indicator (0-10) |

**Quick start:**

```bash
# Search for a skill
npx ctx7 skills search react

# Install a popular skill
npx ctx7 skills install /vercel-labs/agent-skills vercel-react-best-practices
```

## Trust Scores

Every skill in the registry has a **trust score** from 0 to 10 that indicates the reliability and safety of the skill source.

| Score | Level | Meaning |
|-------|-------|---------|
| 7.0 - 10.0 | High | Verified or well-established source |
| 3.0 - 6.9 | Medium | Standard community contribution |
| 0.0 - 2.9 | Low | New or unverified — review before using |

Trust scores help you make informed decisions about which skills to install. Higher scores indicate skills from reputable sources with community validation.

### Security Features

Context7 automatically scans skills for potential security issues:

- **Prompt injection detection**: Skills containing potentially malicious instructions are blocked from installation
- **Blocked skill warnings**: When viewing a repository, you'll see how many skills were blocked due to security concerns
- **Clear error messages**: If you try to install a blocked skill, you'll receive a specific warning explaining why

## Prerequisites

Skills require the Context7 CLI. You need Node.js 18 or later.

```bash
# Run directly with npx (no installation required)
npx ctx7 skills search pdf

# Or install globally for faster access
npm install -g ctx7
```

## CLI Commands

### Install Skills

Install skills from a repository to your AI coding assistant's skills directory.

```bash
# Interactive selection from a repository
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills

# Install a specific skill
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf

# Install multiple skills at once
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf commit

# Install all skills without prompting
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills --all
```

**Target a specific client:**

```bash
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --claude
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --cursor
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --universal
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --antigravity
```

**Install globally** (available in all projects):

```bash
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --global
```

<Note>
When installing to multiple clients, the CLI creates the skill files in your primary client's directory and symlinks them to other clients.
</Note>

### Search Skills

Find skills across all indexed repositories in the registry.

```bash
npx ctx7 skills search pdf
npx ctx7 skills search typescript
npx ctx7 skills search "react testing"
```

Search results display:
- Skill name and repository
- Description
- Install count
- Trust score

You can install directly from search results by selecting a skill interactively.

### Suggest Skills

Automatically discover relevant skills based on your project's dependencies. The CLI scans your `package.json`, `requirements.txt`, or `pyproject.toml` and suggests matching skills from the registry.

```bash
# Scan current project and suggest skills
npx ctx7 skills suggest

# Suggest and install to a specific client
npx ctx7 skills suggest --claude
npx ctx7 skills suggest --cursor
npx ctx7 skills suggest --universal

# Suggest and install globally
npx ctx7 skills suggest --global
```

**How it works:**

1. Scans your project for dependencies (Node.js and Python supported)
2. Queries Context7 for skills that match your dependencies
3. Shows results with install count, trust score, and which dependency matched
4. Lets you select and install skills interactively

**Supported dependency files:**

| File | Language |
|------|----------|
| `package.json` | Node.js (dependencies + devDependencies) |
| `requirements.txt` | Python |
| `pyproject.toml` | Python (PEP 621 + Poetry) |

<Tip>
Run `npx ctx7 skills suggest` when starting on a new project to quickly find skills for your tech stack.
</Tip>

### List Installed Skills

View skills installed in your project or globally.

```bash
# List all installed skills
npx ctx7 skills list

# List for a specific client
npx ctx7 skills list --claude
npx ctx7 skills list --cursor
npx ctx7 skills list --universal

# List globally installed skills
npx ctx7 skills list --global
```

### Show Skill Information

Get details about all available skills in a repository.

```bash
npx ctx7 skills info /anthropics/skills
```

This displays:
- Available skill names
- Descriptions
- Direct URLs
- Quick install commands

### Remove Skills

Uninstall a skill from your project or global directory.

```bash
# Remove with interactive prompts
npx ctx7 skills remove pdf

# Remove from a specific client
npx ctx7 skills remove pdf --claude
npx ctx7 skills remove pdf --universal

# Remove from global directory
npx ctx7 skills remove pdf --global
```

## Generate Custom Skills

Create custom skills tailored to your specific needs using AI. This feature requires authentication.

### Authentication

```bash
# Log in (opens browser for OAuth)
npx ctx7 login

# Check your login status
npx ctx7 whoami

# Log out
npx ctx7 logout
```

### Generate a Skill

```bash
# Start interactive generation
npx ctx7 skills generate

# Generate for a specific client
npx ctx7 skills generate --cursor
npx ctx7 skills generate --claude
npx ctx7 skills generate --universal

# Generate as a global skill
npx ctx7 skills generate --global
```

### Generation Workflow

1. **Describe your expertise**: Enter what you want the skill to do (e.g., "OAuth authentication with NextAuth.js best practices")
2. **Select documentation**: Search and choose relevant libraries to inform the skill
3. **Answer questions**: Respond to 3 clarifying questions to focus the skill
4. **Review**: See the generated skill and optionally request changes
5. **Install**: Save the skill to your selected client(s)

<Tip>
Describe best practices and constraints, not step-by-step tutorials. For example, "TypeScript strict mode patterns" is better than "how to write TypeScript."
</Tip>

## Supported Clients

The CLI automatically detects installed AI coding assistants and offers to install skills for them.

| Client | Project Directory | Global Directory |
|--------|-------------------|------------------|
| Universal (Amp, Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode + more) | `.agents/skills/` | `~/.config/agents/skills/` |
| Claude Code | `.claude/skills/` | `~/.claude/skills/` |
| Cursor | `.cursor/skills/` | `~/.cursor/skills/` |
| Antigravity | `.agent/skills/` | `~/.agent/skills/` |

**Project vs Global:**
- **Project skills** (default): Installed in your current project directory, available only in that project
- **Global skills** (`--global`): Installed in your home directory, available across all projects

## Skill File Structure

Each skill is a directory containing at minimum a `SKILL.md` file:

```
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md           # Main instructions (required)
├── templates/         # Optional templates
├── examples/          # Optional example outputs
└── scripts/           # Optional executable scripts
```

### SKILL.md Format

Skills use YAML frontmatter followed by markdown instructions:

```yaml
---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill does and when to use it
---

Instructions for the AI assistant go here.

Use markdown formatting, code examples, and clear steps.
```

| Field | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| `name` | Yes | Identifier for the skill (lowercase, hyphens allowed) |
| `description` | Yes | Explains what the skill does — used for discovery |

The markdown body contains the actual instructions your AI assistant follows when the skill is invoked.

## Command Shortcuts

For faster usage, the CLI provides short aliases:

| Shortcut | Full Command |
|----------|--------------|
| `npx ctx7 si` | `npx ctx7 skills install` |
| `npx ctx7 ss` | `npx ctx7 skills search` |
| `npx ctx7 ssg` | `npx ctx7 skills suggest` |
| `npx ctx7 skills i` | `npx ctx7 skills install` |
| `npx ctx7 skills s` | `npx ctx7 skills search` |
| `npx ctx7 skills ls` | `npx ctx7 skills list` |
| `npx ctx7 skills rm` | `npx ctx7 skills remove` |
| `npx ctx7 skills gen` | `npx ctx7 skills generate` |
| `npx ctx7 skills g` | `npx ctx7 skills generate` |

## Troubleshooting

### Permission Denied

If you see permission errors when installing or removing skills:

```bash
# Try with sudo for global installations
sudo npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf --global
```

Or fix directory permissions:

```bash
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.claude/skills
```

### Skill Blocked Due to Prompt Injection

If a skill is blocked, it contains content flagged as potentially malicious. This is a security feature — the skill cannot be installed.

```
Error: This skill contains potentially malicious content and cannot be installed.
```

Consider using an alternative skill or contacting the skill author.

### Client Not Detected

If your AI coding assistant isn't detected, ensure its configuration directory exists:

```bash
# For Claude Code
mkdir -p .claude

# For Cursor
mkdir -p .cursor
```

### Authentication Issues

If login fails or tokens expire:

```bash
# Clear stored credentials
npx ctx7 logout

# Log in again
npx ctx7 login
```

## Disabling Telemetry

The CLI collects anonymous usage data to help improve the product. To disable telemetry, set the `CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED` environment variable:

```bash
# For a single command
CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1 npx ctx7 skills search pdf

# Or export in your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)
export CTX7_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Browse Skills" icon="magnifying-glass" href="https://context7.com/skills">
    Explore the skills registry
  </Card>
  <Card title="Claude Code Skills Docs" icon="book" href="https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/skills">
    Learn more about how skills work in Claude Code
  </Card>
  <Card title="Agent Skills Spec" icon="code" href="https://agentskills.io">
    Read the open standard specification
  </Card>
</CardGroup>