Cline Skills
Cline, the open-source coding agent for VS Code, reads Agent Skills from its skills directory. SkillMD lists 25,790 safety-reviewed
skills (SKILL.md files) you can use in Cline free: search by task, install with one command, or copy the file
into ./.agents/skills.
Install a skill in Cline
- CLI (recommended). Install the CLI once, then add any skill to Cline by slug:
npm i -g skillmds skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a cline # project scope → ./.agents/skills skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a cline -g # global scope → ~/.agents/skills - Manual copy. Open any skill on SkillMD, download its SKILL.md, and save it as
./.agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md(or~/.agents/skills/…for every project). - MCP server. If Cline supports MCP servers, connect the SkillMD server and ask the agent to search and install skills for you. Setup details: MCP docs.
Machine-readable version of this guide: /agents/cline.txt
Top skills for Cline
Frequently asked questions
Where does Cline look for skills?
Cline loads Agent Skills from ./.agents/skills inside a project and from ~/.agents/skills globally. Each skill lives in its own folder as <skill-name>/SKILL.md; the agent reads the skill's description and applies it when a request matches.
How do I install a skill in Cline?
Run npm i -g skillmds once, then skillmd add <owner>/<name> -a cline in your project (add -g for global scope). The CLI writes the SKILL.md into .agents/skills for you. You can also copy the file by hand from any skill page on skillmd.com.
Do skills made for Claude Code work in Cline?
Yes. SKILL.md is an open, agent-neutral format: the same file works across Claude Code, Cline, Cursor, Codex, and 60+ other agents. Only the directory it lives in changes, and skillmd add -a cline handles that for you.