How do I install the Check Skill Updates skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add adamlinscott/check-skill-updates in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Check Skill Updates safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Check Skill Updates?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Check Skill Updates free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Check Skill Updates?

adamlinscott (@adamlinscott) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Check Skill Updates by adamlinscott

Name: Check Skill Updates
Author: adamlinscott

Check Skill Updates

Check whether the installed copy of this skills collection is behind its remote, and offer to update it. Runs a script that resolves the clone the skills are linked from, respects a once-a-day rate limit and a remembered refusal, and reports one of: up to date, N commits behind, unsafe to touch, or offline. Only "behind" is ever mentioned to the user; everything else is silent. On a yes it pulls and re-links, changing nothing about which skills are installed. Use when the user asks whether their skills are up to date, or when another skill reaches a natural close and wants to mention a waiting update.

adamlinscott c1c8ba3 3.7 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

check-skill-updates

Say nothing unless there is something to say. This skill exists to mention a waiting update once, at a moment when the user is not busy — and to be invisible the rest of the time.

Run it

node <repo>/tools/freshness/check.mjs

<repo> is the clone the skills are linked from. Resolve it from this file's real path, not from the working directory: ~/.claude/skills/check-skill-updates is a link, so its target's ../../tools/freshness/check.mjs is the script. The working directory is whatever the user happens to be editing, which is usually a different repo entirely.

The script prints one line of JSON and nothing else. Flags: --force (the user asked directly, ignore the rate limit), --update (pull and re-link), --decline (remember this was turned down).

What each verdict means

Verdict	What you say
`fresh`	Nothing. Silence is the correct output.
`too-soon`	Nothing. Already checked within the day.
`offline`	Nothing. A failed fetch is not the user's problem to hear about.
`not-installed`	Nothing, unless the user asked directly — then say the clone could not be found.
`unsafe`	Nothing, unless the user asked directly — then say the clone is on `<branch>` or has uncommitted changes, so it is not safe to pull for them.
`behind`	One line. See below.
`updated`	One line: what was applied. If `refreshed` is false, say the pull worked but the re-link did not, and name `node <repo>/install.mjs --refresh`.

When the user invoked this skill directly, report every verdict plainly — being asked a question is licence to answer it. When another skill called you, only behind earns any words at all.

Mentioning an update

One line, at the very end of whatever the calling skill was already saying, never in the middle:

Skills update available — 3 commits behind (feat(are-we-done): add close-out gate). Update now?

Then honour the answer:

Yes → run with --update, then say in one line what was applied. The pull is safe mid-session: it changes the text of skills you already have, adds and removes nothing, and anything already running finishes on the version it started with.
No → run with --decline and drop it. That version is never raised again, however long it sits there. Do not re-ask tomorrow; the answer has not expired.
No answer → drop it. An ignored offer is a no.

Never mention an update next to a failure. If the calling skill is reporting blockers, a broken build, or anything the user has to act on, stay silent — an update offer stapled to bad news dilutes both, and this is the one thing here that can always wait.

Who calls this

/are-we-done on a clean close, /ship-it once the release is out and verified, /brief-me when re-entering a session. All of them skip this silently if it is not installed; none of them treat it as a prerequisite. The rule they share is that the work has to be finished first — this is a footnote to a natural close, never an interruption of one.

---name: check-skill-updatesdescription: Check whether the installed copy of this skills collection is behind its remote, and offer to update it. Runs a script that resolves the clone the skills are linked from, respects a once-a-day rate limit and a remembered refusal, and reports one of: up to date, N commits behind, unsafe to touch, or offline. Only "behind" is ever mentioned to the user; everything else is silent. On a yes it pulls and re-links, changing nothing about which skills are installed. Use when the user asks whether their skills are up to date, or when another skill reaches a natural close and wants to mention a waiting update.---# check-skill-updatesSay nothing unless there is something to say. This skill exists to mention a waiting update **once**,at a moment when the user is not busy — and to be invisible the rest of the time.## Run it```node <repo>/tools/freshness/check.mjs````<repo>` is the clone the skills are linked from. Resolve it from **this file's real path**, notfrom the working directory: `~/.claude/skills/check-skill-updates` is a link, so its target's`../../tools/freshness/check.mjs` is the script. The working directory is whatever the userhappens to be editing, which is usually a different repo entirely.The script prints one line of JSON and nothing else. Flags: `--force` (the user asked directly,ignore the rate limit), `--update` (pull and re-link), `--decline` (remember this was turned down).## What each verdict means| Verdict | What you say ||---|---|| `fresh` | Nothing. Silence is the correct output. || `too-soon` | Nothing. Already checked within the day. || `offline` | Nothing. A failed fetch is not the user's problem to hear about. || `not-installed` | Nothing, unless the user asked directly — then say the clone could not be found. || `unsafe` | Nothing, unless the user asked directly — then say the clone is on `<branch>` or has uncommitted changes, so it is not safe to pull for them. || `behind` | **One line.** See below. || `updated` | One line: what was applied. If `refreshed` is false, say the pull worked but the re-link did not, and name `node <repo>/install.mjs --refresh`. |When the user invoked this skill directly, report every verdict plainly — being asked a questionis licence to answer it. When another skill called you, only `behind` earns any words at all.## Mentioning an updateOne line, at the very end of whatever the calling skill was already saying, never in the middle:> Skills update available — 3 commits behind (`feat(are-we-done): add close-out gate`). Update now?Then honour the answer:- **Yes** → run with `--update`, then say in one line what was applied. The pull is safe mid-session: it changes the text of skills you already have, adds and removes nothing, and anything already running finishes on the version it started with.- **No** → run with `--decline` and drop it. That version is never raised again, however long it sits there. Do not re-ask tomorrow; the answer has not expired.- **No answer** → drop it. An ignored offer is a no.Never mention an update next to a failure. If the calling skill is reporting blockers, a brokenbuild, or anything the user has to act on, stay silent — an update offer stapled to bad newsdilutes both, and this is the one thing here that can always wait.## Who calls this`/are-we-done` on a clean close, `/ship-it` once the release is out and verified, `/brief-me` whenre-entering a session. All of them skip this silently if it is not installed; none of them treat itas a prerequisite. The rule they share is that the work has to be finished first — this is afootnote to a natural close, never an interruption of one.

Frequently asked questions