How do I install the Agentcanon Repo skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add buildermethods/agentcanon-repo 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 Agentcanon Repo 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 Agentcanon Repo?

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 Agentcanon Repo free to use?

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

Who published Agentcanon Repo?

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

Agentcanon Repo by buildermethods — Agent Skill

Name: Agentcanon Repo
Author: buildermethods

Agentcanon Repo

Convert the current repo to the agentcanon convention. Moves skills from non-canonical folders (like a real .claude/skills) into .agents/skills/, replaces those folders with symlinks, merges CLAUDE.md into AGENTS.md, and symlinks CLAUDE.md to it. Use when asked to set up, convert, or migrate a repo to agentcanon.

File contents

Convert a repo to the agentcanon convention

Run from the root of the repo to convert. Target state:

AGENTS.md            the real agent instructions
CLAUDE.md            symlink -> AGENTS.md
.agents/skills/      the repo's real skills
.claude/skills       symlink -> ../.agents/skills

Nothing is moved, merged, or deleted until the user approves the plan in step 2. Step 1 is read-only.

1. Inspect

Find every skill folder in the repo: a skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md. Note which live outside .agents/skills/ — a real .claude/skills/, or any other tool's skills directory. Skip node_modules and other vendored or dependency paths.
Check AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md: which exist, which are symlinks, and whether both are real files with content.
Check whether .claude/skills (and any other tool skills path found) is already a symlink and where it points.
For each skill that would move, check for a same-name skill already in .agents/skills/ and compare them: identical, or different.

2. Plan and get approval

Present one plan listing, specifically:

Each skill folder that will move, from -> to.
Each folder that will become a symlink, with its exact target (e.g. .claude/skills -> ../.agents/skills).
Name collisions: identical copies get one line ("identical; keeping the .agents/skills copy"); differing copies get one line on how they differ plus a recommendation.
The instructions files: if both CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md have content, show the proposed merged AGENTS.md; if only CLAUDE.md exists, say it becomes AGENTS.md; either way CLAUDE.md ends as a symlink.
Anything that will be created from nothing (e.g. a minimal starter AGENTS.md when neither file exists).

Ask for confirmation and wait. Do not proceed without it. If the user adjusts the plan, re-present the changed parts.

3. Execute

Only after approval, and only what the approved plan says. The usual commands (use git mv for tracked files):

mkdir -p .agents/skills
mv .claude/skills/<skill> .agents/skills/<skill>   # per skill
rmdir .claude/skills                                # once emptied
ln -s ../.agents/skills .claude/skills
mv CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md                              # if AGENTS.md didn't exist
ln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md

When merging two instruction files, write the approved merged content to AGENTS.md, then remove CLAUDE.md and create the symlink.

4. Verify

Confirm every symlink resolves to its intended target and each moved skill's SKILL.md is present in .agents/skills/. Finish with a short pass/fail report of the final state.

If the repo doesn't match these assumptions, adapt and explain rather than forcing the pattern.

---name: agentcanon-repodescription: Convert the current repo to the agentcanon convention. Moves skills from non-canonical folders (like a real .claude/skills) into .agents/skills/, replaces those folders with symlinks, merges CLAUDE.md into AGENTS.md, and symlinks CLAUDE.md to it. Use when asked to set up, convert, or migrate a repo to agentcanon.---# Convert a repo to the agentcanon conventionRun from the root of the repo to convert. Target state:```AGENTS.md the real agent instructionsCLAUDE.md symlink -> AGENTS.md.agents/skills/ the repo's real skills.claude/skills symlink -> ../.agents/skills```Nothing is moved, merged, or deleted until the user approves the plan instep 2. Step 1 is read-only.## 1. Inspect- Find every skill folder in the repo: a skill is a directory containing a `SKILL.md`. Note which live outside `.agents/skills/` — a real `.claude/skills/`, or any other tool's skills directory. Skip `node_modules` and other vendored or dependency paths.- Check `AGENTS.md` and `CLAUDE.md`: which exist, which are symlinks, and whether both are real files with content.- Check whether `.claude/skills` (and any other tool skills path found) is already a symlink and where it points.- For each skill that would move, check for a same-name skill already in `.agents/skills/` and compare them: identical, or different.## 2. Plan and get approvalPresent one plan listing, specifically:- Each skill folder that will move, `from -> to`.- Each folder that will become a symlink, with its exact target (e.g. `.claude/skills -> ../.agents/skills`).- Name collisions: identical copies get one line ("identical; keeping the `.agents/skills` copy"); differing copies get one line on how they differ plus a recommendation.- The instructions files: if both `CLAUDE.md` and `AGENTS.md` have content, show the proposed merged `AGENTS.md`; if only `CLAUDE.md` exists, say it becomes `AGENTS.md`; either way `CLAUDE.md` ends as a symlink.- Anything that will be created from nothing (e.g. a minimal starter `AGENTS.md` when neither file exists).Ask for confirmation and wait. Do not proceed without it. If the useradjusts the plan, re-present the changed parts.## 3. ExecuteOnly after approval, and only what the approved plan says. The usualcommands (use `git mv` for tracked files):```mkdir -p .agents/skillsmv .claude/skills/<skill> .agents/skills/<skill> # per skillrmdir .claude/skills # once emptiedln -s ../.agents/skills .claude/skillsmv CLAUDE.md AGENTS.md # if AGENTS.md didn't existln -s AGENTS.md CLAUDE.md```When merging two instruction files, write the approved merged content to`AGENTS.md`, then remove `CLAUDE.md` and create the symlink.## 4. VerifyConfirm every symlink resolves to its intended target and each movedskill's `SKILL.md` is present in `.agents/skills/`. Finish with a shortpass/fail report of the final state.If the repo doesn't match these assumptions, adapt and explain ratherthan forcing the pattern.

Frequently asked questions