How do I install the Viewmd skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add denolfe/viewmd 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 Viewmd 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 Viewmd?

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 Viewmd free to use?

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

Who published Viewmd?

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

Viewmd by denolfe — Agent Skill

Name: Viewmd
Author: denolfe

Viewmd

Use when the user wants to preview or read a rendered markdown file in an adjacent tmux pane (via the viewmd CLI) - e.g. to view a plan, doc, README, or markdown you just generated side-by-side while continuing to work in the current pane.

denolfe 3a14373 2 files · 6.6 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

View Markdown in a tmux Pane

Render a markdown file with the viewmd TUI in a split tmux pane, keeping focus on the current pane.

Steps

Resolve the file.
- If the user gave a path, use it.
- If they named/described content you generated but haven't saved, write it to a file first.
- If nothing was passed, use the conversation: take the most recent substantial markdown-style output you produced (a plan, summary, doc, table, code-heavy answer) and write it verbatim to /tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md. If the last output wasn't markdown or there's nothing suitable, ask what to view instead of guessing.
- Save to a real path when the user wants to keep it, otherwise /tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md.

Run the helper:

~/.claude/skills/viewmd/viewmd-pane.sh "<file.md>"

Report the printed result (which pane it opened/reused) in one sentence. Do not steal focus or read the pane back.

Behavior

Runs viewmd <file> in a pane to the right; focus stays where you are.
Target order (all within the caller's window):
1. An existing viewmd pane (marked @viewmd) that is idle or still running viewmd - reused. If that pane has since been used to run your own command, its claim is dropped and it is left alone.
2. Else an idle sibling pane - a bare shell with nothing running - taken over. Preferring one to the right.
3. Else a new pane is split off.
Never touches: the caller's own pane, panes running an app (editor, TUI, another agent), or any shell with a command running - including a previously-marked pane you have reused. Only a bare, idle shell (or our own viewer) is replaced.
Not in tmux: the script prints the plain viewmd "<file>" command to run manually instead of splitting.

Notes

viewmd is interactive (quit with q); it must run in its own pane, never inline in this session.
Only pass one file. For a different doc, invoke again.

---name: viewmddescription: Use when the user wants to preview or read a rendered markdown file in an adjacent tmux pane (via the viewmd CLI) - e.g. to view a plan, doc, README, or markdown you just generated side-by-side while continuing to work in the current pane.---# View Markdown in a tmux PaneRender a markdown file with the `viewmd` TUI in a split tmux pane, keeping focus on the current pane.## Steps1. **Resolve the file.** - If the user gave a path, use it. - If they named/described content you generated but haven't saved, write it to a file first. - **If nothing was passed, use the conversation:** take the most recent substantial markdown-style output you produced (a plan, summary, doc, table, code-heavy answer) and write it verbatim to `/tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md`. If the last output wasn't markdown or there's nothing suitable, ask what to view instead of guessing. - Save to a real path when the user wants to keep it, otherwise `/tmp/viewmd-<slug>.md`.2. **Run the helper:** ```bash ~/.claude/skills/viewmd/viewmd-pane.sh "<file.md>" ```3. **Report the printed result** (which pane it opened/reused) in one sentence. Do not steal focus or read the pane back.## Behavior- Runs `viewmd <file>` in a pane to the right; focus stays where you are.- **Target order (all within the caller's window):** 1. An existing viewmd pane (marked `@viewmd`) that is idle or still running viewmd - reused. If that pane has since been used to run your own command, its claim is dropped and it is left alone. 2. Else an idle sibling pane - a bare shell with nothing running - taken over. Preferring one to the right. 3. Else a new pane is split off.- **Never touches:** the caller's own pane, panes running an app (editor, TUI, another agent), or any shell with a command running - including a previously-marked pane you have reused. Only a bare, idle shell (or our own viewer) is replaced.- **Not in tmux:** the script prints the plain `viewmd "<file>"` command to run manually instead of splitting.## Notes- `viewmd` is interactive (quit with `q`); it must run in its own pane, never inline in this session.- Only pass one file. For a different doc, invoke again.

Frequently asked questions