Github Repo Search Download

GitHub Repo Search Download

Use this skill when the user wants to:

• search GitHub repos by keyword
• search first without cloning
• compare a few repo candidates before downloading
• automatically clone a selected repo into a target folder
• pull a repo into reference/ or another project-specific path

Core idea

Treat GitHub search as the discovery layer and git clone as the delivery layer.

The workflow is:

1. search GitHub repos
2. inspect the top candidates
3. choose the best one
4. clone it into the requested local path

Default workflow

Run the bundled script:

python3 .claude/skills/github-repo-search-download/scripts/search_and_clone_github_repo.py \
  "autonomous research studio" \
  --dest-root reference/reference_agent

Useful flags:

• --list-only
  • search and print candidates without cloning
• --pick <n>
  • choose the Nth ranked candidate instead of the default top result
• --limit <n>
  • control how many candidates to inspect
• --min-stars <n>
  • filter out weak results
• --language <lang>
  • prefer a language such as python, typescript, rust
• --owner <owner>
  • limit search to a specific GitHub owner/org
• --name <folder>
  • override the local cloned folder name
• --force
  • replace an existing local directory

Decision rules

• Prefer official or clearly maintained repos over mirrors or abandoned experiments.
• Prefer repos whose name and description clearly match the requested task.
• When several repos look similar, return 2 to 5 candidates first if the user seems undecided.
• For project reference snapshots, prefer cloning into reference/... rather than polluting the repo root.
• For branded aliases or acronyms, search both the full phrase and the shorter alias if needed.

Good example

Search only:

python3 .claude/skills/github-repo-search-download/scripts/search_and_clone_github_repo.py \
  "Auto-Research In Sleep" \
  --list-only \
  --limit 8 \
  --dest-root reference/reference_agent

Output format

When only searching, return:

1. best-fit candidate
2. 1 to 3 alternatives
3. stars / language / updated-at signal
4. exact clone command you would use

When cloning, return:

1. selected repo
2. destination path
3. exact command used
4. whether the clone was shallow

Notes

• This skill uses gh search repos, so GitHub CLI should already be installed and authenticated enough to query public repos.
• For a large or important download, prefer --list-only first, then clone after confirming the candidate.