# Skill Gate > Find useful external agent skills, inspect their source, contents, permissions, risk, and popularity before Codex uses them. Use when a task may benefit from a specialized external skill, when the user asks whether a skill is needed, when a user asks to search skills, inspect a skill package, temporarily use a skill, compare skill versions, or clean up temporary skill sessions. Do not use for ordinary coding tasks where Codex already has enough capability. - Skill: `lu666by/skill-gate` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add lu666by/skill-gate` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/lu666by/skill-gate/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: lu666by (https://skillmd.com/u/lu666by) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/lu666by/skill-gate --- # Skill Gate Skill Gate answers one question before Codex loads more instructions: does this task get real value from an external skill, and is that skill safe enough to use temporarily? ## CLI Run commands from this plugin checkout. Build once first: ```powershell npm run build node dist/src/cli.js ``` If the npm bin is on PATH, `skill-gate ` is equivalent. ## Workflow 1. Decide whether an external skill is needed. - Do not search for ordinary coding, refactors, small bug fixes, or tasks Codex can already handle. - Search only when a specialized workflow, domain standard, repeated failure mode, or verifiable expert process would help. 2. Recommend the smallest useful set. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js recommend ""`. - Use `--mode trusted`, `--mode popular`, or `--mode explorer` to select install thresholds. - Use `--force` only when the task is a specialized domain the keyword gate missed. - Show 0 to 3 non-overlapping skills. - Keep only candidates that pass GitHub metadata and resolver checks: publisher/source match, not archived, license present, updated within policy, and `SKILL.md` resolvable. - Prefer concrete install counts over repository stars. - Prefer one broad skill over several narrow skills when coverage truly overlaps. The v1 CLI only removes exact duplicate sources; Codex must still apply judgment before recommending. - If more than one candidate is plausible, ask the user to choose before inspecting or using one. 3. Inspect before use. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js inspect ` or `node dist/src/cli.js inspect `; use a GitHub tree URL when the skill lives in a subdirectory. - This downloads or copies the candidate into an isolated `.skill-gate/sessions//` directory so it can be audited. - Summarize source, install count if known, pinned commit, decision scores, files, capabilities, and risk. - Read `references/risk-policy.md` if risk interpretation matters. 4. Ask the user before loading. - Allowed choices are: use once, install for project, view full files, or reject. - Default to use once. - Never use or install an inspected skill unless the user approves. V1 does not require approval before isolated inspection download. - Prefer the app's short choice UI when available. If no choice UI is available, ask one concise numbered question in chat. 5. Apply the user's choice. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js use --approve` only after user approval; it reuses and consumes the already inspected pinned session once. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js install --approve` only after explicit project-install approval; it copies the already inspected pinned files into `.skill-gate/project-skills/`. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js upgrade ` to inspect the latest remote version before applying updates. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js apply --approve` only after explicit approval to apply the latest inspected copy. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js view ` when the user wants to inspect files without approval. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js reject ` or do nothing when the user rejects. - Read the temporary skill from `.skill-gate/sessions//skills//SKILL.md`. - Do not execute scripts from HIGH risk skills. Treat them as view-only in v1. 6. Clean up after the task. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js status` to show active temporary sessions. - When the task appears complete, ask the user whether to delete temporary sessions, keep them, or pack them. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js cleanup` to preview deletion targets. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js cleanup --approve` only when the user explicitly chooses delete. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js pack ` when the user chooses save as reusable pack. - Cleanup may delete only paths listed in the session manifest and only inside `.skill-gate`. - Never infer cleanup approval from task completion; the user may still want follow-up work. ## Delegation Mode Use Delegation Mode when the user asks to split work across agents, mentions multiple agents, wants separate skills per agent, asks for a reviewer agent, or the task clearly spans three or more independent workflows. - Run `node dist/src/cli.js delegate ""`. - Output a plan only; do not spawn agents, download skills, install skills, or write files from this command. - Keep 2 to 4 workstreams. If more than 4 appear, merge related work. - Each workstream must name the agent role, scope, forbidden scope, suggested skill direction, input, output, and acceptance criteria. - Reviewer Agent is read-only by default: it checks quality, conflicts, scope boundaries, and unapproved skill use, then reports findings only. - One file or module must have exactly one owner agent. Shared files are changed only by the main agent. - Each agent may use only skills assigned to its lane and approved by the main agent after user confirmation. ## Choice Prompts Use a choice prompt when a decision materially changes the result and the user has not already specified it. - Skill choice: after recommendation when 2 or 3 skills are plausible. - Use mode: after inspection, choose use once / install for project / view files / reject. - Style direction: before using design, writing, presentation, UI, image, or document skills when style is underspecified. - Risk override: before any HIGH risk skill is used, and never to execute scripts in v1. - Cleanup choice: when the task appears complete, ask delete / keep / pack before running cleanup. Keep prompts small: - Ask at most one question at a time. - Offer 2 or 3 mutually exclusive options. - Put the recommended/default option first and label it as recommended. - Include one sentence per option explaining the tradeoff. - Continue with the recommended option only if the choice is non-blocking; do not continue on use/install approval without an explicit user answer. Style choice examples: - SaaS/dashboard UI: "Quiet operational UI (Recommended)" / "Polished marketing style" / "Dense admin console". - Writing: "Concise technical" / "Friendly explanatory" / "Formal report". - Presentation: "Swiss grid" / "Editorial magazine" / "Minimal executive". ## Trust Rules Read `references/trust-policy.md` before changing recommendation thresholds, source filters, or deduplication behavior. ## Commands - `node dist/src/cli.js recommend ""`: analyze the task and recommend 0 to 3 skills after install threshold, GitHub metadata, and resolver checks. - `node dist/src/cli.js delegate ""`: create a plan-only multi-agent work split with reviewer checklist. - `node dist/src/cli.js inspect `: clone or read a skill into an isolated session and write `audit.json`; source may be local path, `owner/repo@skill`, `owner/repo@skill#40hexcommit`, GitHub repo URL, or GitHub tree URL. - `node dist/src/cli.js use --approve`: approve and read the latest inspected pinned session for that source once. - `node dist/src/cli.js view `: inspect and show the temporary file path without approval. - `node dist/src/cli.js install --approve`: copy the latest inspected pinned session into `.skill-gate/project-skills/`. - `node dist/src/cli.js upgrade `: inspect the latest remote source and report whether it changed. - `node dist/src/cli.js apply --approve`: apply the latest inspected pinned session into `.skill-gate/project-skills/`. - `node dist/src/cli.js reject [source]`: record an explicit no-op rejection. - `node dist/src/cli.js pack [name]`: save current temporary sessions as a reusable pack. - `node dist/src/cli.js status`: list temporary sessions and risks. - `node dist/src/cli.js cleanup`: preview current session files recorded in manifests. - `node dist/src/cli.js cleanup --approve`: delete only current session files recorded in manifests after explicit user approval. - `node dist/src/cli.js diff `: compare the pinned commit with the latest remote commit and show file stat when available.