How do I install the Npx Skills skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add petr-korobeinikov/npx-skills 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 Npx Skills 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 Npx Skills?

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 Npx Skills free to use?

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

Who published Npx Skills?

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

Npx Skills by petr-korobeinikov — Agent Skill

Name: Npx Skills
Author: petr-korobeinikov

Npx Skills

Documents the `npx skills` CLI for installing and updating agent skills, plus the project-level `skills-lock.json` lockfile. On start, detects a `skills-lock.json` without installed skills under `.claude/skills/` and proposes restoring them via `npx skills add … --copy -y` per the source recorded in the lockfile.

File contents

npx-skills

The npx skills CLI (https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills) installs agent skills from a GitHub source into the host project's .claude/skills/ directory, and writes a project-level skills-lock.json recording what was installed.

Lock files

File	Scope	Checked in	Per-skill fields
`skills-lock.json` (repo root)	project	yes	`source`, `sourceType`, `skillPath`, `computedHash`
`~/.agents/.skill-lock.json`	global	no	written when `-g` is used

The project lockfile is the source of truth for which skills the repo expects to be present.

Startup detection

On the first interaction in a project that has skills-lock.json at the repo root but no .claude/skills/ directory (or the directory exists yet skills listed in the lockfile are missing):

Read skills-lock.json, list the skill names under skills.* that are not present in .claude/skills/.
Collect the unique source values from those entries.
Report the missing skills to the user, and propose one install command per unique source:
```
npx skills add <source> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y
```
Wait for the user's confirmation before running anything.

Use -g instead of the project-local default only when the user explicitly wants the install under ~/.claude/skills/.

Install — all skills from a source

npx skills add <owner/repo> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y

--skill '*' — every skill in the source. Replace with --skill <name> for a single skill.
--copy — write plain file copies, not symlinks. Symlinks couple the host repo to the source checkout and clutter the consumer's git status.
-a claude-code — target Claude Code's .claude/skills/ layout.
-y — non-interactive (skip the per-skill confirmation prompt).

Install — a single skill

npx skills add <owner/repo> --skill <skill-name> -a claude-code

Drop -y when adding a single skill — the interactive prompt is quick and confirms the resolved source.

Update — re-run `add --copy -y`

Re-running the install with --copy -y overwrites existing files in .claude/skills/ in place, so install and update share one command:

npx skills add <owner/repo> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y

Avoid `npx skills update`

update stages the package under .agents/ in the host repo, which clutters git status in the consumer project. The --copy flag does not change this — update accepts it but silently ignores it. Use add --copy -y instead.

Scope: project vs global

Mode	Flag	Install path
Project	(default)	`.claude/skills/`
Global	`-g`	`~/.claude/skills/`

Project is the default and the recommended scope.

Verifying against upstream

The npx skills doc site is shallow. When the exact behavior of a flag or command is unclear, read the source at https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills (src/add.ts, src/update.ts, src/skill-lock.ts) rather than guessing.

---name: npx-skillsdescription: Documents the `npx skills` CLI for installing and updating agent skills, plus the project-level `skills-lock.json` lockfile. On start, detects a `skills-lock.json` without installed skills under `.claude/skills/` and proposes restoring them via `npx skills add … --copy -y` per the source recorded in the lockfile.---# npx-skillsThe `npx skills` CLI(https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills)installs agent skills from a GitHub sourceinto the host project's `.claude/skills/` directory,and writes a project-level `skills-lock.json` recording what wasinstalled.## Lock files| File | Scope | Checked in | Per-skill fields ||--------------------------------|---------|------------|-----------------------------------------------------|| `skills-lock.json` (repo root) | project | yes | `source`, `sourceType`, `skillPath`, `computedHash` || `~/.agents/.skill-lock.json` | global | no | written when `-g` is used |The project lockfile is the source of truth for which skills therepo expects to be present.## Startup detectionOn the first interaction in a project that has `skills-lock.json`at the repo root but no `.claude/skills/` directory(or the directory exists yet skills listed in the lockfile aremissing):1. Read `skills-lock.json`, list the skill names under `skills.*` that are not present in `.claude/skills/`.2. Collect the unique `source` values from those entries.3. Report the missing skills to the user, and propose one install command per unique source: ```sh npx skills add <source> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y ```4. Wait for the user's confirmation before running anything.Use `-g` instead of the project-local defaultonly when the user explicitly wants the install under`~/.claude/skills/`.## Install — all skills from a source```shnpx skills add <owner/repo> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y```- `--skill '*'` — every skill in the source. Replace with `--skill <name>` for a single skill.- `--copy` — write plain file copies, not symlinks. Symlinks couple the host repo to the source checkout and clutter the consumer's `git status`.- `-a claude-code` — target Claude Code's `.claude/skills/` layout.- `-y` — non-interactive (skip the per-skill confirmation prompt).## Install — a single skill```shnpx skills add <owner/repo> --skill <skill-name> -a claude-code```Drop `-y` when adding a single skill —the interactive prompt is quickand confirms the resolved source.## Update — re-run `add --copy -y`Re-running the install with `--copy -y` overwrites existing files in`.claude/skills/` in place,so install and update share one command:```shnpx skills add <owner/repo> --skill '*' --copy -a claude-code -y```## Avoid `npx skills update``update` stages the package under `.agents/` in the host repo,which clutters `git status` in the consumer project.The `--copy` flag does not change this —`update` accepts it but silently ignores it.Use `add --copy -y` instead.## Scope: project vs global| Mode | Flag | Install path ||---------|-----------|---------------------|| Project | (default) | `.claude/skills/` || Global | `-g` | `~/.claude/skills/` |Project is the default and the recommended scope.## Verifying against upstreamThe `npx skills` doc site is shallow.When the exact behavior of a flag or command is unclear,read the source athttps://github.com/vercel-labs/skills(`src/add.ts`, `src/update.ts`, `src/skill-lock.ts`)rather than guessing.

Frequently asked questions