# What are Skills?

> AI Skills Hub is a cross-platform resource manager for AI CLI tools, providing unified skills, commands, and prompts for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Qwen Code, and more.

- Skill: `tools-only/what-are-skills` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/what-are-skills`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/what-are-skills/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-29
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/what-are-skills

---

# Introduction

AI Skills Hub is a cross-platform resource manager for AI CLI tools, providing unified skills, commands, and prompts for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Qwen Code, and more.

## What are Skills?

Skills are reusable AI instruction modules that enhance Claude Code's capabilities in specific domains. Each skill is defined in a `SKILL.md` file with:

- Clear instructions for the AI
- Domain-specific knowledge
- Best practices and patterns
- Optional supporting files (configs, tips, references)

## Core Features

- **Modular Design** - Each skill is self-contained and focused on a specific task
- **Easy Installation** - Simple CLI commands or modern TUI interface
- **Update Detection** - Automatically detect outdated installations
- **Cross-Platform** - Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- **Multi-Target** - Supports Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini, Qwen, Antigravity, and Windsurf
- **Chinese Support** - Full support for Chinese characters in TUI

## Installation Methods

### TUI (Recommended)

Modern terminal interface with visual feedback and update detection:

```bash
just mcs
```

Features:
- 🧭 Platform select + two-column main layout
- 🔄 Outdated detection (skills + commands)
- ⌨️ Keyboard-first workflow with popup navigation
- 🔁 Compatibility wrapper for legacy `install_tui.py`

[Learn more about TUI →](/guide/tui)

### CLI

Traditional command-line interface:

```bash
uv run python src/install.py install-all
```

[Learn more about CLI →](/guide/installation)

## Available Skills

| Skill | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| article-cover | Generate professional SVG cover images |
| codex | Codex CLI integration for code analysis |
| excalidraw | Create hand-drawn style diagrams |
| frontend-design | Build production-grade frontend interfaces |
| gemini-image | AI image generation via Gemini API |
| research | Technical research with citations |
| interview-plan | Socratic interview to refine requirements and generate executable plan |
| tech-blog | Write technical blog posts |
| tech-design-doc | Generate technical design documents |

## Next Steps

- [TUI Guide](/guide/tui) - Modern terminal interface (recommended)
- [Installation](/guide/installation) - Set up AI Skills Hub
- [Commands](/guide/commands) - Learn available CLI commands
- [Creating Skills](/guide/creating-skills) - Build your own skills