How do I install the Agent Instruction skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add validkeys/agent-instruction 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 Agent Instruction 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 Agent Instruction?

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 Agent Instruction free to use?

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

Who published Agent Instruction?

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

Agent Instruction by validkeys — Agent Skill

Name: Agent Instruction
Author: validkeys

Agent Instruction

Manage AI instruction files in monorepos during development sessions. Use when the user says "add rule", "update CLAUDE.md", "update AGENTS.md", "list instruction rules", "build instruction files", or "show available rules".

validkeys bef5262 2.4 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

agent-instruction

Manage AI instruction files in monorepos during development sessions. This skill bridges the gap between discovering best practices during development and codifying them as durable instructions.

Use the agent-instruction CLI to add rules, build instruction files, and list existing rules.

Requires: agent-instruction CLI installed and in PATH (go install github.com/validkeys/agent-instruction@latest)

Commands

add_rule

Add a new instruction rule to a rule file.

agent-instruction add "[rule content]" --title "[title]" --rule="[rule-file]"

content (required): The instruction rule text
--title (optional): Heading for the rule section
--rule (optional): Target rule file name (prompts interactively if omitted)

Examples:

agent-instruction add "Always use table-driven tests in Go" --title="Testing Standards" --rule="testing"
agent-instruction add "Never use global variables" --title="Code Standards"
agent-instruction add "Validate all user input before database queries" --rule="security"

build

Generate or update instruction files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md) from all rule configurations.

agent-instruction build

list

Display all available rule files and their contents.

agent-instruction list [--verbose]

--verbose (optional): Show full rule content with formatting

Best Practices

Check before adding: Run agent-instruction list --verbose before adding a rule to avoid duplicates.
Build after changes: After adding multiple rules, run agent-instruction build to propagate changes to CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md.
Use descriptive titles: Clear, specific titles make rules easy to find later.
Group related rules: Use category-named rule files — e.g., testing.json, security.json, golang.json, global.json.
When to add rules: When the user says "remember this for next time", when a recurring mistake is found, or when a new standard is established.

Notes

This skill requires the agent-instruction CLI to be installed and available in PATH. The CLI manages rule files in the .agent-instruction/ directory and builds instruction files at the repository root.

---name: agent-instructiondescription: Manage AI instruction files in monorepos during development sessions. Use when the user says "add rule", "update CLAUDE.md", "update AGENTS.md", "list instruction rules", "build instruction files", or "show available rules".---# agent-instructionManage AI instruction files in monorepos during development sessions. This skill bridges the gap between discovering best practices during development and codifying them as durable instructions.Use the `agent-instruction` CLI to add rules, build instruction files, and list existing rules.**Requires:** `agent-instruction` CLI installed and in PATH (`go install github.com/validkeys/agent-instruction@latest`)## Commands### add_ruleAdd a new instruction rule to a rule file.```bashagent-instruction add "[rule content]" --title "[title]" --rule="[rule-file]"```- `content` (required): The instruction rule text- `--title` (optional): Heading for the rule section- `--rule` (optional): Target rule file name (prompts interactively if omitted)Examples:```bashagent-instruction add "Always use table-driven tests in Go" --title="Testing Standards" --rule="testing"agent-instruction add "Never use global variables" --title="Code Standards"agent-instruction add "Validate all user input before database queries" --rule="security"```### buildGenerate or update instruction files (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md) from all rule configurations.```bashagent-instruction build```### listDisplay all available rule files and their contents.```bashagent-instruction list [--verbose]```- `--verbose` (optional): Show full rule content with formatting## Best Practices- **Check before adding:** Run `agent-instruction list --verbose` before adding a rule to avoid duplicates.- **Build after changes:** After adding multiple rules, run `agent-instruction build` to propagate changes to CLAUDE.md and AGENTS.md.- **Use descriptive titles:** Clear, specific titles make rules easy to find later.- **Group related rules:** Use category-named rule files — e.g., `testing.json`, `security.json`, `golang.json`, `global.json`.- **When to add rules:** When the user says "remember this for next time", when a recurring mistake is found, or when a new standard is established.## NotesThis skill requires the `agent-instruction` CLI to be installed and available in PATH. The CLI manages rule files in the `.agent-instruction/` directory and builds instruction files at the repository root.

Frequently asked questions