Adding A Skill

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BuilderIO

adding-a-skill

Use in the BuilderIO/skills repo whenever adding, updating, publishing, documenting, validating, or wiring a public skill. Covers the repo-local skill files, root catalog docs, plugin metadata, @agent-native/skills dynamic install path, optional managed AGENTS/CLAUDE instruction blocks in ../agent-native/framework, and generated/synced Plan skill gotchas.

Overview

Publisher	BuilderIO
Repository	`skills`
Skill name	`adding-a-skill`
Stars	4.6K
Forks	231
Bundled files	1
License	MIT
Links	Skill source Repository Homepage

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
1 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by BuilderIO on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Adding A Skill AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills/tree/main/.agents/skills/adding-a-skill
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills.git /tmp/skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/skills/.agents/skills/adding-a-skill .claude/skills/adding-a-skill

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Adding A Skill in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Adding A Skill on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Adding A Skill is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Adding A Skill

Use this for public skill work in this repo. Keep ordinary skill changes in skills/<skill-name>/; keep repo-only guidance under .agents/skills/.

First Decide The Skill Kind

Plain public skill: a normal folder under skills/<name>/ with SKILL.md. This is the common case. @agent-native/skills discovers these dynamically from BuilderIO/skills@main, so there is no framework registry to edit just to make npx @agent-native/skills@latest add --skill <name> work.
Instruction-style skill: a plain skill that should optionally write an always-on managed AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md line when users pass --update-instructions. These need one extra framework change; see "Managed Instruction Blocks" below.
App-backed / MCP skill: a skill that registers a hosted/local MCP server or uses framework-owned install behavior. These are not plain public skills; inspect ../agent-native/framework/packages/core/src/cli/skills.ts and ../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/built-in-apps.ts.
Plan skills: visual-plan and visual-recap have generated/synced copies between this repo and ../agent-native/framework. Do not treat them like a standalone prose folder.
Rewind: its canonical SKILL.md is generated from Agent Native because the instructions and local Screen Memory tools share one privacy contract. Keep the human README here; use npm run sync:agent-native-skills for the generated skill instead of editing it by hand.

Plain Public Skill Checklist

Create or update skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
Add skills/<skill-name>/README.md when the skill should appear in the public catalog. This repo intentionally uses READMEs for public skill pages.
If the collection positioning changes, update root README.md, .codex-plugin/plugin.json, .claude-plugin/plugin.json, and package.json descriptions.
Keep the skill concise. Put only essential agent instructions in SKILL.md; avoid extra docs unless they directly support the skill.

Validate with:

sh
python3 /Users/steve/.codex/skills/.system/skill-creator/scripts/quick_validate.py skills/<skill-name>

Smoke-test install discovery locally before claiming the CLI path works:

sh
node ../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/dist/cli.js add --copy . --skill <skill-name> --client codex --scope project --dry-run --json

Run npm run check. If it fails on visual-plan / visual-recap sync while the change is unrelated, report that specifically instead of rewriting those skills casually.

@agent-native/skills Install Path

For a plain public skill, the install path is dynamic:

../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/index.ts sets DEFAULT_SKILLS_SOURCE = "BuilderIO/skills".
It materializes that repo, reads plugin manifests via resolveSkillsRoot, and discovers every skills/*/SKILL.md through discoverSkills.

Therefore a new folder under skills/<name>/ is enough for:

sh
npx @agent-native/skills@latest add --skill <name>

No @agent-native/core built-in registry change is needed unless the skill is app-backed or needs custom install behavior.

Managed Instruction Blocks

If the skill should affect AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md through --update-instructions, update the framework wrapper:

Add a concise line in ../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/index.ts inside instructionContentForSkill(skillName).
Add or update tests in ../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/index.spec.ts.

Run:

sh
pnpm --filter @agent-native/skills test -- src/index.spec.ts --runInBand

Use this for durable behavior rules like quick-recap, efficient-fable, stay-within-limits, and likely docs-first behavior such as read-the-damn-docs.

App-Backed Or MCP Skills

If a skill needs hosted tools, auth, MCP registration, local-files mode, or special install flags, inspect the framework before editing:

../agent-native/framework/packages/core/src/cli/skills.ts
../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/built-in-apps.ts
../agent-native/framework/packages/skills/src/sync-with-core.spec.ts

Keep the core and standalone @agent-native/skills MCP descriptors in sync.

Agent Native Skill Sync Gotchas

visual-plan, visual-recap, and rewind are special:

Framework contains canonical/generated copies and Plan marketplace bundles.
This repo's npm run check compares those copies and can fail for drift unrelated to a new plain skill.
When intentionally changing Plan skills, use the framework sync paths instead of hand-editing generated copies. Search the framework for sync-plan-marketplace, sync-workspace-skills, and skills.sync.spec.ts.
Rewind's SKILL.md is generated from packages/core/src/cli/skills-content/rewind-skill.ts. Its public README is preserved as an overlay. The plain-copy installer cannot configure Rewind's local MCP connection; public setup docs must use @agent-native/skills or @agent-native/core.
Plugin manifests that publish the whole skills/ directory must carry an always-on setup directive: invoking Rewind with Clips absent asks permission before opening the official install flow, never installs or enables capture silently, and keeps Rewind unavailable until Core configures the local MCP connection and screen_memory_status succeeds.

Final Reporting

When finishing a skill change, tell the user:

Which skill files changed.
Whether @agent-native/skills dynamic install discovery is enough.
Whether a framework managed-instruction change was added or intentionally left as a follow-up.
Which validation commands passed or failed, including unrelated Plan sync failures.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

agents/openai.yaml1 KB

Frequently asked questions

What does the Adding A Skill AI skill do?

Why use Adding A Skill on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Adding A Skill is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Adding A Skill in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills/tree/main/.agents/skills/adding-a-skill. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Adding A Skill?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Adding A Skill?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Adding A Skill with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Adding A Skill AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by BuilderIO under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

Adding A Skill

First Decide The Skill Kind

Plain Public Skill Checklist

@agent-native/skills Install Path

Managed Instruction Blocks

App-Backed Or MCP Skills

Agent Native Skill Sync Gotchas

Final Reporting

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

Related AI Skills

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