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Better Icons

Community
mxyhi
better-icons

Use when working with icons in any project. Provides CLI for searching 200+ icon libraries (Iconify) and retrieving SVGs. Commands: `better-icons search <query>` to find icons, `better-icons get <id>` to get SVG. Also available as MCP server for AI agents.

Overview

Publishermxyhi
Repositoryok-skills
Skill namebetter-icons
Stars
490
Forks
46
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseApache-2.0
Links
  • 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.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by mxyhi on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

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

1

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.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. 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.
2

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/mxyhi/ok-skills.git /tmp/ok-skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/ok-skills/better-icons .claude/skills/better-icons
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Better Icons 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 Better Icons 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 Better Icons 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.

Better Icons

Search and retrieve icons from 200+ libraries via Iconify.

Installation

Before using any better-icons commands, ensure the tool is available in the environment.

Option 1 — Install globally (recommended, matches all examples below):

bash
# Using npm
npm install -g better-icons

# Using Bun (faster)
bun add -g better-icons

Option 2 — Run without installing (prefix every command with npx or bunx):

bash
# Using npx (npm)
npx better-icons search arrow --limit 10
npx better-icons get lucide:home > icon.svg

# Using bunx (Bun — faster)
bunx better-icons search arrow --limit 10
bunx better-icons get lucide:home > icon.svg

For AI agents: Prefer the global install so that better-icons is on $PATH and the commands below work as-is. Run the install step once during environment setup, then use the commands without npx/bunx.

CLI

bash
# Search icons
better-icons search <query> [--prefix <prefix>] [--limit <n>] [--json]

# Search and download all found icons as SVG files
better-icons search <query> -d [dir] [--color <color>] [--size <px>]

# Get icon SVG (outputs to stdout)
better-icons get <icon-id> [--color <color>] [--size <px>] [--json]

# Setup MCP server for AI agents
better-icons setup [-a cursor,claude-code] [-s global|project]

Examples

bash
better-icons search arrow --limit 10
better-icons search home --json | jq '.icons[0]'
better-icons get lucide:home > icon.svg
better-icons get mdi:home --color '#333' --json

# Batch download all search results
better-icons search arrow -d              # saves to ./icons/
better-icons search check -d ./my-icons   # saves to ./my-icons/
better-icons search star -d -c '#000' -s 24 --limit 64

Icon ID Format

prefix:name - e.g., lucide:home, mdi:arrow-right, heroicons:check

Popular Collections

lucide, mdi, heroicons, tabler, ph, ri, solar, iconamoon


MCP Tools (for AI agents)

ToolDescription
search_iconsSearch across all libraries
get_iconGet single icon SVG
get_iconsBatch retrieve multiple icons
list_collectionsBrowse available icon sets
recommend_iconsSmart recommendations for use cases
find_similar_iconsFind variations across collections
sync_iconAdd icon to project file
scan_project_iconsList icons in project

TypeScript Interfaces

typescript
interface SearchIcons {
  query: string
  limit?: number        // 1-999, default 32
  prefix?: string       // e.g., 'mdi', 'lucide'
  category?: string     // e.g., 'General', 'Emoji'
}

interface GetIcon {
  icon_id: string       // 'prefix:name' format
  color?: string        // e.g., '#ff0000', 'currentColor'
  size?: number         // pixels
}

interface GetIcons {
  icon_ids: string[]    // max 20
  color?: string
  size?: number
}

interface RecommendIcons {
  use_case: string      // e.g., 'navigation menu'
  style?: 'solid' | 'outline' | 'any'
  limit?: number        // default 10
}

interface SyncIcon {
  icons_file: string    // absolute path
  framework: 'react' | 'vue' | 'svelte' | 'solid' | 'svg'
  icon_id: string
  component_name?: string
}

API

All icons from https://api.iconify.design

Frequently asked questions

What does the Better Icons AI skill do?

Use when working with icons in any project. Provides CLI for searching 200+ icon libraries (Iconify) and retrieving SVGs. Commands: `better-icons search <query>` to find icons, `better-icons get <id>` to get SVG. Also available as MCP server for AI agents.

Why use Better Icons on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Better Icons 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 Better Icons in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/mxyhi/ok-skills/tree/main/better-icons. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Better Icons?

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 Better Icons?

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

Is the Better Icons AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by mxyhi under the Apache-2.0 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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