Full guide
Follow the sections in order, then adapt commands to your current environment.
Manual Installation Guide
Manual installation provides complete control over where and how Agent Skills are installed, making it ideal for custom environments or restricted systems.
Universal Directory Structure
All Agent Skills follow this standard structure:
Terminal
skill-name/
├── SKILL.md # Required: Instructions + metadata
├── scripts/ # Optional: Executable code
├── references/ # Optional: Documentation
└── assets/ # Optional: Templates/resourcesManual Installation Methods
Method 1: Direct File Creation
Step 1: Create Personal (Global/User) Skill Directory
bash
# Create the folder for your personal skills
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/my-skill # Claude Code
mkdir -p ~/.cursor/skills/my-skill # Cursor
mkdir -p ~/.gemini/skills/my-skill # Gemini CLI
mkdir -p ~/.vscode/skills/my-skill # VS CodeStep 2: Create Project (Workspace) Skill Directory
bash
# Create the folder for project-specific skills
mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-skill # Claude Code
mkdir -p .cursor/skills/my-skill # Cursor
mkdir -p .gemini/skills/my-skill # Gemini CLI
mkdir -p .vscode/skills/my-skill # VS CodeStep 3: Create SKILL.md File
bash
# Example content for your SKILL.md:
cat > [path-from-above]/SKILL.md << 'EOF'
---
name: my-skill
description: A brief description of what this skill does and when to use it
---
# My Skill
Detailed instructions for the AI agent when using this skill.
## When to Use
- Use this skill when...
- This skill is helpful for...
## Instructions
- Step-by-step guidance for the agent
- Domain-specific conventions
- Best practices and patterns
EOFMethod 2: Universal Skill Repository
Create a central directory and symlink it to platform-specific locations:
bash
# Create universal skills directory
mkdir -p ~/.agent-skills/my-skill
# Link to Claude Code
ln -s ~/.agent-skills/my-skill ~/.claude/skills/my-skill
# Link to Cursor
ln -s ~/.agent-skills/my-skill ~/.cursor/skills/my-skillMethod 3: Git Clone
You can directly clone skill repositories into your platform's skills folder:
bash
git clone https://github.com/user/skill-repo.git ~/.claude/skills/my-skillVerification
After installation, verify the skill is recognized:
- Restart your AI agent
- Use
/skillsor/helpto list available skills - Check for YAML frontmatter errors if the skill doesn't appear