---
title: Skills
description: Install, search, and manage AI coding assistant skills from the Context7 registry
---

Skills are reusable prompt templates that extend the capabilities of your AI coding assistants. They allow you to share and install common workflows like React best practices, web design guidelines, PDF processing, and more across projects and teams.

Context7 maintains a registry of skills at [context7.com/skills](https://context7.com/skills) that can be installed directly into your AI coding assistant with a single command.

## What Are Skills?

Skills follow the [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) open standard — a specification that works across multiple AI coding tools. A skill is a directory containing a `SKILL.md` file with instructions that your AI assistant loads when relevant.

**Why use skills?**

- **Standardize workflows**: Ensure consistent code reviews, commit messages, or documentation across your team
- **Share expertise**: Package domain knowledge (e.g., "how we handle authentication") as reusable prompts
- **Save time**: Install pre-built skills instead of repeatedly explaining the same patterns to your AI assistant

**Popular skills:**

| Skill | What it does |
|-------|--------------|
| `vercel-react-best-practices` | Teaches Claude modern React patterns, Server Components, and performance optimization |
| `web-design-guidelines` | Guides Claude on UI/UX principles, spacing, typography, and responsive layouts |
| `pdf` / `docx` / `xlsx` | Enables Claude to read, create, and manipulate Office documents and PDFs |
| `supabase-postgres-best-practices` | Helps Claude write optimized Postgres queries, RLS policies, and auth flows |
| `seo-audit` | Lets Claude analyze pages for SEO issues and suggest improvements |
| `browser-use` | Allows Claude to control browsers for testing and automation |

## The Context7 Skills Registry

The [Context7 Skills Registry](https://context7.com/skills) is a searchable marketplace of skills indexed from GitHub repositories. Each skill is identified by its repository path (e.g., `/anthropics/skills`) and skill name.

When browsing or searching skills, you'll see:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Name** | The skill identifier used for installation |
| **Description** | What the skill does and when to use it |
| **Install Count** | Number of times the skill has been installed |
| **Trust Score** | Quality and safety indicator (0-10) |

### CLI

You can interact with the registry directly from your terminal using the `ctx7` CLI. No configuration needed — most commands work without authentication.

**Discover and install skills:**

```bash
# Search the registry by keyword
ctx7 skills search pdf
ctx7 skills search "react testing"

# Browse all skills in a specific repository
ctx7 skills info /anthropics/skills

# Install a skill interactively (prompts you to pick)
ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills

# Install a specific skill by name
ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf

# Get suggestions based on your project's dependencies
ctx7 skills suggest
```

**Manage installed skills:**

```bash
# List skills installed in the current project
ctx7 skills list

# List skills installed for a specific client
ctx7 skills list --claude
ctx7 skills list --cursor

# Remove a skill
ctx7 skills remove pdf
```

**Generate a custom skill with AI:**

```bash
# Requires login — opens an interactive generation flow
ctx7 login
ctx7 skills generate
```

All install commands accept `--claude`, `--cursor`, `--universal`, `--all-agents`, and `--global` flags to target a specific client or install location. Use `--yes` to skip confirmation prompts for non-interactive installs.

See the [CLI reference](/clients/cli#skills) for the full flag reference and examples.

### Trust & Security

Context7 vets every skill in the registry before it reaches you — both through automated scanning and community-driven quality signals.

#### Trust Scores

Every skill has a **trust score** from 0 to 10 that reflects the reliability of its source.

| Score | Level | Meaning |
|-------|-------|---------|
| 7.0 - 10.0 | High | Verified or well-established source |
| 3.0 - 6.9 | Medium | Standard community contribution |
| 0.0 - 2.9 | Low | New or unverified — review before using |

Higher scores indicate skills from reputable sources with community validation. Trust scores are visible in search results and install prompts so you can make an informed decision before installing.

#### Security Features

Context7 automatically scans skills for potential security issues before they appear in the registry:

- **Prompt injection detection**: Skills containing potentially malicious instructions are blocked from installation
- **Blocked skill warnings**: When viewing a repository, you'll see how many skills were blocked due to security concerns
- **Clear error messages**: If you try to install a blocked skill, you'll receive a specific warning explaining why

## Skill File Structure

Each skill is a directory containing at minimum a `SKILL.md` file:

```
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md           # Main instructions (required)
├── templates/         # Optional templates
├── examples/          # Optional example outputs
└── scripts/           # Optional executable scripts
```

### SKILL.md Format

Skills use YAML frontmatter followed by markdown instructions:

```yaml
---
name: my-skill
description: What this skill does and when to use it
---

Instructions for the AI assistant go here.

Use markdown formatting, code examples, and clear steps.
```

| Field | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| `name` | Yes | Identifier for the skill (lowercase, hyphens allowed) |
| `description` | Yes | Explains what the skill does — used for discovery and auto-triggering |

The markdown body contains the actual instructions your AI assistant follows when the skill is invoked.

## Supported Clients

The CLI automatically detects installed AI coding assistants and offers to install skills for them.

| Client | Project Directory | Global Directory |
|--------|-------------------|------------------|
| Universal (Amp, Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode + more) | `.agents/skills/` | `~/.agents/skills/` |
| Claude Code | `.claude/skills/` | `~/.claude/skills/` |
| Cursor | `.cursor/skills/` | `~/.cursor/skills/` |
| Antigravity | `.agent/skills/` | `~/.agent/skills/` |

**Project vs Global:**
- **Project skills** (default): Installed in your current project directory, available only in that project
- **Global skills** (`--global`): Installed in your home directory, available across all projects

## Managing Skills

Use the `ctx7` CLI to install, search, generate, and remove skills. See the [CLI reference](/clients/cli#skills) for all commands.

```bash
# Quick start
npx ctx7 skills search pdf
npx ctx7 skills install /anthropics/skills pdf
```

## Troubleshooting

### Permission Denied

If you see permission errors when installing or removing skills:

```bash
# Fix directory permissions
sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.claude/skills
```

### Skill Blocked Due to Prompt Injection

If a skill is blocked, it contains content flagged as potentially malicious. This is a security feature — the skill cannot be installed.

```
Error: This skill contains potentially malicious content and cannot be installed.
```

Consider using an alternative skill or contacting the skill author.

### Client Not Detected

If your AI coding assistant isn't detected, ensure its configuration directory exists:

```bash
# For Claude Code
mkdir -p .claude

# For Cursor
mkdir -p .cursor
```

### Authentication Issues

If login fails or tokens expire:

```bash
ctx7 logout
ctx7 login
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI Reference" icon="terminal" href="/clients/cli">
    All ctx7 commands for installing, searching, and generating skills
  </Card>
  <Card title="Browse Skills" icon="magnifying-glass" href="https://context7.com/skills">
    Explore the skills registry
  </Card>
  <Card title="Agent Skills Spec" icon="code" href="https://agentskills.io">
    Read the open standard specification
  </Card>
  <Card title="Claude Code Skills" icon="book" href="https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/skills">
    Learn more about how skills work in Claude Code
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
