AgentKit
DocsKitsCLI ReferenceDesktop App
BetaYou are reading docs for the beta channel (2.13.0-beta.20). Features may change before the next stable release.Switch to stable →

Skills

Discover the right capability with ak:find-skills

Route to an installed AgentKit Skill first, or search the external Skills ecosystem and install a reviewed package with explicit approval.

Use ak:find-skills when you need a capability but do not know which Skill provides it. The Skill first distinguishes routing among installed AgentKit Skills from discovering an external package, so a local choice does not silently become an installation.

Choose ak:find-skills for capability discovery

Use ak:find-skills when

  • You want to know whether a Skill exists for a specialized task.
  • Several installed AgentKit Skills overlap and you need the primary owner.
  • You want to search the open Skills ecosystem by task or domain.
  • You want an install command and source link before deciding whether to add a third-party Skill.

Choose another workflow when

  • You already named the Skill you want. Invoke it directly.
  • The task is well within the current assistant's general capabilities and does not need a reusable package.
  • You need to create a new Skill after search finds no match. Use the Skill creation workflow.
  • You only want to inspect or update the AgentKit installation. Use the AgentKit lifecycle commands instead.

Prepare the runtime

Before you start:

  • Complete Onboarding, and confirm Engineer Kit is installed for the runtime and scope you are using.
  • Describe one concrete task and its domain.
  • For external discovery, ensure the environment can run npx and access the Skills registry.
  • Decide whether you only want recommendations or may also install a reviewed result.
RuntimeInvocationAvailability boundary
Claude Code/ak:find-skills ...Local AgentKit routing is available from the installed Skill catalog. External search requires the Skills CLI and network access.
Cursor/ak:find-skills ...Slash invocation follows the user-verified Engineer Skill spelling. External CLI execution depends on the active Cursor tool policy.
Codex$ak:find-skills ...Native Skill discovery is supported. External CLI execution and installation remain subject to the current Codex permissions.

Run the Skill

/ak:find-skills "Audit a Next.js checkout for accessibility and keyboard navigation"

The Skill has no mode flags. Your intent selects one of two paths:

IntentPathExternal effect
Choose among installed AgentKit SkillsReads the local domain-routing map and recommends one primary SkillNone beyond local reads
Discover an external SkillRuns npx skills find <query> and presents matching packagesMay download or execute the Skills CLI and contact its registry
Install an accepted resultRuns npx skills add <owner/repo@skill> -g -y after you choose to proceedWrites a user-level Skill installation and skips the CLI's confirmation prompt

Describe the search clearly

A useful request includes:

  • Domain: Name the ecosystem or concern, such as React, testing, deployment, documentation, security, or design.
  • Task: State the exact outcome, such as reviewing pull requests or creating a changelog.
  • Context: Add the framework, language, or platform that should narrow the result.
  • Install intent: Say whether you want local routing, recommendations only, or installation after review.

Specific queries such as “React hydration performance” are more useful than a single broad term such as “performance.” If the first search is weak, the Skill can try a bounded synonym such as “deployment” after “deploy.”

Understand the workflow

  1. The Skill identifies the intent. It determines the domain, concrete task, context, and whether an installed or external capability is needed.
  2. The Skill routes locally when possible. If you are choosing among AgentKit Skills, it selects the most specific primary Skill and names secondary helpers only as follow-up.
  3. The Skill searches externally when requested. It runs a focused Skills CLI query and reads the returned package identifiers and source pages.
  4. The Skill presents candidates. Each recommendation includes what the Skill appears to do, the exact install command, and a page where you can inspect it.
  5. The Skill waits for the install decision. Installation happens only when you choose to proceed.
  6. The Skill falls back honestly. If no suitable package appears, it offers general assistance or suggests creating a reusable Skill.

Keep approval and safety with you

External Skills are executable third-party content

Review the package owner, repository, Skill instructions, scripts, requested tools, and data boundaries before installation. Search relevance is not a security or quality review.

The documented install command uses -g -y: it writes at user scope and skips the Skills CLI confirmation. The assistant should use it only after you accept the exact package and scope. A search request alone does not authorize an install, update, or execution of the discovered Skill.

External search and installation may use network access and run package-manager code. Do not include credentials, private source, or unrelated workspace content in the query.

Verify the result

A useful discovery result should provide:

  • One primary installed AgentKit Skill for a local-routing question, with a short reason.
  • A small set of external candidates for an ecosystem search.
  • Exact package identifiers, install commands, and inspection links.
  • A clear statement that no result was found when the search is inconclusive.
  • Confirmation of the installed package and scope only after installation actually succeeds.

After installation, start a fresh runtime session if the assistant does not reload new Skills dynamically, then invoke the installed Skill on a bounded task before trusting it with broader access.

Troubleshoot or continue

SymptomSafe next step
Results are too broadAdd the framework, task, and expected output to the query.
Local routing suggests several SkillsChoose the most specific primary owner, then use other Skills only for distinct follow-up work.
npx skills find is unavailableCheck Node, npm, network, and tool policy, or continue with installed AgentKit routing only.
A package looks relevant but untrustedInspect its source and instructions; do not install until the trust boundary is acceptable.
No suitable Skill is foundUse the assistant's general capabilities or create a new Skill for a recurring workflow.
The installed Skill is not recognizedRestart the runtime, confirm the install scope, then follow Runtime cannot find a Skill or Agent.

See Installing kits for AgentKit-owned installation and Runtime adapters for runtime discovery differences.

Know the current limits

  • Search quality depends on the external Skills registry and the keywords you provide.
  • The Skill does not independently certify package security, maintenance, or compatibility.
  • External installation uses the Skills CLI rather than AgentKit's Kit ownership lifecycle.
  • Cursor slash invocation is user-verified, but broader CLI and permission parity is not established.
  • Stable and beta contain the same ak:find-skills routing and commands.