OpenSkills: Bringing Claude Code’s Skill System to Every AI Coding Agent

A unified, open, and developer-friendly skill framework that lets any AI coding agent share, install, and use Claude Code–compatible skills.

1. Introduction: Why Skills Matter in AI Coding

In today’s AI-assisted programming era, we interact with various intelligent coding tools—Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Aider, and more.
What separates a simple chatbot from a true AI assistant is the skill system—a structured set of task-specific abilities that extend what the AI can do.

OpenSkills exists to make that system universal.
It brings Anthropic’s Claude Code skill architecture to all coding agents, allowing them to share and reuse skills seamlessly.

The idea is simple yet powerful:

Skills should be portable, human-readable, and agent-agnostic, not locked inside a single ecosystem.

2. What Is OpenSkills?

OpenSkills is an open-source CLI tool that fully replicates Claude Code’s skill system, maintaining 100% compatibility in both structure and behavior.

With it, you can:

Install and manage skills from any GitHub repository.
Synchronize skills across multiple AI agents.
Store, version, and share skill files within your own projects.

In short, OpenSkills transforms skills from isolated code snippets into reusable knowledge modules for every AI development environment.

3. Quick Start (HowTo)

Getting started takes only three steps:

npm i -g openskills
openskills install anthropics/skills
openskills sync

After syncing, your agent will automatically include the same <available_skills> format used by Claude Code.

4. Full Compatibility with Claude Code

OpenSkills doesn’t imitate—it mirrors.
Every key component of Claude Code’s skill mechanism is preserved.

Feature	Claude Code	OpenSkills
System prompt	Built-in	Stored in `AGENTS.md`
Invocation	`Skill("pdf")`	`openskills read pdf`
Format	`<available_skills>` XML	Identical
Folder structure	`.claude/skills/`	Same
Skill format	`SKILL.md` (YAML + Markdown)	Same
Progressive disclosure	Supported	Supported
Bundled resources	`references/`, `scripts/`, `assets/`	Same

The only difference: Claude Code calls a built-in tool, while OpenSkills uses a CLI command.

5. How It Works

5.1 Claude Code’s Native Skill Process

When you ask Claude Code, “Extract data from this PDF,” the system:

Scans the <available_skills> list.
Finds the “pdf” skill.
Invokes Skill("pdf").
Loads the SKILL.md instructions.
Executes tasks accordingly.

This structure ensures consistent, predictable behavior and avoids context overload.

5.2 OpenSkills’ Skill Execution Flow

OpenSkills uses the same XML-based definition inside AGENTS.md:

<skills_system priority="1">
<available_skills>
<skill>
<name>pdf</name>
<description>Comprehensive PDF toolkit for text extraction, table parsing, and document merging.</description>
<location>project</location>
</skill>
</available_skills>
</skills_system>

Execution flow:

User issues a request.
Agent scans <available_skills>.
Runs Bash("openskills read pdf").
Loads the corresponding SKILL.md content.
Executes instructions.

From the AI’s perspective, the behavior is identical to Claude Code—only the trigger method changes.

6. Understanding `SKILL.md`

Each skill is a self-contained folder containing one core file: SKILL.md.

Here’s the typical structure:

---
name: pdf
description: A full toolkit for creating, merging, and analyzing PDF files.
---

# PDF Skill Instructions

1. Install dependencies: `pip install pypdf2`
2. Run the script `scripts/extract_text.py`
3. Use templates from the provided output directory

Key characteristics:

Readable YAML header for metadata
Human-friendly Markdown for step-by-step guidance
Supports progressive loading—instructions are fetched only when invoked
Includes optional subdirectories (scripts/, assets/, references/)

This design makes SKILL.md both human- and machine-friendly.

7. Command Reference

OpenSkills is operated entirely via CLI commands:

openskills install <source> [options]
openskills sync [-y]
openskills list
openskills read <name>
openskills manage
openskills remove <name>

Common Flags

Flag	Description
`--global`	Installs skills globally (`~/.claude/skills`)
`--universal`	Installs to `.agent/skills/` for shared environments
`-y`	Runs non-interactively (for CI/CD)

Typical Scenarios

Goal	Command	Description
Project-level setup	`openskills install anthropics/skills`	Installs to local `.claude/skills/`
Global sharing	`openskills install anthropics/skills --global`	Shared across all projects
Multi-agent usage	`openskills install anthropics/skills --universal`	For Claude Code + Cursor/Aider

8. Interactive CLI Experience

Unlike plain terminal scripts, OpenSkills features an elegant TUI (text user interface).

Installation

Checkbox selection of skills.
Displays name, description, and size.
All selected by default.

Sync

Select skills to include in AGENTS.md.
Pre-selects those already synced.
Empty selection removes the skill section.

Manage

Safely remove unused skills.
No pre-selection—reduces error risk.

This approach makes OpenSkills approachable for developers and non-experts alike.

9. Why Not MCP?

Some developers wonder: if Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) connects AI to external tools, why not use it for skills?

Here’s the difference:

Aspect	MCP	OpenSkills (Skills System)
Type	Live protocol	Static file system
Purpose	Real-time integration, APIs	Reusable task logic
Server dependency	Required	None
Compatibility	Limited	Universal
Implementation	Networked service	Local CLI instructions

In short:

MCP is for dynamic services (databases, APIs, live data).
Skills are for static workflows (document editing, data extraction).

OpenSkills keeps things simple, universal, and offline-ready—perfect for static, reusable instructions.

10. Universal Mode for Multi-Agent Teams

If you use multiple agents (like Claude + Cursor), installing skills to .claude/skills/ can create duplication.

Use the Universal Mode instead:

openskills install anthropics/skills --universal

Advantages

Works across all agents.
Avoids duplicate definitions.
Keeps project directories clean.

Search Priority

./.agent/skills/
~/.agent/skills/
./.claude/skills/
~/.claude/skills/

When a skill exists in multiple locations, the higher-priority version is used.

11. Creating Your Own Skills (HowTo)

Creating a skill is simple and modular.

Minimal Structure

my-skill/
└── SKILL.md

With Additional Resources

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── references/
│   └── api-docs.md
├── scripts/
│   └── process.py
└── assets/
    └── template.json

Inside `SKILL.md`

1. Read `references/api-docs.md`
2. Run `scripts/process.py`
3. Use `assets/template.json` as the base template

Publishing Steps

Push your folder to GitHub: your-username/my-skill
Others can install with:

openskills install your-username/my-skill

This open workflow encourages community-driven knowledge sharing.

12. Example Skills

OpenSkills supports Anthropic’s public skills repository, including:

xlsx — Spreadsheet creation, formulas, and analytics
docx — Word document editing and collaboration
pdf — PDF parsing, merging, and form handling
pptx — Presentation creation and editing
canvas-design — Visual and poster design
mcp-builder — Build MCP-compatible servers
skill-creator — Guide to writing new skills

These examples demonstrate how structured instructions can empower any AI coding agent.

13. System Requirements

To run OpenSkills, you’ll need:

Node.js 20.6 or higher
Git for repository cloning

No external dependencies are required.

14. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Will OpenSkills interfere with Claude Code?
No. They operate independently. Claude uses its plugin system, while OpenSkills manages CLI-based skills.

Q2: Can I share skills across multiple projects?
Yes. Use the --global flag to install skills globally for all environments.

Q3: How can I remove unwanted skills?
Run openskills manage and uncheck the ones you want to delete.

Q4: Does OpenSkills require an internet connection?
Only during installation—it can run offline afterward.

Q5: Can I build my own marketplace?
Absolutely. Just push your skills to GitHub, and anyone can install them directly.

15. Conclusion

OpenSkills redefines what it means for AI agents to have “skills.”
It breaks down walls between ecosystems, standardizes instruction formats, and enables genuine interoperability.

By transforming skills into modular, human-readable knowledge units, OpenSkills moves us one step closer to a unified, open AI development world.

If you’re using multiple agents or want consistent skill behavior across tools, OpenSkills is a long-term solution worth integrating.

License: Apache 2.0
Attribution: Implements Anthropic’s Agent Skills specification.
Disclaimer: Not affiliated with Anthropic. Claude, Claude Code, and Agent Skills are trademarks of Anthropic PBC.

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OpenSkills: Revolutionizing AI Coding with Claude Code-Style Skills for All Agents