Radar check
What we found when we opened it. Every bar is one fact, with its date.
Last code pushed 27 Oct 2026, the same day before this check.
Latest release v1.7.4 on 19 Oct 2026.
Public since January 2026, 9 months.
36,862 stars and 3,175 forks.
148 commits and 544 new issues in the last 90 days.
157 contributors. 76 pull requests merged in 90 days.
No security policy file says how to report a problem. No published security advisories.
How the bars are scored
- Alive. Days since the last code push: a week or less 100, a month 90, three months 70, six months 50, a year 30, eighteen months 15, older 0.
- Releases. Age of the latest GitHub release, on a similar scale; no bar when the project publishes no releases.
- Maturity. Age of the project: eight years 100, five 90, three 70, two 55, one 40, six months 25, younger 10.
- Adoption. Stars on a log scale: 100,000 stars is 100, 10,000 is 80, 1,000 is 60, 100 is 40.
- Activity. Commits in the last 90 days: 300 or more 100, 100 85, 30 65, 10 45, any 25.
- Community. People who have contributed: 100 or more 100, 30 80, 10 60, 5 40, 2 25, one 10.
- Security. A published security policy 80, none 40; published advisories are listed, not scored.
Checked by Repo Radar on 28 Oct 2026 from the repository on GitHub.
In simple English
Coding assistants often forget how new software libraries work. This tool downloads shared instruction files and puts them where your assistant can read them. You type one command in your terminal to fetch the instructions. Your assistant then follows those rules while writing code for you. It costs nothing to use, and you can share your own instruction files with other people.
What it is
Skills (a command-line tool for downloading and managing instruction files for AI coding assistants) is an open-source utility by Vercel Labs. It supports many popular coding agents and lets you search for instructions without leaving your terminal.
What it is good for
Solo builders who want their AI coding assistants to stop making mistakes with new frameworks, APIs, or design systems.
Summary (Key Points)from the README
Key features
- Broad agent support: Works with OpenCode, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and 75 more agents listed in the agents reference.
- Skill discovery: `npx skills find [query]` searches for skills, and skills are published at skills.sh.
- Flexible install scope: Skills install to the current project by default, or globally with `-g` so they are available across projects.
- Use without installing: `npx skills use <source>@<skill>` generates a prompt for a skill, or launches a supported agent with it when `--agent` is given.
- Update management: `check`, `update`, `list`, and `remove` cover checking for updates and managing installed skills.
- Skill scaffolding: `npx skills init my-skill` creates a `SKILL.md` template to edit for your agent.
- npm-bundled skills (experimental): `experimental_sync` links skills shipped inside npm dependencies, including skill packs declared in `package.json`, so they update with the dependency.
Ways to install
| Platform or method | What it needs | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| `npx skills add` in a project | Node.js 22.20 or later | One command |
| `npx skills use` without installing | Node.js 22.20 or later; a supported agent if launching one | One command |
| `npm install -D skills` plus `experimental_sync` | npm and a package that bundles skills | Two commands |
Important
- Node.js version: The CLI requires Node.js 22.20 or later.
- Telemetry on by default: The CLI collects anonymous usage data. Set `DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` to turn off telemetry and security-audit requests.
- Experimental sync: The `experimental_sync` feature is experimental, and its options and behavior may change.
- Private repositories: Source formats, private repositories, and all options are covered only in the installation reference, not in the README.
- Project versus global scope: Without `-g`, skills apply only to the current project.
Written by an AI model from the project’s README; not part of the review, and it can be wrong.
- Installs instruction files into your project with a single terminal command.
- Works with dozens of popular AI coding assistants and editors.
- Lets you create your own custom skill templates easily.
- Requires Node.js (a system for running JavaScript outside a web browser) version 22.20 or later.
- Sends anonymous usage data by default unless you turn it off.
- Relies on remote repositories that might change or disappear over time.
manually pasting context prompts into every new chat session
Claude Code
- anthropics/claude-quickstarts19k stars
Provides starter templates and examples for building with language models, though it is not a dedicated skill manager.
- musistudio/claude-code-router38k stars
One local address that many coding assistants can talk to, pointed at whichever model the operator chooses.
- Kong/insomnia40k stars
A desktop application for sending requests to an interface and reading what comes back.
- microsoft/playwright-mcp39k stars
A server that lets an AI assistant drive a real browser, using the page's own structure rather than screenshots.
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills