Installation

Get started with the Skills CLI

The Skills CLI requires Node.js 18 or higher and can be run directly with npx without installation.

Requirements

Node.js

Version 18 or higher required

Package Manager

npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun

Using npx (Recommended)

The easiest way to use the Skills CLI is with npx, which runs the latest version without requiring global installation:

Terminal

npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

Using npx ensures you’re always running the latest version of the Skills CLI without manual updates.

Global Installation

If you prefer to install the CLI globally:

npm

npm install -g skills

pnpm add -g skills

yarn global add skills

bun add -g skills

After global installation, you can use the skills command directly:

Terminal

skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

Verify Installation

Check that the CLI is working correctly:

Terminal

# Show version
npx skills --version

# Show help
npx skills --help

# Show banner with available commands
npx skills

Package Manager Configuration

pnpm

If you’re using pnpm, the project uses pnpm as its package manager:

package.json

{
  "packageManager": "pnpm@10.17.1"
}

npm Registry

The package is published to the npm registry as skills:

Terminal

# View package info
npm info skills

# View latest version
npm info skills version

Environment Variables

Optional environment variables for configuration:

Variable	Description
INSTALL_INTERNAL_SKILLS	Set to 1 or true to show and install skills marked as internal: true
DISABLE_TELEMETRY	Set to disable anonymous usage telemetry
DO_NOT_TRACK	Alternative way to disable telemetry
GITHUB_TOKEN	GitHub personal access token for higher API rate limits

Using a GitHub Token

For higher rate limits when checking for updates or installing skills from private repositories:

Terminal

export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

The CLI automatically respects GITHUB_TOKEN environment variables for authentication with GitHub’s API.

Viewing Internal Skills

Some skill repositories contain internal skills that are hidden by default. To view and install them:

Terminal

INSTALL_INTERNAL_SKILLS=1 npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --list

Disabling Telemetry

The CLI collects anonymous usage data by default. To disable:

DISABLE_TELEMETRY

export DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

export DO_NOT_TRACK=1
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

Telemetry is automatically disabled in CI environments. No personal information is collected.

Updating the CLI

If you installed globally, update with your package manager:

npm

npm update -g skills

pnpm update -g skills

yarn global upgrade skills

bun update -g skills

If using npx, you’re automatically using the latest version.

Troubleshooting

”Command not found: skills”

If you get this error after global installation:

1. Ensure your npm global bin directory is in your PATH:

   Terminal

   npm config get prefix
   

2. Add the bin directory to your PATH in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

   export PATH="$PATH:$(npm config get prefix)/bin"
   

3. Reload your shell configuration:

   Terminal

   source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc
   

Permission Errors

If you encounter permission errors during global installation:

Use npx (Recommended)

# Avoid permission issues by using npx
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills

# Configure npm to use a different directory
mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH

Node.js Version Too Old

The CLI requires Node.js 18 or higher:

Terminal

# Check your Node.js version
node --version

# If too old, upgrade using nvm
nvm install 18
nvm use 18

Next Steps

Quickstart

Learn how to install and manage skills

Discover Skills

Browse community skills