Skill Finder

The smartest way to discover and install skills from skills.sh.

Trigger Phrases

• /skill-finder
• /skill-finder [description]
• "find a skill for..."
• "is there a skill for..."
• "what skill should I use for..."

Process Overview

User Request
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 0. Check Installed      │ ← Don't recommend what user already has
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Detect Agent         │ ← Auto-detect Claude Code, Cursor, etc.
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 2. Parse Intent         │ ← Extract keywords, map to search terms
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 3. Targeted Search      │ ← Search with specific keywords + categories
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Context Check        │ ← Only if needed for disambiguation
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Rank & Compare       │ ← Quality signals + comparison mode
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 6. Recommend            │ ← Present with quality badges
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 7. Install              │ ← Global or project, auto-detect agent
└─────────────────────────┘
     │
     ▼
┌─────────────────────────┐
│ 8. Related Skills       │ ← Suggest complementary skills
└─────────────────────────┘

---

Step 0: Check Already Installed Skills

Before searching, check what's already installed:

# Check common skill locations
ls -la .claude/skills/ 2>/dev/null
ls -la .cursor/rules/ 2>/dev/null
ls -la .agents/skills/ 2>/dev/null
ls -la ~/.claude/skills/ 2>/dev/null  # Global

If the skill user needs is already installed:

You already have **{skill-name}** installed at `{path}`.

→ Want me to invoke it now, or find alternatives?

If outdated version is installed:

You have **{skill-name}** installed, but there may be updates.

→ Want me to check for updates, or use the current version?

---

Step 1: Detect Agent

Auto-detect which AI agent the user is using:

Check For	Agent	Install Flag
.claude/ directory or CLAUDE.md	Claude Code	-a claude-code
.cursor/ directory	Cursor	-a cursor
.github/copilot/ directory	GitHub Copilot	-a copilot
.cline/ directory	Cline	-a cline
.codex/ directory	Codex	-a codex
.continue/ directory	Continue	-a continue

Store detected agent for installation step.

If multiple detected or none detected:

• Default to claude-code in Claude Code context
• Or ask user which agent they're using

---

Step 2: Parse Intent & Extract Keywords

From user request, extract:

• Primary topic (e.g., "payments", "authentication", "testing")
• Specific technologies mentioned (e.g., "Stripe", "Supabase", "Playwright")
• Action type (e.g., "add", "build", "improve", "debug")

Map to search keywords:

User Says	Search Keywords
payments, billing, checkout	stripe, payment, billing, checkout, subscription
auth, login, sign in	auth, authentication, login, oauth, jwt, session, clerk, better-auth
tests, testing, TDD	test, testing, playwright, jest, vitest, e2e, tdd, qa
database, DB, data	postgres, supabase, prisma, mongodb, sql, database, migration
AI, LLM, RAG, embeddings	rag, llm, embedding, ai-sdk, mcp, vector, openai, anthropic
frontend, UI, React	react, nextjs, vue, svelte, frontend, tailwind, ui, component
backend, API, server	fastapi, express, nestjs, backend, api, server, node
DevOps, CI/CD, deploy	docker, k8s, kubernetes, github-actions, terraform, deploy, ci
email, notifications	email, resend, notification, messaging, smtp
docs, PDF, Excel	pdf, docx, xlsx, pptx, document, report
video, animation	remotion, video, animation, threejs, canvas, webgl
scraping, automation	browser, scrape, automation, crawl, puppeteer, playwright
marketing, SEO, growth	seo, marketing, cro, copywriting, analytics, conversion
mobile, React Native, iOS	react-native, ios, android, swiftui, mobile, flutter, expo
security	security, auth, encryption, vulnerability, audit, secrets

---

Step 3: Targeted Search

IMPORTANT: Use the CLI search command first to get proper skill references:

npx skills search {keyword} --limit 10

This returns skills in the correct format: author/repo@skill-name

Understanding the format:

• author/repo@skill-name - Full skill reference from search results
• author/repo - What you pass to npx skills add (installs all skills in that repo)

For WebFetch fallback (if CLI unavailable):

WebFetch: https://skills.sh/?search={primary_keyword}
Prompt: List matching skills with:
        - Full reference (author/repo@skill-name format)
        - Install count
        - Description
        Focus on skills matching: {specific_technologies_mentioned}

If user request is vague (just "/skill-finder"):

• Ask: "What are you trying to accomplish?"
• Wait for response before searching

---

Step 4: Context Check (Only If Needed)

Skip context gathering if:

• User specified exact technology (e.g., "Stripe", "Playwright")
• Search returned one clear winner
• User request is unambiguous

Gather context if:

• Multiple similar skills found (need stack to disambiguate)
• User request is generic (e.g., "database best practices")
• Need to verify compatibility

Quick context check:

File	What to Extract
package.json	Framework (react, next, vue), key deps, has supabase/stripe/etc
pyproject.toml	Python framework (fastapi, django, flask)
go.mod	Go project confirmation
Cargo.toml	Rust project confirmation
.env.example	Integrated services (Stripe, Supabase, etc.)

Summarize as: Stack: {framework}, {language}, {key_dependencies}

---

Step 5: Rank with Quality Signals

Quality indicators to factor into ranking:

Signal	How to Identify	Weight
Official/Verified	Author is stripe/, anthropics/, vercel/, supabase/, resend/	High
High Installs	1000+ installs	Medium
Stack Match	Skill matches user's detected tech stack	High
Specific Match	Skill name contains user's exact query	High

Official/Verified Authors (show ⭐ badge):

• stripe/ - Stripe official
• anthropics/ - Anthropic official
• vercel/ or vercel-labs/ - Vercel official
• supabase/ - Supabase official
• resend/ - Resend official
• remotion-dev/ - Remotion official
• better-auth/ - Better Auth official
• callstackincubator/ - Callstack (React Native experts)
• cloudai-x/ - Three.js skills
• trailofbits/ - Security experts

---

Step 5b: Comparison Mode

When multiple skills are similarly relevant, show comparison:

## Comparing {Category} Skills

| Feature | {skill-1} | {skill-2} | {skill-3} |
|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Installs | {count} | {count} | {count} |
| Official | ⭐ Yes | No | No |
| Your Stack | ✅ Match | ✅ Match | ❌ Different |
| Focus | {focus} | {focus} | {focus} |

**Recommendation:** {skill-name} ({reason})

→ Want details on any of these, or should I install the recommendation?

Trigger comparison mode when:

• Top 2-3 skills have similar relevance scores
• User asks "what's the difference between..."
• Skills serve same purpose but different approaches

---

Safety Checks

Before recommending any skill, verify:

1. Author Verification

✅ TRUSTED - Official/Verified authors (install without warning):
   stripe/, anthropics/, vercel/, vercel-labs/, supabase/, resend/,
   remotion-dev/, better-auth/, callstackincubator/, trailofbits/

⚠️ COMMUNITY - Other authors (show warning before install):
   "This skill is from a community author. Review before installing."

2. Typosquatting Check

Before recommending, verify skill name doesn't look like a typo of a popular skill:

• stripe-best-pracitces → suspicious (typo of stripe-best-practices)
• react-best-prctices → suspicious
• supabase-postgers → suspicious

If suspicious: Don't recommend, or warn user explicitly.

3. Install Confirmation

Always show before installing:

**About to install:** {skill-name}
**Author:** {author}
**Source:** https://github.com/{author}/{repo}

⚠️ Installing skills runs code on your machine.
   Review the source if you don't trust the author.

→ Proceed with installation? (y/n)

4. Link to Source

Always provide GitHub link so user can review:

📂 **View source:** https://github.com/{author}/{repo}/blob/main/skills/{skill}/SKILL.md

---

Step 6: Present Recommendations

Format with quality badges:

## Recommended Skills

Based on your {stack} project and goal to {userIntent}:

1. **{skill-name}** by {author} ({installs} installs) ⭐ Official
   {Why this matches - be specific about the fit}

2. **{skill-name}** ({installs} installs)
   {Why this is relevant, any trade-offs vs #1}

3. **{skill-name}** ({installs} installs)
   {When you'd choose this instead}

→ Want me to install any of these?

Quality badges:

• ⭐ = Official/Verified author
• 🔥 = Trending (high installs)
• ✅ = Perfect stack match

---

Step 7: Installation

CRITICAL: The CLI uses author/repo format, NOT author/skill-name!

From search results like jezweb/claude-skills@tanstack-query:

• jezweb/claude-skills = the repo (use this for install)
• tanstack-query = specific skill name in that repo

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Installing a repo installs ALL skills in it!

Some repos contain many skills:

• jezweb/claude-skills has 90+ skills (probably too many)
• vercel-labs/next-skills has 3 skills (focused)

Prefer focused repos with fewer skills relevant to user's need.

If a large repo is the only option:

1. Warn the user: "This repo contains {N} skills. Install anyway?"
2. Suggest browsing: https://skills.sh/{author}/{repo} to see all skills
3. After install, suggest removing unneeded skills

Ask about installation scope:

Install **{skill-name}** from `{author}/{repo}` to:
1. **This project** (./agents/skills/) - Recommended
2. **Globally** (all your projects)

→ Which do you prefer? (default: this project)

⚠️ Note: This will install {N} skills from this repo.

Installation commands:

# Project-level (default) - uses author/repo, NOT skill name
npx skills add {author}/{repo} -a {detected_agent} -y

# Global installation
npx skills add {author}/{repo} -a {detected_agent} -y -g

After successful installation:

✓ Installed skills from **{author}/{repo}** to {install_path}

Agent: {detected_agent}
Scope: {project|global}
Skills installed: {list of skill names}

---

Step 8: Suggest Related Skills

After installing, suggest complementary skills:

Installed Skill	Related Skills to Suggest
stripe-*	webhook-patterns, subscription-management, billing-automation
*-auth, authentication	session-management, secrets-management, security-*
supabase-*	row-level-security, database-migration, sql-optimization
playwright-*, testing	test-driven-development, e2e-testing-patterns, qa-test-planner
react-*	react-testing, react-performance, react-state-management
nextjs-*	vercel-deployment, nextjs-app-router-patterns
fastapi-*	async-python-patterns, python-testing-patterns
docker-*	k8s-*, deployment-pipeline-design
ai-sdk, rag-*	embedding-strategies, mcp-builder, llm-evaluation
remotion-*	video processing skills, animation skills

Format:

**You might also need:**
- **{related-skill-1}** - {why relevant to what they just installed}
- **{related-skill-2}** - {why relevant}

→ Want me to install any of these too?

---

Step 9: Check for Updates (Optional)

When user has skills installed, offer update check:

npx skills check

If updates available:

📦 **Updates Available**

| Skill | Current | Latest | Changes |
|-------|---------|--------|---------|
| stripe-integration | 1.0.0 | 1.2.0 | New webhook patterns |
| react-best-practices | 2.1.0 | 2.3.0 | React 19 support |

→ Want me to update these?

Update command:

npx skills update

---

Error Handling

No Matches Found

I couldn't find skills that directly match "{user_request}".

**Suggestions:**
- Try different keywords (e.g., "auth" instead of "login system")
- Be more specific (e.g., "Supabase auth" instead of "auth")
- Browse skills.sh directly: https://skills.sh/

**Popular categories you might explore:**
- Authentication: `better-auth`, `clerk-auth`, `supabase-auth`
- Testing: `playwright-skill`, `webapp-testing`
- Payments: `stripe-best-practices`

What would you like to try?

skills.sh Unreachable

I'm having trouble reaching skills.sh right now.

**Options:**
1. Try again in a moment
2. Browse directly: https://skills.sh/
3. Tell me what you need and I'll help without a skill

What would you like to do?

Installation Failed

Installation failed: {error_message}

**Try manually:**
```bash
npx skills add {author}/{skill-name}

Or browse the skill: https://skills.sh/{author}/{skill-name}

Common fixes:

• Run npm cache clean --force and retry
• Check your internet connection
• Try installing globally with -g flag

### Skill Already Installed

```markdown
**{skill-name}** is already installed at `{path}`.

**Options:**
1. Invoke it now for your current task
2. Check for updates
3. Find alternative skills
4. Reinstall (overwrite)

What would you like to do?

---

Examples

Fast Path (Clear Intent)

User: /skill-finder Stripe payments

Agent: Let me search for Stripe skills...
       [Runs: npx skills search stripe --limit 10]

       ## Recommended Skills

       Based on your goal to add Stripe payments:

       1. **stripe-best-practices** from `stripe/ai-skills` (354 installs) ⭐ Official
          Official Stripe patterns - checkout, webhooks, subscriptions
          Repo contains 2 skills (focused)

       2. **stripe-integration** from `wshobson/agents` (349 installs)
          End-to-end integration patterns
          ⚠️ Repo contains 15 skills

       → Want me to install any of these?

User: Install #1

Agent: Install from `stripe/ai-skills` to:
       1. This project (./agents/skills/) - Recommended
       2. Globally (all your projects)

       This repo contains 2 skills - both Stripe-related.

User: 1

Agent: [Runs: npx skills add stripe/ai-skills -a claude-code -y]

       ✓ Installed 2 skills from **stripe/ai-skills** to .agents/skills/

       Skills installed:
       - stripe-best-practices
       - stripe-webhooks

       → Want me to apply these to your current task?

With Comparison Mode

User: /skill-finder authentication

Agent: I found several auth skills. Here's a comparison:

       ## Comparing Authentication Skills

       | Feature | better-auth | clerk-auth | supabase-auth |
       |---------|-------------|------------|---------------|
       | Installs | 3,373 | 129 | 142 |
       | Official | ⭐ Yes | No | No |
       | Self-hosted | ✅ | ❌ Cloud | ✅ |
       | Social login | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
       | Your Stack | ✅ Next.js | ✅ Next.js | ⭐ You use Supabase |

       **Recommendation:** supabase-auth (best fit - you already use Supabase)

       → Want me to install supabase-auth, or details on another?

Already Installed

User: /skill-finder React testing

Agent: You already have **webapp-testing** installed at `.claude/skills/webapp-testing/`.

       **Options:**
       1. Invoke it now for your React testing needs
       2. Find additional/alternative testing skills
       3. Check for updates

       What would you like to do?

User: 2

Agent: ## Additional Testing Skills

       Since you have webapp-testing, here are complementary skills:

       1. **react-testing** (412 installs)
          React-specific testing patterns (RTL, hooks testing)

       2. **test-driven-development** (1,289 installs) ⭐ Popular
          TDD methodology and workflow

       → Want me to install any of these?

Update Check

User: /skill-finder --check-updates

Agent: 📦 **Checking your installed skills...**

       | Skill | Status |
       |-------|--------|
       | stripe-best-practices | ✅ Up to date |
       | webapp-testing | 🔄 Update available (1.2.0 → 1.3.0) |
       | react-best-practices | ✅ Up to date |

       → Want me to update webapp-testing?

---

Performance Tips

1. Be specific — "Stripe checkout" finds better matches than "payments"
2. Mention your stack — "React Native auth" narrows results
3. One topic at a time — Split "auth and payments" into two searches
4. Check installed first — Avoid duplicates with /skill-finder --installed
5. Use official skills — Look for the ⭐ badge for verified quality