Documentation

Install Skills

Install, verify, and update AI SDK Agents Skills with short-lived Skills CLI commands.

Skills are installable knowledge packages for coding agents (SKILL.md, references, and Distilled evidence when the Skill’s plan allows it). They do not install Block application source.

Browse the catalog on /skills. Free Skills install without a paid plan. Premium Skills need a Premium individual or team entitlement. Generate the install command from the Skill’s install page (/premium/skills/<name> or the free Skill path when available).

Generate an install command

On the Skill install page, generate a fresh command:

pnpm dlx skills add https://aisdkagents.com/skill/<short-lived-token> --skill <skill-name>

The token is bound to one allowlisted Skill and expires after the stated window. Generate a new command after expiry. A token for one Skill cannot download another.

Preview and install

pnpm dlx skills add <tokenized-url> --list
npx skills add <tokenized-url> --skill <skill-name>

--list shows Skills in the artifact. The second command installs only the named Skill and lets the Skills CLI pick supported coding-agent targets.

Run from a repository root for a project-scoped install (recommended for shared, versioned behavior). Add -g for a user-level install across local projects:

pnpm dlx skills add <tokenized-url> --skill <skill-name> -g

For automated global smoke tests, use an isolated home or config target so personal Skills stay untouched.

Verify and update

pnpm dlx skills list
npx skills update <skill-name>

Skills CLI 1.5.16 cannot auto-check updates for well-known URL Skills. Refresh by generating a new tokenized command and running skills add again:

pnpm dlx skills add <fresh-tokenized-url> --skill <skill-name>

Restart the coding tool after install or update so it reloads Skill metadata.

Delivery and access

  1. The browser requests /api/skill-token/<skill-name>.
  2. The API authenticates the user, resolves individual or team plan, and checks catalog policy.
  3. The API signs a short-lived SKILL token bound to that catalog name.
  4. The Skills CLI reads /skill/<token>/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json and fetches allowlisted files only.
  5. /skill/<token> also serves the packaged .skill ZIP for compatible clients.

Tokenized responses verify service and Skill binding, resolve only catalog and source paths, and use no-store plus CORS headers.

Troubleshooting

  • 401 authentication required: sign in and generate the command again.
  • 403 plan upgrade required: check the Skill’s entitlement and your plan.
  • 401 invalid or expired token: generate a fresh command from the install page.
  • 404 artifact missing: the catalog entry exists, but the packaged artifact is not published yet.
  • Skill not visible after install: run npx skills list, confirm the target, restart the coding tool.