# How to Install Agent Reach Skills: CLI Commands and Directory Structure > Learn how to install Agent Reach skills using CLI commands. Discover the SKILL.md bundle and directory structure for OpenClaw, Claude Code, and .agents environments. - Repository: [Pnant/Agent-Reach](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-24 --- **To install Agent Reach skills, run `agent-reach skill --install` to copy the SKILL.md bundle and reference documentation into your agent framework's skill directory, supporting OpenClaw, Claude Code, and generic `.agents` environments.** Agent Reach distributes its capabilities as a static markdown skill bundle that integrates with agent-oriented frameworks. In the `Panniantong/Agent-Reach` repository, the installation logic resides in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py), where the `_install_skill()` helper automates detection, localization, and deployment of skill files. Installing Agent Reach skills requires no network access or API keys—just a simple CLI command that mirrors the bundle into your agent's configuration directory. ## Quick Installation Commands You can install Agent Reach skills using two primary entry points. ### Standalone Skill Installation For existing installations, use the dedicated skill command: ```bash # Install using the module interface python -m agent_reach.cli skill --install # Or use the entry point shortcut (after pip install) agent-reach skill --install ``` ### Automatic Installation During Setup When running the full installation workflow, the skill installation executes automatically: ```bash # Runs diagnostics then installs the skill bundle python -m agent_reach.cli install ``` ## How Agent Reach Skill Installation Works The `_install_skill()` function in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) handles the deployment through a six-step process that ensures correct localization and framework compatibility. ### Locale Detection and File Selection The installer first determines which skill definition to deploy by checking environment variables for English language settings. If `AGENT_REACH_LANG`, `LC_ALL`, `LC_MESSAGES`, or `LANG` start with "en" or "english", it selects [`SKILL_en.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL_en.md); otherwise, it defaults to [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md). ### Source File Resolution The function locates the skill package using `importlib.resources.files("agent_reach").joinpath("skill")` for standard installations. If this fails—common during editable installs—it resolves the path relative to the source tree to ensure the files are always discoverable. ### Target Directory Selection The installer searches for the first writable skill directory in priority order: 1. **~/.agents/skills** — Generic agents directory (highest priority) 2. **~/.openclaw/skills** — OpenClaw framework 3. **~/.claude/skills** — Claude Code environment If the `OPENCLAW_HOME` environment variable is set, its `.openclaw/skills` subdirectory is prepended to this list. If none exist, the installer creates `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach` as a fallback. ### File Deployment Process Before copying, the installer removes any existing installation—unlinking symlinks or recursively deleting directories with `shutil.rmtree`. It then writes the selected [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) file and the entire `references/` directory (containing [`search.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/search.md), [`social.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/social.md), and other category documentation) to `agent-reach/` within the target location. ## Verifying Your Installation Confirm the skill files are correctly placed by inspecting the directory structure: ```bash # List installed skill contents (example for .agents) ls -R ~/.agents/skills/agent-reach ``` You should see: - **SKILL.md** — The main routing table and usage rules - **references/** — Supporting markdown files for specific capabilities ## Uninstalling Agent Reach Skills To remove the skill bundle from all detected directories: ```bash agent-reach skill --uninstall ``` This command cleans up the `agent-reach/` directories from `.agents`, `.openclaw`, and `.claude` skill folders. ## Summary - **Install Agent Reach skills** by running `agent-reach skill --install`, which invokes `_install_skill()` in [`agent_reach/cli.py`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/agent_reach/cli.py) - The installer automatically detects your **locale** (English vs. default) and selects the appropriate [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) variant - Target directories are checked in priority order: **~/.agents/skills**, **~/.openclaw/skills**, **~/.claude/skills**, with fallback creation if none exist - The deployment includes both the main skill file and the **references/** directory containing detailed documentation - No network access or secrets are required—installation is purely a local file copy operation ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What files are included in the Agent Reach skill bundle? The skill bundle consists of static markdown files: the main [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md) (or [`SKILL_en.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL_en.md) for English locales) and the `references/` directory containing specialized documentation like [`search.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/search.md) and [`social.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/social.md). These files are located in the `agent_reach/skill/` directory of the repository. ### Why does the installer check environment variables like LANG and LC_ALL? The installer checks `AGENT_REACH_LANG`, `LC_ALL`, `LC_MESSAGES`, and `LANG` to determine whether to deploy [`SKILL_en.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL_en.md) (English variant) or the default [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Panniantong/Agent-Reach/blob/main/SKILL.md). This ensures the skill documentation matches your system locale when the language settings indicate English. ### Can I install Agent Reach skills in a custom location? While the installer automatically detects standard directories, you can influence the priority by setting the `OPENCLAW_HOME` environment variable, which inserts that location's `.openclaw/skills` directory at the front of the search list. If no standard directories exist, the installer creates `~/.agents/skills/agent-reach` as the fallback. ### How do I troubleshoot a failed skill installation? Check that you have write permissions to at least one of the target directories (`~/.agents`, `~/.openclaw`, or `~/.claude`). The CLI prints a warning if installation fails. For editable installs, ensure the source tree structure matches the expected `agent_reach/skill/` layout, as the installer falls back to relative path resolution when package resources are unavailable.