How to Install Agent Reach Skills: CLI Commands and Directory Structure

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, 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:

# 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:

# 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 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; otherwise, it defaults to 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 file and the entire references/ directory (containing search.md, 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:

# 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:

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
• The installer automatically detects your locale (English vs. default) and selects the appropriate 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 (or SKILL_en.md for English locales) and the references/ directory containing specialized documentation like search.md and 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 (English variant) or the default 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.

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