# How to Install Claude-Red for the Claude Skills System: Complete Setup Guide > Learn to install Claude-Red for the Claude Skills system. This guide covers cloning the SnailSploit repository and running the install script for easy setup. - Repository: [SnailSploit | Kai Aizen/Claude-Red](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-14 --- **Claude-Red installs into the Claude Skills system by cloning the SnailSploit repository and executing the [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) script, which copies selected [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files from the `Skills/` directory into `~/.claude/skills` using interactive, target-specific, or category-filtered modes.** Claude-Red is a curated collection of offensive-security playbooks distributed as standalone [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files that extend Claude’s capabilities. According to the source code in `SnailSploit/Claude-Red`, the repository organizes these skills into categorical folders under `Skills/`, with each folder containing a single [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file describing a specific technique such as SQL injection or wireless attacks. The installation process simply places these markdown files into Claude’s skills directory so the AI can automatically load them as contextual knowledge. ## Understanding the Repository Structure Before installing, it is important to understand how the payload is organized. The repository contains four critical components that manage the installation and indexing of skills: - **[`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh)** — The primary entry point that handles file copying via `cp` or `rsync` while preserving permissions. This script supports three distinct installation modes. - **`Skills/`** — The root directory containing categorized subdirectories (e.g., `web/`, `wireless/`). Each subdirectory holds a [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file encoding a complete offensive methodology. - **[`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py)** — A helper utility that transforms skill metadata into [`claude-skills.json`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/claude-skills.json), generating the aggregated manifest Claude uses for quick lookup. - **[`claude-skills.json`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/claude-skills.json)** — The JSON index automatically produced by the conversion script, mapping skill triggers to their respective file paths. ## Prerequisites To install Claude-Red, ensure your environment meets the following requirements: - **Git** is installed and available in your system path. - The **Claude Skills directory** exists at `~/.claude/skills` (the default location for the Claude CLI and desktop applications). - Write permissions to the target directory. ## Installation Methods The [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) script provides three installation strategies depending on your automation needs and disk-space constraints. ### Interactive Installation (Default) For first-time users, the interactive mode walks you through target selection and optional category filtering. This is the recommended approach for manual setups: ```bash git clone https://github.com/SnailSploit/claude-red ~/.claude/skills/claude-red cd ~/.claude/skills/claude-red ./install.sh ``` The script prompts you to confirm the destination directory and asks whether to filter by specific categories before copying the files. ### Target-Specific Installation For automated CI/CD pipelines or scripted deployments, use the `--target` flag to specify the exact destination without interactive prompts. This mode copies the entire `Skills/` tree into the provided path: ```bash ./install.sh --target ~/.claude/skills ``` This command copies all skill files directly into the Claude Skills system root, making them immediately available to the Claude CLI. ### Category-Filtered Installation If you require only a specific domain of offensive techniques (for example, web application testing), use the `--category` flag to minimize the installation footprint. As implemented in [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh), this parameter restricts the copy operation to a single subdirectory of `Skills/`: ```bash ./install.sh --target ~/.claude/skills --category web ``` Valid category names correspond to folder names inside the `Skills/` directory, such as `web`, `wireless`, or `supply-chain`. ## Verifying the Installation After running the installer, confirm that the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files are present in the target directory. For example, to verify the SQL injection skill from the web category: ```bash ls ~/.claude/skills/claude-red/Skills/web/offensive-sqli ``` You should see a [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file containing the full playbook content. If you used the `--category` flag, verify that only the selected category appears under the target path. ## Loading Skills into Claude Once installed, you must explicitly load a skill into Claude’s context. The Claude Skills system supports two primary integration methods: **Via Claude CLI** Pipe the skill file directly into a CLI session using the `--system-file` flag: ```bash cat ~/.claude/skills/claude-red/Skills/web/offensive-sqli/SKILL.md | claude --system-file - ``` **Via Claude.ai Web Interface** Navigate to a Project’s settings, paste the contents of any [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) into the **System Prompt** field, and start a new conversation. Claude then answers prompts using the specialized methodology defined in that skill. ## Summary - **Clone** the SnailSploit/Claude-Red repository into a temporary location such as `~/.claude/skills/claude-red`. - **Execute** [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) using one of three modes: interactive (default), `--target ` for automation, or `--category ` for selective installation. - **Verify** that [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) files appear under `~/.claude/skills` or your specified target directory. - **Load** skills via `claude --system-file -` for CLI usage or by pasting content into the Claude.ai System Prompt field. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where does Claude-Red install its skill files by default? By default, the installer places files into the path specified by the `--target` flag. If you run [`./install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/./install.sh) without arguments, the interactive mode prompts you for a destination, typically defaulting to `~/.claude/skills`. The installer uses `cp` or `rsync` to preserve file permissions during the transfer. ### Can I install only specific offensive security categories? Yes. The [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh) script accepts a `--category` parameter that limits the copy operation to a single subdirectory of `Skills/`. For example, `./install.sh --category wireless` installs only the wireless attack playbooks, reducing disk usage and noise in the Claude Skills directory. ### How do I load a Claude-Red skill into the Claude CLI? Use shell redirection to pipe the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/SKILL.md) file into the Claude CLI with the `--system-file` flag. The exact command is: `cat ~/.claude/skills/claude-red/Skills///SKILL.md | claude --system-file -`. This injects the playbook context into your session without manual copy-pasting. ### What is the purpose of the [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py) script? As referenced in the source analysis, [`convert_skills.py`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/convert_skills.py) is a helper utility that scans the `Skills/` directory and generates [`claude-skills.json`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/claude-skills.json), a JSON manifest aggregating all available skills. While the primary installation uses [`install.sh`](https://github.com/SnailSploit/Claude-Red/blob/main/install.sh), this conversion script ensures Claude can perform quick metadata lookups when indexing the skills directory.