How to Install Skills from the AWS Agent Toolkit: 3 Methods Explained

You can install skills from the AWS Agent Toolkit via npm plugins, the local CLI helper, or runtime discovery through the AWS MCP Server.

The aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws repository distributes AWS operational best practices as skills—self-contained packages of instructions, reference material, and example code that AI coding agents load on demand. Installing these skills enables your agent to execute sophisticated AWS workflows with up-to-date, service-specific guidance. This guide explains three supported methods to install skills from the AWS Agent Toolkit, with detailed steps for local installation.

Three Installation Methods

The AWS Agent Toolkit supports three distinct approaches to make skills available to your agent:

• Plugin install: Install an npm package (aws-core, aws-agents, aws-data-analytics, etc.) to automatically bundle skills.
• Local install: Copy skill directories into your agent's skills folder using the supplied CLI helper.
• Runtime discovery: Configure the AWS MCP Server to let agents query and load skills on demand without pre-installation.

Method 1: Install via Plugin (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started is installing the core plugin globally via npm. According to the repository root README.md, this brings in core skills and MCP configuration automatically.

npm i -g aws-core

This command installs the aws-core plugin, which bundles essential AWS skills and makes them immediately available to your agent.

Method 2: Local Installation via CLI Helper

For granular control or to install specific skill sets, use the npx helper to copy skills directly from the repository into your agent's local skills directory.

Prerequisites

You need Node.js version 18.x or higher and the npx command, which ships with npm. The repository documentation in README.md (lines 91-99) confirms the CLI helper works out of the box once Node is installed.

Install All Skills

Run the following one-liner to download the skill manifest and copy all skill directories into the appropriate location for your active agent (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.):

npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills

The helper automatically detects your agent type and places files in the correct directory, such as ~/.claude/skills/ or ~/.cursor/skills/. The mapping of agents to default skill paths is documented in skills/README.md (lines 17-23).

Verify the Installation

After the command completes, verify the skills appear in your agent's skill directory:

ls ~/.claude/skills | grep aws

You should see folders like aws-amplify/ or aws-containers/. Each skill contains a SKILL.md file describing the workflow and a references/ subdirectory with supplemental documentation.

Install a Single Skill (Optional)

If you only need a specific skill, copy its directory manually instead of installing the full repository. For example, to install only the Amplify web-and-mobile skill as defined in skills/specialized-skills/web-and-mobile-development/aws-amplify/SKILL.md:

cp -r skills/specialized-skills/web-and-mobile-development/aws-amplify \
  ~/.claude/skills/

This copies the specific skill folder containing the workflow definition and reference documents directly into your agent's skills path.

Method 3: Runtime Discovery via MCP Server

Agents can load skills on demand without local installation by configuring the AWS MCP Server. As documented in README.md (lines 45-53), this approach requires setting up the MCP Server for your agent, after which the agent automatically fetches skills when needed. This method is ideal for minimizing local disk usage while following the aws-agent-rules recommended in rules/aws-agent-rules.md.

Using Skills in an Agent Session

Once installed, invoke a skill simply by requesting the relevant workflow in your agent chat:

User: "Create an Amplify web app with a backend API."
Agent: (searches the skill catalogue, loads the Amplify skill, and follows the step-by-step instructions)

Summary

• Install skills from the AWS Agent Toolkit using npm plugins, the npx skills add CLI helper, or runtime MCP Server discovery.
• The CLI helper (npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills) automatically detects your agent and installs to the correct path (e.g., ~/.claude/skills/).
• Prerequisites: Node.js ≥ 18.x; installation paths are documented in skills/README.md (lines 17-23).
• Skills are self-contained directories with SKILL.md files and references/ subdirectories.
• For on-demand usage without local files, configure runtime discovery via the AWS MCP Server as described in README.md (lines 45-53).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to install skills from the AWS Agent Toolkit?

The fastest method is installing the aws-core plugin via npm i -g aws-core. This bundles core skills automatically and requires no manual copying of directories. For specialized skills, use the npx skills add command to install specific skill sets from the repository.

Where are skills installed when using the CLI helper?

The CLI helper detects your active agent and installs skills to agent-specific directories. For Claude Code, this is ~/.claude/skills/; for Cursor, it is ~/.cursor/skills/. The mapping logic is documented in skills/README.md (lines 17-23).

Can I install only one specific skill instead of the entire repository?

Yes. While npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/skills installs all skills, you can manually copy a single skill directory. For example, copy skills/specialized-skills/web-and-mobile-development/aws-amplify to your agent's skills folder to install only the Amplify skill.

What is the difference between local installation and runtime discovery?

Local installation copies skill files to your machine (~/.claude/skills/ or similar), allowing offline usage and faster loading. Runtime discovery configures the AWS MCP Server to fetch skills on demand without pre-installation, saving disk space but requiring an active connection to the MCP Server as configured in README.md (lines 45-53).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}