How to Integrate i-have-adhd with Zed Editor: Complete Setup Guide

You can integrate i-have-adhd with Zed by either importing the Skill directly from its GitHub URL into Zed's Agent Panel or by cloning the repository and copying the skills/i-have-adhd directory to ~/.config/zed/skills/, enabling the /i-have-adhd slash command for ADHD-friendly AI responses.

The i-have-adhd repository by ayghri provides a specialized Skill that reformats Zed's AI output for ADHD-friendly readability. According to the source code, Zed's built-in Agent consumes this skill natively through the skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md file, requiring no external conversion or plugins. This integration allows you to invoke structured, actionable formatting rules via a simple slash command.

What is the i-have-adhd Zed Skill?

The Skill is a declarative configuration file located at skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md in the repository. It defines behavioral constraints that Zed's Agent injects into the LLM prompt context, ensuring every response follows ADHD-focused formatting rules. The skill is consumed natively because Zed's Agent architecture follows the Skill specification format, parsing the metadata block and rule definitions automatically.

Key characteristics of this integration include:

• No model re-invocation: The disable-model-invocation: true flag in the skill metadata tells Zed to apply pre-written formatting rules rather than re-querying the model.
• User-scoped availability: Once installed, the skill appears in the User scope, making it reusable across any project or file you open in Zed.
• Slash command activation: Type /i-have-adhd in the Agent Panel to activate the formatting constraints.

Installation Methods

Zed supports two distinct paths for integrating the i-have-adhd skill, both documented in the repository's INSTALL.md under the Zed section.

Method 1: Install from GitHub URL (Recommended)

This approach fetches the skill definition directly from the repository and requires no local file management. The repository exposes the skill at the raw GitHub URL endpoint.

Open Zed's Agent Panel and access the Skills manager. Select "Create skill from URL" (or use the command palette: Cmd+Shift+P → agent: create skill from url). Paste the following URL:

https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md

Once imported, the skill immediately appears in your User-scoped skills list and persists across Zed sessions.

Method 2: Install from Local Clone (Offline)

Use this method when you require offline functionality or prefer to version-control the skill alongside your own dotfiles.

First, clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd

Then copy the specific skill directory into Zed's user configuration folder:

cp -R i-have-adhd/skills/i-have-adhd ~/.config/zed/skills/

Restart Zed or refresh the Skills manager to load the local copy. This installation works without network access after the initial clone.

How the Skill Works Under the Hood

When you invoke /i-have-adhd, Zed's Agent performs the following operations based on the SKILL.md specification:

1. Parses the metadata block: Zed reads the YAML frontmatter between the --- delimiters to identify the skill name, description, and the disable-model-invocation flag.
2. Injects behavioral constraints: The Agent appends the skill's rule definitions to the system prompt sent to the LLM.
3. Enforces output formatting: The LLM receives instructions to structure responses with leading actions, numbered steps, and concrete time estimates, optimizing for cognitive accessibility.

This architecture ensures consistent formatting without adding latency, as the rules are applied at the prompt level rather than through post-processing.

Verifying the Integration

To confirm successful installation, open Zed's Agent Panel and access the Skills manager. Look for i-have-adhd in the User-scoped skills list.

Alternatively, open any file and type the following in the Agent input:

/i-have-adhd

Zed should display the skill name in the command suggestions and apply the formatting rules to subsequent AI responses.

Updating the Skill

Skills installed via URL automatically reference the latest version from the repository each time they are invoked, but Zed caches the definition. To force an update, repeat the "Create skill from URL" process.

For local installations, update by pulling the latest changes and recopying the directory:

cd i-have-adhd && git pull
cp -R skills/i-have-adhd ~/.config/zed/skills/

Restart Zed to reload the skill definition from disk.

Summary

• i-have-adhd integrates with Zed as a native Skill through the skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md file.
• Install via GitHub URL (https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) for simplicity, or local clone to ~/.config/zed/skills/ for offline use.
• The skill uses disable-model-invocation: true to apply formatting rules at the prompt level without additional latency.
• Activate the integration by typing /i-have-adhd in the Agent Panel.
• Official documentation resides in the repository's INSTALL.md under the Zed section.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly does the i-have-adhd skill change about Zed's AI responses?

The skill injects specific behavioral constraints into the LLM's system prompt that force responses to lead with the immediate next action, use clear numbering for steps, and provide concrete time estimates. According to the SKILL.md source, these rules reshape the output structure to reduce cognitive load and decision paralysis for users with ADHD.

Can I use this skill without an internet connection?

Yes, but only if you install via the local clone method. When you copy the skills/i-have-adhd directory to ~/.config/zed/skills/, Zed loads the skill definition from your local filesystem. The URL-based installation requires network access to fetch the SKILL.md file from GitHub.

How is this different from just writing custom prompts in Zed?

The skill system provides reusable, versioned formatting rules that persist across all projects and conversations in the User scope. Unlike one-off custom prompts, the /i-have-adhd slash command consistently applies the same ADHD-focused constraints without you needing to retype or remember specific instructions. The disable-model-invocation: true flag also ensures zero additional token cost or latency for these formatting rules.

Where does Zed store the skill configuration files?

Zed stores user-scoped skills in the ~/.config/zed/skills/ directory on macOS and Linux. Each skill resides in its own subdirectory containing a SKILL.md file. The repository's INSTALL.md confirms that placing the i-have-adhd folder in this location enables automatic detection by the Agent.

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