How to Install Claude-Video on Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Copilot

Claude-video distributes its watch skill as a self-contained skills/watch/ folder that any AI agent host can copy in one step, requiring no host-specific code changes because runtime paths resolve dynamically from the SKILL.md contract location.

The bradautomates/claude-video repository packages its video analysis capabilities as a portable skill compatible with multiple AI agent platforms. Unlike platform-specific plugins, the watch skill uses a canonical contract pattern that allows the same code to run across Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and other Agent-Skills hosts without modification. This guide covers the exact claude-video installation commands and file paths for each supported platform.

Claude-Video Installation by Platform

Claude Code via Marketplace

For Claude Code users, installation leverages the native plugin marketplace. The .claude-plugin/plugin.json manifest registers the repository, after which the /plugin commands copy the entire skills/watch/ directory into Claude Code's plugin cache.

Run these commands inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add bradautomates/claude-video
/plugin install watch@claude-video

Codex, Cursor, and Copilot via Skills CLI

Hosts supporting the Agent-Skills specification—including Codex, Cursor, and Copilot—use the npx skills CLI. The .codex-plugin/plugin.json file tells the CLI where to find the skill folder, and the -g flag installs to the global skills directory (e.g., ~/.codex/skills, ~/.cursor/skills).

npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g

Omit the -g flag to scope the installation to the current project only.

Claude.ai Web Interface

The web interface requires a pre-built bundle rather than a CLI command. The repository includes skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh to create a distributable archive from the skills/watch/ source.

1. Download the latest release bundle or build it locally:

bash skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh  # Creates dist/watch.skill

2. Navigate to Claude AI Settings → Capabilities → Skills, click +, and upload the watch.skill file.

Manual Development Installation

For development or unsupported hosts, clone the repository and symlink the skill folder to the host's skills directory. This method ensures changes to skills/watch/scripts/watch.py reflect immediately without reinstallation.

git clone https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video.git
ln -s "$(pwd)/claude-video/skills/watch" ~/.claude/skills/watch

Adjust the target path (~/.claude/skills/watch) to match your host's conventions (e.g., ~/.codex/skills/watch for Codex).

How the Skill Architecture Enables Universal Installation

The installation works identically across platforms because the skill resolves its runtime path from the location of SKILL.md. As defined in skills/watch/SKILL.md, the SKILL_DIR variable dynamically determines where skills/watch/scripts/watch.py and other assets reside. This design eliminates the need for host-specific environment variables or configuration files.

All installation methods ultimately perform the same operation: copying the skills/watch/ folder into the host's skill directory. The README.md and AGENTS.md files document this pattern, confirming that no host-specific tweaks are required after copying.

Post-Installation Configuration

On first run, skills/watch/scripts/setup.py executes automatically to scaffold the runtime environment. This script checks for dependencies like ffmpeg and yt-dlp, then creates ~/.config/watch/.env for user-specific settings. No manual configuration is required unless customizing download paths or API endpoints.

Summary

• Claude Code: Use /plugin marketplace add bradautomates/claude-video followed by /plugin install watch@claude-video.
• Codex, Cursor, Copilot: Use npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g for global installation.
• Claude.ai Web: Upload the bundle built via skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh.
• Manual: Clone the repo and symlink skills/watch/ to the host's skill directory.
• Runtime path resolution via SKILL.md ensures identical behavior across all platforms.
• First-run setup automatically handles dependencies and creates ~/.config/watch/.env.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need different versions of claude-video for different AI agents?

No. The repository's skills/watch/ folder contains the complete, self-contained skill. The SKILL.md contract and dynamic path resolution in skills/watch/scripts/watch.py ensure identical behavior across Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and Copilot without version fragmentation.

Where does claude-video store its configuration and dependencies?

The skill creates ~/.config/watch/.env automatically on first execution via skills/watch/scripts/setup.py. This file stores API keys and download preferences. The script also verifies that ffmpeg and yt-dlp are installed on the system before processing videos.

Can I install claude-video without using npm or the Claude Code marketplace?

Yes. Clone the repository with git clone https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video.git and create a symlink from the host's skills directory to skills/watch/. This manual method works for any Agent-Skills compatible host or custom development environments, and it reflects code changes immediately without reinstallation.

What is the purpose of the .codex-plugin/plugin.json and .claude-plugin/plugin.json files?

These manifests provide metadata for their respective installation tools. .claude-plugin/plugin.json enables the /plugin commands in Claude Code, while .codex-plugin/plugin.json allows the npx skills CLI to discover and copy the correct folder during installation on Codex, Cursor, and other compatible hosts.

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