# Claude Code vs Codex vs claude.ai Web Installation: Deploying the Watch Skill

> Compare Claude Code, Codex, and claude.ai Web installation methods for deploying the Watch Skill. Learn differences in marketplace commands, CLI, and manual uploads for identical file deployment.

- Repository: [bradautomates/claude-video](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-07-31

---

**Claude Code installs via built-in marketplace commands, Codex uses the `npx skills` CLI, and claude.ai Web requires manual upload of a release archive, yet all three methods deploy identical files from the `skills/watch/` directory.**

The `bradautomates/claude-video` repository distributes a video processing skill that operates across multiple AI hosting environments. While the underlying code in `skills/watch/` remains constant, the installation mechanism varies significantly between Claude Code, Codex, and the claude.ai web interface. Understanding these platform-specific deployment paths ensures proper setup of dependencies like `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp`.

## Claude Code Marketplace Installation

Claude Code distributes skills through its built-in marketplace system, utilizing the manifest defined in [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json). The IDE handles skill discovery, download, and extraction automatically when you execute the registration commands.

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

```

The marketplace pulls the pre-packed `watch.skill` bundle from the repository's release assets and extracts the entire `skills/watch/` directory into Claude Code's internal plugin folder. Updates follow the same pattern using `/plugin update watch@claude-video`.

## Codex and Agent Skills CLI Installation

For Codex, Cursor, Copilot, and other Agent Skills hosts, installation occurs through the generic `npx skills` CLI tool. This method reads the contract from [`skills/watch/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/SKILL.md) and the manifest from [`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json) to determine installation parameters.

```bash

# Global install available to all projects

npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g

# Preview available skills without installing

npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -l

# Project-local installation only

npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video

```

The CLI copies the `skills/watch/` folder directly into the host-specific skills directory, typically `~/.codex/skills/` for global installs or a local project directory. This file-tree approach requires no centralized marketplace. Update the skill later using `npx skills update watch -g`.

## claude.ai Web Manual Upload

The claude.ai web interface cannot execute marketplace commands or CLI tools, requiring manual upload of a packaged archive. The repository's [`skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh) generates the `dist/watch.skill` zip file for this purpose.

1. Download the latest `watch.skill` archive from the repository's releases page.
2. Navigate to **Settings → Capabilities → Skills** in the claude.ai web UI.
3. Click **+** and drop the `watch.skill` file to extract and register the skill.

Because the web UI sandbox cannot invoke system commands by default, you must enable **"Code execution and file creation"** in settings to allow the skill to execute `ffmpeg` and `yt-dlp` at runtime.

## Common Runtime Layout

Regardless of the installation method, all three platforms ultimately produce the same runtime structure. The host reads [`skills/watch/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/SKILL.md) as the contract to discover entry points, while the scripts handle video downloading, frame extraction, and transcription.

```text
skills/watch/
├── SKILL.md               ← contract read by all hosts
└── scripts/
    ├── watch.py           ← main orchestrator
    ├── download.py
    ├── frames.py
    ├── transcribe.py
    ├── whisper.py
    ├── config.py
    ├── setup.py
    └── build-skill.sh     ← packs the archive for web upload

```

## Key Configuration Files

- **[`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json)**: Manifest used by Claude Code's marketplace system to register the skill.
- **[`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/.codex-plugin/plugin.json)**: Configuration file read by the `npx skills` CLI for Codex-family hosts.
- **[`skills/watch/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/SKILL.md)**: The universal contract that defines entry points and capabilities for all hosting platforms.
- **[`skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/skills/watch/scripts/build-skill.sh)**: Build script that generates the `dist/watch.skill` archive required for claude.ai Web installation.

## Summary

- **Claude Code** uses `/plugin` commands and a marketplace system to auto-extract skills into the IDE's plugin directory.
- **Codex and Agent Skills hosts** rely on `npx skills` to copy the `skills/watch/` folder directly into `~/.codex/skills/` or local project directories.
- **claude.ai Web** requires downloading `watch.skill` from releases and manually uploading via the Settings UI, with explicit permission grants for code execution.
- All platforms ultimately execute the same scripts from `skills/watch/scripts/`, including [`watch.py`](https://github.com/bradautomates/claude-video/blob/main/watch.py) as the main orchestrator.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Can I install the same skill on all three platforms simultaneously?

Yes. The `bradautomates/claude-video` repository maintains identical code across all distribution methods. You can install via Claude Code's marketplace for local IDE work, use `npx skills` for Codex projects, and upload the archive to claude.ai Web without conflicts, as each maintains separate runtime environments.

### Why does claude.ai Web require enabling "Code execution and file creation"?

The web interface runs in a sandboxed environment that blocks system command execution by default. Since the `watch` skill invokes external binaries like `ffmpeg` for video processing and `yt-dlp` for downloads, you must explicitly grant code execution permissions in **Settings → Capabilities** for these subprocess calls to function.

### Where is the skill installed when using the Codex CLI globally?

When using `npx skills add bradautomates/claude-video -g`, the CLI copies the entire `skills/watch/` directory into the host's global skills folder, typically located at `~/.codex/skills/` on Unix systems. Local installs place the folder in a `.skills/` directory within your current project root instead.

### How do I update the skill after installation?

For Claude Code, run `/plugin update watch@claude-video`. For Codex and Agent Skills hosts, execute `npx skills update watch -g` for global updates or `npx skills update watch` for local project updates. For claude.ai Web, you must manually download the new release archive and re-upload it through the Skills settings panel to replace the existing installation.