# How to Use the `google/skills` Repository: Installation, Access, and Sample Usage

> Learn to install and use google/skills for AI assistants. Explore installation, access, and discover sample usage examples to power your Google Cloud tasks.

- Repository: [Google/skills](https://github.com/google/skills)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-14

---

**The `google/skills` repository provides Markdown-based Agent Skills that power AI-driven assistants to answer questions, generate commands, and guide users through Google Cloud tasks.**

The `google/skills` repository is a collection of **Agent Skills**—structured Markdown recipes that describe how to work with Google Cloud services, data platforms, and other Google products. These skills are not traditional code libraries. Instead, they serve as knowledge sources for AI agents such as Claude, Codex, and Antigravity, enabling them to answer queries, generate commands, and walk users through complex cloud workflows.

## What Are Agent Skills?

Agent Skills in the `google/skills` repository follow a three-layer architecture:

- **Skill Markdown Files** – Each [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) contains structured front-matter (`name`, `metadata`) followed by human-readable instructions, clarification questions, and concrete examples including Python snippets and `gcloud` commands.

- **Reference Documents** – Adjacent `references/` folders hold supplemental material such as Terraform snippets, CLI usage guides, and security best practices that skills can reference.

- **Agent Harness Integration** – The repository bundles plugins that expose skills to various AI agents, making them discoverable through commands like `npx skills list` or `skills add`.

## Installing and Accessing google/skills

To begin using `google/skills`, install the skill set through the `skills` CLI:

```bash
npx skills add google/skills

```

This command downloads the repository into your local skills cache and makes all [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files available to the agent harness.

### Exploring Available Skills

After installation, list all available skills:

```bash
npx skills list

```

This displays a tree of all skills, mirroring the **Available Skills** section of the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md).

### Registering with AI Agents

To use `google/skills` with Claude, register the repository as a plugin:

```bash
claude plugin marketplace add google/skills
claude plugin install <plugin>@google-plugins

```

According to the `google/skills` source code, plugins for Claude, Codex, and Antigravity can be registered via marketplace commands (see [`README.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md) lines 59-66).

## Example Usage: Authentication Skill

One of the most fundamental skills is `google-cloud-recipe-auth`, located at [`skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth/SKILL.md). This skill explains authentication flows with runnable examples.

### Python Example: List Cloud Storage Buckets with ADC

First, authenticate locally:

```bash
gcloud auth application-default login

```

Then run Python code that automatically discovers your credentials:

```python
from google.cloud import storage

client = storage.Client()          # ADC automatically discovered

for bucket in client.list_buckets():
    print(bucket.name)

```

This example appears in the **Human-to-Service (Local Python Development)** section of the authentication skill (lines 9-16 of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md)).

### gcloud Example: Impersonate a Service Account

For scenarios requiring service account impersonation:

```bash

# Use your own user credentials to impersonate a service account

gcloud auth login
gcloud config set account your.email@example.com
gcloud auth activate-service-account \
  --impersonate-service-account=my-sa@my-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com

```

This workflow is outlined in the **Human Authentication** section (lines 70-78 of the same [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md)).

## Infrastructure as Code Examples

Many skills include Terraform configurations in their `references/` folders.

### Spanner Instance Provisioning

From [`skills/cloud/spanner-basics/references/terraform-usage.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/spanner-basics/references/terraform-usage.md) (lines 19-28):

```hcl
resource "google_spanner_instance" "example" {
  name         = "example-instance"
  config       = "regional-us-central1"
  display_name = "Example Spanner Instance"
  node_count   = 1
}

resource "google_spanner_database" "example" {
  name          = "example-database"
  instance_name = google_spanner_instance.example.name
}

```

Apply this configuration with:

```bash
terraform init
terraform apply -var='project_id=my-project'

```

## Kubernetes Configuration Example

The GKE workload scaling skill includes complete YAML manifests in its `assets/` folder.

From [`skills/cloud/gke-workload-scaling/assets/hpa-example.yaml`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/gke-workload-scaling/assets/hpa-example.yaml) (lines 1-20):

```yaml
apiVersion: autoscaling/v2
kind: HorizontalPodAutoscaler
metadata:
  name: example-hpa
spec:
  scaleTargetRef:
    apiVersion: apps/v1
    kind: Deployment
    name: example-deployment
  minReplicas: 1
  maxReplicas: 10
  metrics:
  - type: Resource
    resource:
      name: cpu
      target:
        type: Utilization
        averageUtilization: 50

```

## Key Files in google/skills

| File Path | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| [`README.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md) | Overview, install commands, and complete skill index |
| [`skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth/SKILL.md) | Authentication/authorization guide with runnable Python and `gcloud` examples |
| [`skills/cloud/spanner-basics/references/terraform-usage.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/spanner-basics/references/terraform-usage.md) | Terraform patterns for Spanner provisioning |
| [`skills/cloud/gke-workload-scaling/assets/hpa-example.yaml`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/gke-workload-scaling/assets/hpa-example.yaml) | Production-ready HorizontalPodAutoscaler manifest |
| [`skills/cloud/gke-upgrades/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/skills/cloud/gke-upgrades/SKILL.md) | GKE upgrade workflows with CLI commands and validation steps |

## Summary

- **Installation**: Use `npx skills add google/skills` to make all skills available locally.
- **Discovery**: Run `npx skills list` to browse available skills or consult the [`README.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md) **Available Skills** section.
- **Structure**: Each skill combines a front-matter [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) with supplemental code in `references/` or `assets/` folders.
- **Integration**: Register plugins with your AI agent (Claude, Codex, Antigravity) to enable query-based access to skill content.
- **Execution**: Copy code examples directly from skill files—they are designed to run after completing any prerequisite authentication steps.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the difference between google/skills and a Python package?

`google/skills` contains **Markdown-based recipes** that describe how to use Google Cloud services, not importable code. You install it via the `skills` CLI to make these recipes available to AI agents, then copy code snippets from the skill files into your own projects.

### How do I find the right skill for my use case?

Run `npx skills list` after installation to see all available skills, or browse the **Available Skills** table in [`README.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md). Skills are organized by service (Cloud, GKE, Spanner, etc.) and include descriptive front-matter naming each capability.

### Can I use google/skills without an AI agent?

Yes. While designed for agent integration, the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files and `references/` folders contain standalone documentation and runnable code examples. You can read them directly and execute the included Python, `gcloud`, or Terraform snippets.

### Where are the actual code examples stored?

Concrete examples live in three places: inline within [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files (especially in example sections), `references/` folders (Terraform configurations and CLI guides), and `assets/` folders (complete YAML manifests and configuration files).