How to Install the google/skills Repository: Complete Setup Guide

The google/skills repository installs in seconds using npx skills add google/skills, which downloads an interactive installer that lets you cherry-pick only the skills you need.

The google/skills repository is Google's official collection of Agent Skills—ready-to-use Markdown-based instructions and supporting assets for AI agents and developer workflows. This guide covers every installation method supported by the codebase, from the quick-start CLI installer to plugin integrations for popular agent harnesses.

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Prerequisites

Before installing google/skills, ensure you have:

• Node.js 16+ with npm (required for npx)
• A supported agent runtime if using plugin mode (Claude Code, Codex, or Antigravity CLI)

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Install google/skills Using the Primary Installer

The recommended method uses the skills.sh installer wrapped by an npx command. According to the [README.md](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md), this approach avoids cloning the entire repository.

npx skills add google/skills

This command performs three operations internally:

1. Fetches the skills npm package published by Google
2. Clones google/skills into a temporary scratch directory
3. Presents an interactive menu of available skills parsed from the README's "Available Skills" table

Select skills by entering comma-separated numbers. The installer then copies only those skill directories—complete with Markdown definitions and supporting assets—into your current working directory while preserving the repository's folder structure (e.g., skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth).

Example Session

$ npx skills add google/skills

# 1) Authenticating to Google Cloud

# 2) Google Cloud Recipe: Foundation Builder

# 3) GKE App Onboarding

# …

> 1,3,7

# Selected skills copied to ./skills/

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Install as a Plugin for Claude Code

For Claude Code users, the [README.md](https://github.com/google/skills/blob/main/README.md) documents a native plugin workflow:

claude plugin marketplace add google/skills
claude plugin install cloud-run-basics@google-plugins

The first command registers Google's skills marketplace. The second installs a specific skill (here, cloud-run-basics) as a loadable plugin that Claude Code's runtime can invoke.

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Install as a Plugin for Codex

OpenAI Codex supports the same marketplace pattern per the source documentation:

codex plugin marketplace add google/skills

Then browse the /plugins interface to select and install individual skills.

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Install as a Plugin for Antigravity CLI

Antigravity (agy) uses direct URL-based installation:

agy plugin install https://github.com/google/skills/<plugin-path>

Replace <plugin-path> with the directory path to your target skill (e.g., tree/main/skills/cloud/cloud-run-basics).

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What Gets Installed: Repository Structure

Understanding the google/skills layout helps you locate files post-installation. Key paths referenced in the source:

Path	Contents
README.md	Installation commands, skill inventory, plugin instructions
skills/cloud/google-cloud-recipe-auth/SKILL.md	Core skill definition (Markdown instructions for the agent)
skills/cloud/gke-app-onboarding/assets/package.json	Bundled runtime dependencies
skills/cloud/agent-platform-alert-configuration/scripts/config_utils.py	Supporting utilities referenced by skills

Each skill is a self-contained directory with:

• SKILL.md — the agent-facing instructions
• assets/ — optional runtime files (configs, packages, templates)
• scripts/ — optional helper utilities

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Using Installed Skills Programmatically

Once installed, skills are standard Markdown files you can load into any LLM pipeline:

from pathlib import Path

skill_path = Path("skills/cloud/cloud-run-basics/SKILL.md")
with open(skill_path, "r") as f:
    skill_content = f.read()

# Inject skill_content into your prompt or agent context

This pattern works with LangChain, OpenAI API, Anthropic SDK, or custom orchestrators.

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Summary

• npx skills add google/skills — primary one-command installer with interactive selection
• Plugin workflows — claude plugin, codex plugin, or agy plugin install for native agent integration
• Cherry-picked installation — copy only needed skills instead of full repository clone
• Standard structure — each skill contains SKILL.md plus optional assets/ and scripts/

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to clone the google/skills repository manually?

No. The npx skills add google/skills command handles temporary cloning internally. You interact only with the installer and receive only the selected skill files in your working directory.

Can I install google/skills without Node.js?

Not for the primary installer. The npx wrapper requires npm. Alternative: clone the repository directly with git clone https://github.com/google/skills.git and manually copy skill files, though this forfeits the interactive selection workflow.

Are google/skills updates automatic?

No. Re-run npx skills add google/skills to pull the latest skill definitions. Plugin-based installations may support version pinning or automatic updates depending on your agent harness.

What license covers google/skills usage?

The repository operates under Google's standard open-source license. Check the repository's LICENSE file for specific terms; skills themselves are designed for unrestricted agent guidance use.

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