Where to Find Documentation for google/skills: Complete Guide to Google's Learning Modules

You can find all documentation for google/skills directly in the repository itself, with the root README.md, individual SKILL.md files in each learning module, and language-specific reference files under references/ directories.

The google/skills repository contains self-contained, step-by-step learning modules (called Skills) that help developers get started with Google Cloud services, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and more. All documentation is embedded in the repository—no external documentation site is required.

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Primary Documentation Entry Points

The google/skills documentation follows a consistent three-tier structure. Here are the files you need to know:

File	Purpose	Location
Root README	Repository overview, contribution guidelines, and browsing instructions	README.md
SKILL.md	Core tutorial for each learning module (machine-readable, executable)	skills/<category>/<skill>/SKILL.md
Reference docs	Language-specific code snippets (Python, Java, Go, Ruby, etc.)	skills/<category>/<skill>/references/*.md

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How Documentation Is Organized in google/skills

1. Category Folders

Skills are grouped by service domain under the skills/ directory:

skills/
├── ads/           # Google Ads tutorials

├── analytics/     # Google Analytics tutorials

└── cloud/         # Google Cloud Platform tutorials

2. Individual Skill Sub-Folders

Each Skill focuses on a concrete use-case. For example, google-ads-api-quickstart contains everything needed to get started with the Google Ads API.

3. SKILL.md: The Core Tutorial

Every Skill includes a SKILL.md file written in a machine-readable format that can be:

• Rendered as a web page
• Consumed by the Skills runner for automated execution

According to the google/skills source code, this file serves as the single source of truth for each learning module.

4. References Directory

The optional references/ folder contains per-language implementations. Path example: skills/ads/google-ads-api-quickstart/references/python.md

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Walking Through a Real Skill: Google Ads API Quickstart

Here's how documentation for google/skills works in practice. The following code mirrors the steps documented in skills/ads/google-ads-api-quickstart/SKILL.md and its companion reference file.

# Step 1️⃣: Install the Google Ads client library

# (see references/python.md for exact version)

!pip install google-ads==<VERSION>

# Step 2️⃣: Create configuration file (google-ads.yaml)

# Required fields are documented in the reference file

config = """
developer_token: INSERT_DEVELOPER_TOKEN_HERE
client_id: INSERT_OAUTH2_CLIENT_ID_HERE
client_secret: INSERT_OAUTH2_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE
refresh_token: INSERT_REFRESH_TOKEN_HERE
login_customer_id: INSERT_LOGIN_CUSTOMER_ID_HERE
"""
with open("google-ads.yaml", "w") as f:
    f.write(config)

# Step 3️⃣: Execute a live query using the client

from google.ads.googleads.client import GoogleAdsClient

client = GoogleAdsClient.load_from_storage("google-ads.yaml")
service = client.get_service("GoogleAdsService")

query = """
    SELECT campaign.id, campaign.name
    FROM campaign
    ORDER BY campaign.id
    LIMIT 5
"""
response = service.search_stream(customer_id="INSERT_CUSTOMER_ID", query=query)

for row in response:
    print(f"Campaign {row.campaign.id}: {row.campaign.name}")

Each numbered comment corresponds directly to a step in the Skill's markdown file. You can find the complete tutorial at: skills/ads/google-ads-api-quickstart/SKILL.md

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Essential Files to Bookmark

Bookmark these paths to navigate google/skills documentation efficiently:

• README.md — Repository entry point and navigation guide
• skills/<category>/<skill>/SKILL.md — Core tutorial for every Skill (example: skills/analytics/google-analytics-data-api-basics/SKILL.md)
• skills/<category>/<skill>/references/*.md — Language-specific implementations (example: skills/ads/google-ads-api-quickstart/references/python.md)
• CONTRIBUTING.md — Guidelines for creating or updating Skills
• plugins/cloud/data-agent-kit/README.md — Documentation for the optional Data Agent Kit plugin that executes Skills in cloud-native environments

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Summary

• All google/skills documentation lives in the repository—no external site needed
• Start with the root README.md for orientation
• Find tutorials in skills/<category>/<skill>/SKILL.md files
• Locate language-specific code in references/ subdirectories
• Use CONTRIBUTING.md to understand how to add new Skills

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does google/skills have external documentation or a dedicated website?

No. All documentation for google/skills is self-contained within the repository. The SKILL.md files use a machine-readable format that can be rendered as web pages, but the source files themselves serve as the canonical documentation.

What is the difference between SKILL.md and files in the references folder?

SKILL.md contains the conceptual tutorial—step-by-step instructions written in a machine-readable format. The references/ directory contains language-specific implementations of those steps (Python, Java, Go, Ruby, etc.). You need both: SKILL.md explains what to do, while reference files show exactly how to code it.

How do I find a specific Skill for Google Cloud or Google Ads?

Browse the skills/ directory by category. Google Cloud Skills are under skills/cloud/, Google Ads Skills under skills/ads/, and Google Analytics Skills under skills/analytics/. Each subfolder name describes the use-case (e.g., google-ads-api-quickstart).

Can I contribute new Skills or improve existing documentation?

Yes. The CONTRIBUTING.md file in the repository root contains the complete guidelines for adding new Skills, updating existing SKILL.md files, and submitting reference implementations in additional programming languages.

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