# Purpose of the humanlayer/skills Repository: A Collection of Claude Code Skills > Discover the humanlayer/skills repository, a collection of Claude Code skills. Easily extend Claude with domain-specific capabilities for your projects using a simple npx command. - Repository: [HumanLayer/skills](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills) - Tags: overview - Published: 2026-09-12 --- **The humanlayer/skills repository is a collection of Claude Code skills that can be added to any project with a single `npx` command, bundling prompts, memory files, GitHub Actions workflows, and reference templates to extend Claude with domain-specific capabilities.** The **humanlayer/skills** repository serves as an open-source plugin ecosystem designed to enhance Anthropic's Claude Code with specialized, reusable capabilities. Instead of writing custom prompts for every project, developers can install pre-built skills that provide contextual knowledge for specific tasks. Understanding the purpose of the **humanlayer/skills** repository helps teams standardize their AI-assisted development workflows across multiple codebases. ## What Is the humanlayer/skills Repository? The **humanlayer/skills** repository functions as a centralized collection of **Claude Code skills**—modular extensions that augment Claude's ability to understand and manipulate code. Each skill operates as a self-contained package containing the prompts, memory files, and automation workflows necessary to perform specific development tasks. According to the source code structure, skills are organized under the `plugins/` directory, with each skill maintaining its own subdirectory containing documentation, metadata, and executable components. The repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/README.md) serves as the primary entry point, documenting the universal installation command and cataloging available skills. ## Core Skills Available in humanlayer/skills The repository currently maintains five distinct skills, each targeting specific development workflows: ### improve-claude-md The `improve-claude-md` skill rewrites a project's [`CLAUDE.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/CLAUDE.md) file using `` blocks to make instructions clearer for Claude. Located at [`plugins/improve-claude-md/skills/improve-claude-md/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/improve-claude-md/skills/improve-claude-md/SKILL.md), this skill analyzes existing documentation and restructures it for optimal LLM comprehension. ### narrow-react-prop-types Found at [`plugins/narrow-react-prop-types/skills/narrow-react-prop-types/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/narrow-react-prop-types/skills/narrow-react-prop-types/SKILL.md), this skill narrows React component prop-type definitions to match actual runtime code paths. It reduces over-generalization from static analysis tools by including response templates and memory files that guide Claude toward more precise type definitions. ### build-iterated-agentic-loop This skill generates a local skill plus an iterated coding-agent workflow using GitHub Actions. Stored at [`plugins/build-iterated-agentic-loop/skills/build-iterated-agentic-loop/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/build-iterated-agentic-loop/skills/build-iterated-agentic-loop/SKILL.md), it provides workflow YAML files, prompt templates, and TypeScript helpers for implementing continuous improvement loops in agentic systems. ### design-control-loop The `design-control-loop` skill guides an interactive interview to design custom agentic control loops (sensor, controller, actuator, disturbances). Located at [`plugins/design-control-loop/skills/design-control-loop/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/design-control-loop/skills/design-control-loop/SKILL.md), it scaffolds resulting components and workflows while supplying interview prompts and complete example implementations. ### show-me This skill generates concise diagrams, code-shape sketches, and focused HTML artifacts to explain current topics. Found at [`plugins/show-me/skills/show-me/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/show-me/skills/show-me/SKILL.md), it offers a simple `/show-me` command that returns visual explanations for complex concepts. ## Architecture and File Structure All skills in the **humanlayer/skills** repository share a common architecture that ensures consistency and discoverability: 1. **[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md)** – A markdown manifest describing the skill, CLI invocation command, and usage examples (e.g., [`plugins/improve-claude-md/skills/improve-claude-md/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/improve-claude-md/skills/improve-claude-md/SKILL.md)). 2. **[`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json)** – Metadata enabling discovery by the Claude plugin system (e.g., [`plugins/design-control-loop/.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/design-control-loop/.claude-plugin/plugin.json)). 3. **Reference assets** – Prompt templates (`*.md`), memory files (`*.md` / `*.yml`), workflow definitions (`*.yml`), and optional TypeScript helpers (`*.ts`). 4. **Installation entry point** – The repository's top-level [`README.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/README.md) explains the universal install command and lists available skills. ## How to Install and Use Skills Installing skills from the **humanlayer/skills** repository requires only the `npx` command. Once installed, skills are invoked using slash commands within your repository. To install a specific skill: ```bash npx skills add humanlayer/skills --skill improve-claude-md ``` After installation, invoke the skill using its designated command: ```bash /improve-claude-md ``` Additional installation examples include: ```bash # Adding the design-control-loop skill npx skills add humanlayer/skills --skill design-control-loop /design-control-loop ``` ```bash # Using the show-me skill for visual explanations npx skills add humanlayer/skills --skill show-me /show-me ``` The `design-control-loop` command runs an interactive interview and scaffolds the control loop components, while `/show-me` returns diagrams and HTML snippets for the current topic. ## Summary - The **humanlayer/skills** repository provides pre-built Claude Code skills installable via `npx skills add humanlayer/skills --skill `. - Each skill follows a standardized structure including [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) documentation, [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) metadata, and reference assets. - Available skills cover documentation improvement, React prop-type narrowing, agentic loop construction, control loop design, and visual explanation generation. - Skills are invoked through slash commands (e.g., `/improve-claude-md`, `/show-me`) after installation. - The architecture supports extensibility, allowing developers to plug domain-specific capabilities directly into any codebase. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Claude Code and how does it relate to the humanlayer/skills repository? Claude Code is Anthropic's LLM-powered coding assistant. The **humanlayer/skills** repository extends Claude Code by providing modular skills that inject domain-specific knowledge and automated workflows into the assistant, eliminating the need to write custom prompts for repetitive tasks. ### How do I install a skill from the humanlayer/skills repository? Use the `npx skills add humanlayer/skills --skill ` command, replacing `` with the identifier of the desired skill (e.g., `improve-claude-md` or `design-control-loop`). After installation, invoke the skill using its slash command prefix (e.g., `/improve-claude-md`). ### Can I create custom skills using this repository as a template? Yes. The repository's architecture, including the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) manifest structure and [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) metadata format, serves as a reference implementation for creating custom Claude Code skills. Study the reference assets in `plugins/*/skills/*/references/` for implementation patterns. ### What file format defines a skill's metadata and commands? Each skill defines its metadata and commands in a **[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/SKILL.md)** file located within the skill's directory (e.g., [`plugins/show-me/skills/show-me/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/plugins/show-me/skills/show-me/SKILL.md)). Additionally, the [`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](https://github.com/humanlayer/skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/plugin.json) file provides machine-readable metadata for plugin discovery and integration.