# How to Manually Install the OfficeCLI Skill for Claude Code: A Complete Guide > Manually install the OfficeCLI skill for Claude Code by downloading the SKILL.md file to your Claude skills directory. Unlock AI-powered document manipulation when automatic detection fails. - Repository: [OfficeAI/OfficeCLI](https://github.com/iofficeai/OfficeCLI) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-09 --- **Manually install the OfficeCLI skill for Claude Code by downloading the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) definition file to the `~/.claude/skills/` directory, enabling AI-powered document manipulation when automatic detection fails.** The iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI repository ships with a dedicated skill definition that allows Claude Code to interface with Office documents via natural language. When the automatic installer cannot detect your Claude Code environment, manual installation ensures the `officecli` tool remains available as a JSON-RPC endpoint within your AI coding workflow. ## Download the Skill Definition Fetch the raw [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) file from the official distribution URL or directly from the GitHub repository. This file contains the structured capability description that Claude Code uses to understand OfficeCLI's command interface. Use `curl` to download the file to a temporary location: ```bash curl -fsSL https://officecli.ai/SKILL.md -o ~/officecli_skill.md ``` *The same file is stored in the repository root at* [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md)](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md)*, and the manual installation process is documented in* [[`README.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/README.md)](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/README.md) *at lines 99-104.* ## Install into Claude Code's Skill Directory Claude Code monitors the `~/.claude/skills/` directory for skill definitions. Create this directory if it does not exist, then copy the downloaded file with a descriptive name. ```bash mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills cp ~/officecli_skill.md ~/.claude/skills/officecli.md ``` According to the source documentation in [`README.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/README.md) (lines 99-104), this path represents the default location where Claude Code expects to find local skill files. The filename [`officecli.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/officecli.md) identifies the tool within the Claude Code interface. ## Verify the Installation Open Claude Code and execute an OfficeCLI command to confirm the skill loads correctly. The AI should now expose `officecli` as an available tool. ```bash # List document headings as a test officecli view report.docx annotated ``` If the installation succeeded, Claude Code will route the command through the OfficeCLI binary and return structured JSON output containing the document's heading hierarchy. ## Alternative: MCP Server Registration Instead of using the static skill file, you can register OfficeCLI as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. This approach establishes a persistent RPC connection between Claude Code and the OfficeCLI binary. Run the built-in registration command: ```bash officecli mcp claude ``` This command, implemented in the repository's core logic (referenced in [`README.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/README.md) at lines 71-77), configures Claude Code to communicate with OfficeCLI via the MCP interface rather than parsing the static [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) definition. ## Key Implementation Files Understanding the repository structure helps troubleshoot installation issues: - **[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md)** – The human-readable skill definition consumed by AI agents, located in the repository root. - **[`install.sh`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/install.sh)** – The binary installer that attempts automatic skill detection and placement. - **[`npm/package.json`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/npm/package.json)** – Node SDK metadata for JavaScript/TypeScript integrations. - **[`sdk/python/README.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/sdk/python/README.md)** – Python SDK documentation for programmatic access. ## Summary - **Manual installation** requires copying [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) to `~/.claude/skills/officecli.md` after downloading it from `https://officecli.ai/SKILL.md`. - **Claude Code's skill directory** (`~/.claude/skills/`) is the default location monitored for tool definitions, as documented in the repository's README. - **MCP alternative** provides a dynamic RPC interface via `officecli mcp claude`, bypassing the static file requirement. - **Verification** involves running `officecli view` commands to confirm the AI recognizes the tool. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the SKILL.md file and why does Claude Code need it? The [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) file is a structured capability description that tells Claude Code which commands OfficeCLI supports, their parameters, and expected outputs. Claude Code parses this file to expose the `officecli` tool as a JSON-RPC endpoint without requiring custom plugins. ### Where does Claude Code look for locally installed skills? Claude Code monitors the `~/.claude/skills/` directory for skill files. According to the iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI source documentation (README.md lines 99-104), this path works across macOS and Linux environments. You must create the directory manually if it does not exist. ### Do I need to use the MCP server registration if I manually installed the skill file? No, these are mutually exclusive approaches. The skill file provides static command definitions, while `officecli mcp claude` registers a dynamic server that handles requests via the Model Context Protocol. Use the skill file for simplicity, or the MCP server for real-time tool updates. ### How do I update the OfficeCLI skill when new features are released? Repeat the manual installation steps to overwrite the existing file in `~/.claude/skills/`. Fetch the latest [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/iOfficeAI/OfficeCLI/blob/main/SKILL.md) from `https://officecli.ai/SKILL.md` or pull the updated version from the repository main branch, then copy it to the Claude Code skills directory to refresh the capability definitions.