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 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 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:

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), and the manual installation process is documented in [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.

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp ~/officecli_skill.md ~/.claude/skills/officecli.md

According to the source documentation in README.md (lines 99-104), this path represents the default location where Claude Code expects to find local skill files. The filename 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.

# 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:

officecli mcp claude

This command, implemented in the repository's core logic (referenced in README.md at lines 71-77), configures Claude Code to communicate with OfficeCLI via the MCP interface rather than parsing the static SKILL.md definition.

Key Implementation Files

Understanding the repository structure helps troubleshoot installation issues:

• SKILL.md – The human-readable skill definition consumed by AI agents, located in the repository root.
• install.sh – The binary installer that attempts automatic skill detection and placement.
• npm/package.json – Node SDK metadata for JavaScript/TypeScript integrations.
• sdk/python/README.md – Python SDK documentation for programmatic access.

Summary

• Manual installation requires copying 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 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 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.

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