How to Integrate PM Skills with Cursor: Complete Setup Guide

Yes, PM Skills integrates with Cursor by copying the markdown skill files from the repository into a .cursor/skills/ directory in your project root, requiring no plugins or runtime dependencies.

The phuryn/pm-skills repository packages product management expertise as portable, markdown-based skills. Because these files use a universal format readable by any AI assistant, PM Skills Cursor integration is achieved through a simple filesystem copy operation rather than a complex API or extension installation.

How PM Skills Cursor Integration Works

According to the phuryn/pm-skills source code, the integration relies entirely on file placement. In README.md (lines 115-121), the documentation explicitly lists the Cursor integration method as copying skill folders to .cursor/skills/. Similarly, CLAUDE.md (lines 7-9) confirms that these skills are compatible with Cursor, Gemini CLI, and Codex CLI.

The skills themselves are plain markdown files stored within each plugin's skills/ directory. For example, pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md contains the actual skill definition. Because Cursor can parse these universal skill definitions directly from the filesystem, no compilation, build step, or third-party library is required.

Setting Up PM Skills in Cursor

You can populate the .cursor/skills/ directory using any of these three methods:

Bash One-Liner for Unix Systems

When working in a Unix-like environment, run this shell script from the root of your cloned pm-skills repository:

# From the root of the cloned pm-skills repo

for plugin in pm-*/; do
  mkdir -p .cursor/skills/
  cp -r "$plugin/skills/"* .cursor/skills/ 2>/dev/null
done

This loop iterates over each plugin directory (pm-toolkit, pm-product-strategy, etc.), creates the hidden .cursor/skills/ folder if it does not exist, and copies all skill markdown files into it. After execution, Cursor automatically detects these skills during the next AI-assisted session.

npm Script for Cross-Platform Projects

For Node.js projects, add this entry to your package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "cursor:install": "mkdir -p .cursor/skills && find pm-*/skills -type f -name \"*.md\" -exec cp {} .cursor/skills/ \\;"
  }
}

Execute the installation with:

npm run cursor:install

This method provides a repeatable, cross-platform way to install skills that can be committed to version control and shared across your team.

Python Helper for Python-Based Workflows

If your project already uses Python, create install_cursor_skills.py:

import pathlib, shutil

root = pathlib.Path.cwd()
target = root / ".cursor" / "skills"
target.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)

for skill_file in root.glob("pm-*/skills/*.md"):
    shutil.copy2(skill_file, target)

Run the script with python install_cursor_skills.py to place the skill files where Cursor expects them.

Understanding the File Structure

The integration depends on specific paths within the phuryn/pm-skills repository:

• README.md (lines 115-121): Documents the copy-to-.cursor/skills/ method for Cursor integration
• CLAUDE.md (lines 7-9): Confirms compatibility with Cursor and other AI agents
• pm-*/skills/*.md: The actual skill definitions (e.g., pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md) that Cursor consumes
• .cursor/skills/ (generated): The destination directory where Cursor looks for skill files

Universal Compatibility with AI Assistants

While this guide focuses on Cursor, the same markdown skill files work with Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Kiro, and other AI assistants. Each platform simply expects the files in a different directory (e.g., .cursor/skills/ for Cursor), but the underlying skill format remains identical across all implementations as noted in the repository documentation.

Summary

• PM Skills Cursor integration works by copying markdown skill files to .cursor/skills/ in your project root
• The repository phuryn/pm-skills stores skills in plugin-specific skills/ directories (e.g., pm-toolkit/skills/)
• No runtime dependencies, plugins, or compilation steps are required for the integration
• You can automate the copy process using Bash, npm scripts, or Python depending on your workflow
• Cursor automatically loads these skills on the next AI-assisted session startup

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PM Skills require a Cursor plugin to work?

No. PM Skills does not require a Cursor plugin or any runtime dependency. The integration is file-system based—simply copying the markdown skill files from the phuryn/pm-skills repository into your project's .cursor/skills/ directory enables Cursor to read and invoke them immediately.

What file format does Cursor expect for PM Skills?

Cursor expects plain markdown files (.md) containing the skill definitions. These files are located in the skills/ subdirectories of each plugin within the repository (e.g., pm-toolkit/skills/review-resume/SKILL.md). The universal format is readable by any AI assistant, not just Cursor.

Can I use PM Skills with other AI IDEs besides Cursor?

Yes. According to CLAUDE.md (lines 7-9) and README.md (lines 115-121), the skills are compatible with Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Kiro, and other agents. Each IDE requires copying the files to a specific directory (such as .cursor/skills/ for Cursor), but the underlying markdown skill files work across all platforms.

Where should I place the skill files in my Cursor project?

Place the skill files in a .cursor/skills/ directory at your project root. This hidden directory is where Cursor looks for skill definitions. You can populate it by copying files from the various pm-*/skills/ directories in the cloned phuryn/pm-skills repository.

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