# How to Refresh the Tool Index in reverse-skill: Complete Guide > Refresh the tool index in reverse-skill by running the platform specific refresh script. Scan the skills directory and regenerate INDEX md along with the routing cache. - Repository: [ZhaoXu/reverse-skill](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-23 --- **You can refresh the tool index in reverse-skill by running the platform-specific refresh script that scans the `skills/` directory for [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) files and regenerates [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) along with the routing cache.** The reverse-skill repository by zhaoxuya520 maintains a centralized tool index that catalogs every available skill definition. To refresh the tool index in reverse-skill after adding, removing, or modifying capabilities, you execute a maintenance script that rebuilds the metadata catalogue without touching external systems or secrets. ## What Is the Tool Index in reverse-skill? The **tool index** is a generated markdown file located at [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) that serves as the canonical registry of all skills in the repository. According to the reverse-skill source code, the index is constructed by recursively scanning the `skills/` directory for files named [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md), extracting their titles, descriptions, tags, and routing information, and compiling them into a structured reference document. ## How the Refresh Scripts Work When you refresh the tool index in reverse-skill, the automation performs four discrete operations: 1. **Discover skills** – The script recursively walks the `skills/` tree and locates every [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) definition. 2. **Parse metadata** – It extracts the skill’s title, description, tags, and routing configuration from each discovered file. 3. **Generate index** – The script writes a formatted markdown table or list to [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md), replacing the previous version. 4. **Update routing cache** – It regenerates [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json) so the routing engine immediately recognizes new or changed entries. This process is read-only with respect to external resources and only writes to the two output files mentioned above. ## Step-by-Step Instructions to Refresh the Tool Index Choose the command that matches your operating system and run it from the repository root. ### Linux and macOS Execute the Bash implementation that ships with the repository: ```bash bash skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh ``` ### Windows PowerShell For Windows environments, use the PowerShell implementation with bypassed execution policy: ```powershell powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.ps1 ``` ### Kali Linux Kali users can invoke the distribution-specific wrapper that delegates to the main Bash logic: ```bash bash kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh ``` After execution, the terminal displays a brief log indicating how many skill files were processed and confirming that [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) was updated. ## Key Files Involved in the Refresh Process Understanding the file layout helps troubleshoot issues when you refresh the tool index in reverse-skill manually or via CI/CD. - [`skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh) – The Bash implementation of the refresh logic. - `skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.ps1` – The PowerShell implementation for Windows hosts. - [`kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh) – A Kali-specific wrapper that calls the main Bash script. - [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) – The generated tool index consumed by the routing engine. - [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json) – The cached routing configuration regenerated during the refresh. ## Summary - The tool index is stored in [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) and lists every [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) discovered in the `skills/` directory. - Run [`skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh) on Linux/macOS, `skills/scripts/refresh-tool-index.ps1` on Windows, or [`kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/kali/scripts/refresh-tool-index.sh) on Kali to rebuild it. - The process updates [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json) automatically so the routing engine stays synchronized. - The operation is safe and idempotent; it only reads repository files and writes the index and cache. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I modify a skill but don't refresh the tool index? The routing engine continues to use stale metadata from the last generated [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) and [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json). Your changes will not be visible or accessible until you run the refresh script to rebuild the tool index in reverse-skill. ### Is it safe to run the refresh script multiple times? Yes. According to the reverse-skill source code, the refresh scripts are idempotent and only perform read operations on the `skills/` directory followed by writes to [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) and [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json). No external commands or secrets are accessed. ### Do I need special permissions to refresh the tool index? You only need standard filesystem read access to the `skills/` directory and write access to [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) and [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json). No administrative privileges or API keys are required to execute the refresh scripts. ### Can I refresh the tool index manually without the scripts? While possible, manual editing is discouraged because [`skills/INDEX.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/INDEX.md) must maintain strict formatting consistency with the routing expectations in [`skills/config/routing.json`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/skills/config/routing.json). The scripts ensure that both files remain synchronized by parsing the actual [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/SKILL.md) sources rather than relying on hand-edited entries.