---
title: Skills
description: A skill is a Markdown file with a procedure the agent loads when it needs it — yours in the project, or any skill published on skills.sh.
---
# Skills

A **skill** is a folder with a `SKILL.md`: a procedure written for the agent — how you release, how to add a migration, the conventions of your frontend. The agent sees only the list of skill names and descriptions; it reads a skill's content when a task calls for it, so long procedures do not weigh on every conversation.

```
my-project/skills/release/SKILL.md
```

```markdown
---
name: release
description: how we cut a release of this project
---
1. `npm test` must pass.
2. Bump the version in package.json (patch unless told otherwise).
3. `git tag vX.Y.Z && git push --tags` — CI publishes.
```

This is the [Agent Skills](https://agentskills.io) format, so anything on [skills.sh](https://skills.sh) works as is.

## Where skills are found

Later wins: `~/.agents/skills` and `~/.claude/skills` (global) → the skills Lampson ships with → `skills/`, `.agents/skills`, `.claude/skills` of the project → `.lampson/skills/` of the project (local, not committed).

`/skills` lists what the agent can see.

## Installing skills

Ask: *"install the frontend-design skill from anthropics/skills"*. The agent runs the standard installer and **always asks you first** — even in `yolo` — because a skill brings someone else's instructions and scripts onto your machine. Or do it yourself:

```sh
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design       # this project
npx skills add anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design -g    # every project
```