# skillmd [Health: Active]

**Category:** 💻 Developer Tools  
**Repository:** https://github.com/skillmds/skillmd  
**GitHub Stars:** 144  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 2806  
**Views:** 9  
**Installs:** 0  
**Upvotes:** 0  
**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/skillmd

## Description
Search, fetch, lint, and install Agent Skills (SKILL.md) from the SkillMD registry.

## Tools
Capabilities this server exposes over MCP:

- **skillmd_search** — Search the SkillMD registry of Agent Skills (SKILL.md files) by task, name or keywords. Returns matching skills with their owner/name slug, description, category, safety verdict and install snippet, best match first.
- **skillmd_get** — Fetch one skill by owner/name slug, including its SKILL.md body, provenance (source repo and pinned commit), license, safety verdict and capability flags.
- **skillmd_install** — Install a skill by owner/name slug: validates it, then writes one canonical copy (.agents/skills/<name>) and links it into the chosen agents' skill directories. Never executes scripts. The response reports the skill's capability flags (docs_only, network_calls, executes_scripts, reads_secrets) as information.
- **skillmd_trending** — Top skills on the SkillMD leaderboard, ranked by installs, saves and ratings, optionally within one category and time window.
- **skillmd_recommend** — Recommend skills. With based_on set to a skill's owner/name slug, returns the top skills in that skill's category (excluding itself); without it, returns what is trending over the last 30 days.
- **skillmd_list_saved** — List the signed-in user's saved skills. Requires the SKILLMD_TOKEN environment variable (a SkillMD personal access token).
- **skillmd_lint** — Validate a SKILL.md against the SkillMD format and return diagnostics, capability flags and a 0-100 quality score. Pass raw SKILL.md content, or a registry slug (owner/name) to fetch and lint that skill.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "skillmd": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","skillmds"]
  }
}
```

## Documentation

## What skillmd MCP server does

The skillmd MCP server exposes the SkillMD Agent Skills registry to MCP clients. Agent Skills are directories containing a `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter and Markdown instructions that compatible agents load when needed.

The server covers the main registry workflow: find skills by task or keyword, inspect a specific skill, assess its format and capabilities, review popular or related entries, and install a selected skill. Registry records can include descriptions, categories, licenses, provenance, safety verdicts, capability flags, and installation snippets.

Installation creates a canonical copy under `.agents/skills/<name>` and links it into the selected agents’ skill directories. It validates the skill before writing it and does not execute scripts. Capability information such as network access, script execution, secret access, and documentation-only status is returned for review.

## How it works

A local deployment runs through the `skillmds` npm package and communicates over MCP using standard input and output. The hosted deployment is available as a streamable HTTP MCP endpoint at `https://api.skillmd.com/mcp`.

Search accepts a task, name, or keyword and returns matching registry entries with the strongest match first. Retrieval uses an owner/name slug and returns the skill body along with source repository and pinned-commit provenance, license data, safety results, and capability flags.

Linting accepts either raw `SKILL.md` content or a registry slug. Results include diagnostics, a quality score from 0 to 100, and capability classifications. Recommendations can be based on a particular skill’s category or on skills trending during the previous 30 days. Trending results can be narrowed by category and time window.

## Setup and configuration

Install the package globally with npm:

```bash
npm i -g skillmds
```

A local MCP client can start the server with `npx -y skillmds`. For example, Claude Code can register it with:

```bash
claude mcp add skillmd -- npx -y skillmds
```

Other MCP clients use an equivalent server entry with `npx` as the command and `-y skillmds` as its arguments. The hosted endpoint can be used instead when the client supports streamable HTTP.

The saved-skills tool requires a SkillMD personal access token in the `SKILLMD_TOKEN` environment variable. Other registry operations do not require an account according to the documented quick-start flow.

## Tools and capabilities

- `skillmd_search` finds registry skills by task, name, or keywords and returns descriptions, categories, safety verdicts, slugs, and install snippets.
- `skillmd_get` retrieves a skill’s `SKILL.md`, provenance, license, safety verdict, and capability flags.
- `skillmd_install` validates and installs a skill, writes its canonical copy, and links it into selected agent directories without running scripts.
- `skillmd_trending` reports leaderboard entries ranked by installs, saves, and ratings, with optional category and time-window filters.
- `skillmd_recommend` suggests related skills by category or returns recent trending skills.
- `skillmd_list_saved` lists the authenticated user’s saved skills.
- `skillmd_lint` validates supplied or registry-fetched SKILL.md content and reports diagnostics, capability flags, and a quality score.

## Limitations and notes

The server manages Agent Skills rather than arbitrary agent plugins or application APIs. Installation writes files and links them into agent skill directories; it does not run scripts bundled with a skill. The capability flags are presented as information for the agent or developer, including `docs_only`, `network_calls`, `executes_scripts`, and `reads_secrets`.

The saved-skills operation depends on `SKILLMD_TOKEN`. A registry slug uses the `owner/name` format. The broader SkillMD project also supports CLI and GitHub Action workflows, but those are separate from the MCP tools described here.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/skillmd/readme_