Agent Skills Ecosystem: Distribution & Discovery Guide

A comprehensive reference for distributing AI agent skills across platforms, registries, and communities.

The Agent Skills Standard

Site: https://agentskills.io Spec repo: https://github.com/agentskills/agentskills License: Apache 2.0 (code), CC-BY-4.0 (docs)

Originally developed by Anthropic, now an open standard adopted by 32+ AI coding tools. A skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter and Markdown body.

Minimum Viable Skill

skill-name/
└── SKILL.md

Full Structure

skill-name/
├── SKILL.md           # Required: YAML frontmatter + instructions
├── scripts/           # Optional: executable code
├── references/        # Optional: documentation, templates
└── assets/            # Optional: images, data files

SKILL.md Format

---
name: my-skill              # Required. Lowercase + hyphens, max 64 chars, must match directory name
description: What it does   # Required. Max 1024 chars. Describe what AND when to use it.
license: MIT                # Optional
compatibility: requires curl, jq   # Optional. Max 500 chars.
metadata:                   # Optional. Arbitrary key-value strings.
  author: your-name
  version: "1.0"
---

# Skill Instructions

Markdown body with step-by-step instructions, examples, edge cases.
Recommended: under 500 lines. Put detailed material in references/.

Progressive Disclosure Model

The core architectural principle — skills load in three stages:

Stage	What Loads	When	Token Cost
Metadata	`name` + `description` from frontmatter	Agent startup, for ALL installed skills	~100 tokens per skill
Instructions	Full SKILL.md body	When skill is activated/matched	<5,000 tokens recommended
Resources	Files in `scripts/`, `references/`, `assets/`	Only when the agent needs them	Varies

This means an agent can have hundreds of skills installed with minimal context overhead.

What the Spec Does NOT Define

No centralized registry or discovery API
No versioning scheme or dependency resolution
No installation mechanism
No package manager

Skills are "just files" — distribution is left to each platform's own mechanisms.

Validation

pip install skills-ref
skills-ref validate ./my-skill          # Validate against spec
skills-ref read-properties ./my-skill   # Output frontmatter as JSON
skills-ref to-prompt ./skill1 ./skill2  # Generate <available_skills> XML for system prompts

Platform Adoption

How Each Tool Handles Skills

Platform	Instruction File(s)	Skills Directory	Agent Skills Standard
Claude Code	`SKILL.md` + plugin system	`~/.claude/skills/`, `.claude/skills/`	Creator of the standard
Cursor	`.cursor/rules/*.md`, `.cursorrules` (legacy)	`.cursor/skills/`	Adopter
GitHub Copilot	`.github/copilot-instructions.md`, `AGENTS.md`	`.github/skills/`	Adopter
OpenAI Codex	`AGENTS.md` (3-level hierarchy)	No native skills dir	Adopter
Gemini CLI	`GEMINI.md`, `gemini-extension.json`	`skills/` inside extensions	Adopter
Windsurf	`.windsurf/rules/*.md`, `AGENTS.md`	`.windsurf/skills/`	Adopter
Roo Code	`.roo/rules/*.md`, `.roomodes`, `AGENTS.md`	Via modes	Adopter
Cline	`.clinerules/*.md`, reads `.cursorrules` too	Not natively	Not confirmed
Junie (JetBrains)	—	—	Adopter
Goose (Block)	—	—	Adopter
Amp	—	—	Adopter
OpenHands	—	—	Adopter

Cross-tool convergence: AGENTS.md is becoming a de facto standard file that most tools auto-detect. Supported by Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, Roo Code, and Cline.

Claude Code-Specific Extensions

Claude Code extends the base Agent Skills standard with additional frontmatter fields:

---
name: my-skill
description: What it does
argument-hint: "[company or domain]"       # Shown during autocomplete
disable-model-invocation: true             # Only user can invoke (not Claude)
user-invocable: false                      # Only Claude can invoke (hidden from / menu)
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch  # Tool restrictions when active
model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514            # Model override
context: fork                              # Run in forked subagent
agent: Explore                             # Subagent type for context: fork
---

String substitutions: $ARGUMENTS, $0, $1, !`shell command`

Distribution Channels

1. Claude Code Official Plugin Directory

URL: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-plugins-official Submit at: https://clau.de/plugin-directory-submission (or claude.ai/settings/plugins/submit, platform.claude.com/plugins/submit) Impact: Highest — appears in every Claude Code user's /plugin Discover tab

The official Anthropic-curated marketplace. Contains 51+ vetted plugins across categories:

Code intelligence (11 LSP plugins)
Development workflows (feature-dev, code-review, pr-review-toolkit)
External integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Figma, Vercel, Supabase, Stripe, etc.)
Security (security-guidance, semgrep)

Requirements: Quality and security review for external plugin approval.

User installation:

/plugin install {plugin-name}@claude-plugin-directory

2. Self-Hosted Plugin Marketplace

Any GitHub repo can serve as a plugin marketplace. Add .claude-plugin/marketplace.json:

{
  "$schema": "https://anthropic.com/claude-code/marketplace.schema.json",
  "name": "my-marketplace",
  "owner": { "name": "Your Name", "email": "you@example.com" },
  "metadata": { "description": "Description", "version": "1.0.0" },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "my-plugin",
      "description": "What it does",
      "source": "./",
      "skills": ["./skills/my-skill"]
    }
  ]
}

Plugin sources can be: relative paths, GitHub repos ({"source": "github", "repo": "owner/repo"}), git URLs, npm packages, or pip packages.

User installation:

/plugin marketplace add owner/repo
/plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name

Reserved marketplace names (cannot be used): claude-code-marketplace, claude-code-plugins, claude-plugins-official, anthropic-marketplace, anthropic-plugins, agent-skills, life-sciences.

3. Anthropic Example Skills Marketplace

URL: https://github.com/anthropics/skills Contains: 16 example skills (document processing, creative, development, communication) Also functions as a plugin marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills
/plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills

4. skills.sh — The Open Agent Skills Directory

URL: https://skills.sh Scale: 84,000+ skills listed Install: npx skills add owner/repo

Third-party directory (built by Vercel) with:

Searchable leaderboard (All Time / Trending 24h / Hot)
Install count metrics for ranking
Support for 20+ agent platforms
Top skills have 400K+ installs

5. SkillKit — Cross-Platform Package Manager

URL: https://github.com/rohitg00/skillkit Scale: 15,000+ skills Stars: ~491

"Write once, deploy to 44 agents." Translates between incompatible skill formats.

skillkit install owner/repo              # Install from GitHub
skillkit install gitlab:team/repo        # From GitLab
skillkit translate my-skill --to cursor  # Convert SKILL.md → .mdc
skillkit sync                            # Deploy to all detected agents
skillkit recommend                       # AI suggests skills for your project

Also provides: AI-powered skill generation, session memory capture, MCP server for runtime discovery (port 3737), Chrome extension, TypeScript SDK, Python async client.

6. Gemini CLI Extensions Gallery

URL: https://geminicli.com/extensions Scale: 440+ extensions Install: gemini extensions install https://github.com/owner/repo

Requires a gemini-extension.json manifest wrapping the skill. Searchable gallery with tags (MCP, Context, Skills, Commands, Hooks), star counts, versions, and licenses.

7. AI Skillstore

URL: https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace (also skillstore.io) Stars: ~192

Security-audited marketplace. Automated screening checks for: dangerous code patterns, file system access outside project scope, external network requests, obfuscated code, credential handling. Human review after automated screening.

8. Skills Manager (Desktop App)

URL: https://github.com/jiweiyeah/Skills-Manager Stars: ~294

Desktop app (Tauri 2.0 + React 19) for managing skills across Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode. Symlink-based synchronization, enable/disable per tool. Cross-platform: macOS, Windows, Linux.

9. VS Code Extensions

copilot-mcp (https://github.com/VikashLoomba/copilot-mcp, ~477 stars): VS Code extension for discovering/installing skills from skills.sh with one-click install
vscode-agent-skill-ninja (https://github.com/aktsmm/vscode-agent-skill-ninja): VS Code extension for searching/installing/managing Agent Skills

Curated Awesome Lists

Submit PRs to these for sustained GitHub traffic and backlinks:

List	Stars	Fit for OSINT/Security Skills	URL
awesome-claude-code	~26.1k	Has "Agent Skills" category	`hesreallyhim/awesome-claude-code`
awesome-claude-skills	~8.1k	Has "Individual Skills" section	`travisvn/awesome-claude-skills`
awesome-osint	~25.1k	Domain/IP Research, Technical Intel	`jivoi/awesome-osint`
awesome-agent-skills	~9.1k	500+ skills, organized by source	`VoltAgent/awesome-agent-skills`
antigravity-awesome-skills	~18.8k	Has "Security" category	`sickn33/antigravity-awesome-skills`
awesome-claude-code-subagents	~12.4k	Research & Analysis, Security	`VoltAgent/awesome-claude-code-subagents`
awesome-ai-agents	~26.2k	General agent tools	`e2b-dev/awesome-ai-agents`
awesome-llm-apps	~99.4k	MCP AI Agents section	`Shubhamsaboo/awesome-llm-apps`
awesome-pentest	varies	Dedicated OSINT section	`enaqx/awesome-pentest`
awesome-security	varies	Network recon tools	`sbilly/awesome-security`
awesome-hacker-search-engines	varies	Certificates, Attack Surface	`edoardottt/awesome-hacker-search-engines`

OSINT / Security Tool Directories

Directory	How to Submit	Fit
OSINT Framework (osintframework.com)	GitHub issue on project repo or contact @jnordine	Good — CT and DNS phases align
Rawsec's CyberSecurity Inventory (inventory.raw.pm)	Has a Submit page	Good — accepts recon tools
OSINT Stuff Tool Collection	PR on `cipher387/osint_stuff_tool_collection`	Moderate — specialized but relevant

Community & Social Channels

Forums and Communities

Channel	Approach	Audience Fit
Anthropic Discord (`discord.gg/anthropic`)	Share in skills/projects channel	Excellent — direct Claude Code users
Hacker News (Show HN)	Technical writeup + repo link; post Tue-Thu 9am-12pm ET	Excellent — technical audience
r/ClaudeAI	"I built a skill for..." with demo	Excellent
r/OSINT	Methodology-first post, tool as implementation	Excellent
r/netsec	Technical blog post (strict rules, no promos)	Good
r/cybersecurity	Tool announcement with examples	Good
r/bugbounty	Frame as recon workflow	Good
r/SideProject	Personal project story	Good for initial traction

Blog Platforms

Platform	Tags	Best Format
Dev.to	`osint`, `claude`, `ai`, `security`, `opensource`	Tutorial-style walkthrough
Hashnode	`osint`, `security`	Technical deep-dive on one phase
Medium (InfoSec Write-ups)	`osint`, `cybersecurity`, `ai`	Methodology article

Twitter/X

Hashtags: #OSINT, #ClaudeCode, #CyberSecurity, #InfoSec, #OpenSource, #AIAgents, #CompetitiveIntelligence

Accounts to engage: @AnthropicAI, @projectdiscovery (nuclei/subfinder), @cyb_detective (OSINT curator), @jhaddix (recon methodology), @nahamsec (bug bounty), @jnordine (OSINT Framework)

Launch Platforms

Platform	Fit	Notes
Product Hunt	Moderate	Dev tools category; prepare screenshots/GIFs; launch Tue-Wed
AlternativeTo	Moderate	List as alternative to Maltego, theHarvester
Indie Hackers	Low-Moderate	Better for business/revenue angle

GitHub Discoverability Checklist

Use all 20 topic slots: osint, reconnaissance, claude-code, claude-skills, competitive-intelligence, saas, certificate-transparency, security-research, claude, recon, information-gathering, ai-agent, mcp, cybersecurity, infosec, dns, subdomain-enumeration, open-source, cli, automation
Keyword-rich description (indexed by Google and GitHub search)
Social preview image (1280x640px) — shown when links shared on Twitter/Slack/Discord/LinkedIn
README badges: license, stars, last commit, "Works with Claude Code"
Enable GitHub Discussions — creates indexed Q&A pages
Create a GitHub Release (v1.0.0) — generates additional indexed page
CHANGELOG.md — additional indexed surface, signals active maintenance

Cross-Platform Compatibility Checklist

To maximize reach across all 32+ tools that support Agent Skills:

SKILL.md with valid frontmatter (passes skills-ref validate)
AGENTS.md at repo root (auto-detected by Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, Roo Code, Cline)
.claude-plugin/plugin.json (makes it a proper Claude Code plugin)
.claude-plugin/marketplace.json (makes repo installable as a marketplace)
gemini-extension.json (for Gemini CLI gallery submission)
.cursor/rules/ equivalent (for Cursor users)

Notable Skill Collections for Reference

Collection	Stars	Skills	Install Method
obra/superpowers	~69.6k	20+ dev workflow skills	`/plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace`
alirezarezvani/claude-skills	~2.3k	86 production-ready skills	Multiple methods (plugin, Codex, npx)
anthropics/skills	~82.8k	16 official example skills	`/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills`
K-Dense-AI/claude-scientific-skills	~12.1k	Research/scientific skills	—
yusufkaraaslan/Skill_Seekers	~10.2k	Auto-converts docs to skills	—
TerminalSkills/skills	—	20 cross-platform skills	curl-based install

Prioritized Distribution Playbook

Tier 1 — Official Channels (do first)

Submit to Claude Code official plugin directory (clau.de/plugin-directory-submission)
Add marketplace.json to repo for self-serve plugin install
Submit to skills.sh registry

Tier 2 — High-Impact Lists (do next)

PR to awesome-claude-code (~26.1k stars)
PR to awesome-claude-skills (~8.1k stars)
PR to awesome-osint (~25.1k stars)
PR to awesome-agent-skills (~9.1k stars)

Tier 3 — Community (ongoing)

Show HN post with technical writeup
Post to r/ClaudeAI and r/OSINT
Share on Anthropic Discord
Write Dev.to tutorial article
Submit to SkillKit and Gemini extensions gallery

Tier 4 — Polish and Cross-Platform

Expand GitHub topics to 20
Add social preview image and GitHub Release
Add AGENTS.md and cross-platform config files
Submit to OSINT directories (OSINT Framework, Rawsec)

Last updated: 2026-03-04

zoharbabin/agent-skills-distribution-guide.md