How to Use Awesome Claude Skills: Choose, Install, and Audit 1,000+ Skills

ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills has collected over 1,000 Claude Skills and Plugins, covering document processing, code development, data analysis, marketing, writing, and external application connections. The repository explains that these resources are not limited to Claude.ai and Claude Code; some can also be used for Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and other SKILL.md-supporting agents.

This repository is suitable for finding tools, but not for “installing everything.” The items in the list come from different authors, so directory structure, script dependencies, permission scopes, and maintenance status are not consistent. The correct approach is to first identify the task, then select a skill, read the full instructions and script, and finally test it in the directory recognized by the current client.

Quick Answer

Clone the repository first and find candidate skills through directory or text search; Check SKILL.md, reference scripts, install commands, licenses, and recent maintenance records; After confirming it supports the current agent, install only one user-level or project-level Skills directory. The first run should be done in the test repository and observe whether it reads keys, calls the network, or executes destructive commands.

Don’t assume that every project in a repository is audited just because it’s Awesome.

Clone and Search the Repository

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git clone https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills.git
cd awesome-claude-skills

In Windows PowerShell, you can first search by file name:

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Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter SKILL.md

Then search for README according to your needs. For example, look for testing-related resources:

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rg -n -i "playwright|webapp testing|test-driven" README.md .

Searching for database or research skills:

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rg -n -i "postgres|deep research|data analysis" README.md .

Many entries in the list point to links to other GitHub repositories and are not necessarily included in the current clone directory. Before installation, you should access the original project and read its own README and SKILL.md.

Skill, Plugin, and MCP should not be confused

A Skill may require calling an MCP, and a Plugin may also come with a Skill. When you see “Claude supported,” continue to confirm whether it is Claude.ai, Claude Code, or only supports a certain older plugin system.

How to Choose Skills Worth Installing

It is recommended to filter in the following order:

1. Is the problem specific?: For example, testing web pages, using read-only query PostgreSQL, or generating architecture diagrams is easier to verify than “making AI smarter.”
2. Is the trigger conditions clear?: A good skill will specify which tasks should be used and which situations should not.
3. Check the steps: Commands, files, and outputs should be locally verified.
4. Is the permission minimum required: Read-only tasks should not require writing to the entire disk or an unrestricted access key.
5. Is the project maintained: Check recent commits, issues, and dependencies.
6. Duplicates: When the client already has similar skills, compare the rules first and avoid installing multiple conflicting versions at the same time.

How should resources in the repository be categorized and browsed?

The Awesome list is very long, so flipping directly from the top is inefficient. You can narrow down the scope by type of work first:

Search results should be distinguished from three sources:

1. Directories directly contained in the current repository;
2. README points to skills in other GitHub repositories;
3. Requires a commercial API, MCP Gateway, or plugin for a third-party account.

Only the first method allows direct auditing in the current directory. The second method requires continuing to open the source repository, and the third method also checks the data processing and authorization scope of external services.

Compare candidates with an audit form

When multiple similar skills are found at the same time, you can create a simple table:

Prioritize versions with clear behavioral boundaries, fewer steps, and local verification. Stars count, README length, and project names cannot replace these checks.

Install on Claude Code or Codex

The directories may vary depending on the client and version, so you should first check the current client documentation. A common structure is to place a complete Skills directory into the user-level or project-level Skills directory:

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<skills-root>/example-skill/
├── SKILL.md
├── scripts/
└── references/

Don’t just copy SKILL.md without missing the referenced scripts, references, or templates. Also, don’t copy the entire awesome repository as a single Skill directory, or the Agent will load a large amount of irrelevant documentation.

After installation, use a clear task test. For example, test webpage skills, allowing agents to check a button on the local test site; database skills first connect to read-only test libraries. After confirming the output is correct, consider placing them in the global directory.

How to choose between project-level and user-level installations

Project-level skills are suitable for team rules and repository-specific processes, such as test commands, directory structures, and deployment checks; User-level skills are suitable for cross-project reuse with stable capabilities, such as DOCX cleanup or general browser operations.

For new skills installed from the Awesome list, it is recommended to first enter the temporary testing directory before moving to the project level; Only consider the user level after stable use for a period.

If the Skill is submitted with the project, the SKILL.md should be reviewed as an executable workflow in Code Review, rather than a regular document. Although it is a Markdown, it may instruct the Agent to execute terminal commands, call external services, and modify files.

What should a qualified SKILL.md include?

The repository’s contribution guide requires Skills to solve real problems, clearly state usage, provide examples, conduct testing, confirm before destructive operations, and strive to be cross-platform. The recommended structure includes:

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---
name: example-skill
description: 说明做什么，以及何时使用。
---

# Example Skill

## When to Use This Skill
## What This Skill Does
## How to Use
## Example
## Tips
## Common Use Cases

When checking candidates, if there is only a vague description without trigger conditions, steps, examples, or failure handling, direct installation is not suitable. For skills with scripts, script input, output, and dependencies should also be specified.

Cross-client migration checklist

When moving Claude Code Skills to Codex or Cursor, check item by item:

• Whether the front matter field is recognized by the target client;
• Whether the root directory of Skills matches the project-level directory;
• Whether tool names such as Read, Write, Bash need to be rewritten;
• Whether the slash command is a Claude Code dedicated mechanism;
• Whether the Hook event name exists on the target client;
• Whether the MCP configuration format and transmission method are the same;
• Whether the referenced relative paths are still based on the Skill directory;
• Whether Windows commands use the Bash path and quotes incorrectly;
• Whether it depends on sub-agents or browser tools not provided by the current client.

Pure work-method Skills are usually the easiest to migrate; Skills that heavily depend on Hooks, Plugins, or specialized tool names need to be rewritten rather than copied.

Safety inspection before installation

1. Read the full SKILL.md

Focus on these behaviors:

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rg -n -i "remove-item|rm -rf|curl|invoke-webrequest|ssh|token|api.key|password|credential" .\path\to\skill

A hit does not equal malice, but the explanation requires understanding why it uses the network, key, or delete command.

2. Check the auxiliary script

Confirm the script won’t:

• Scan user directories unrelated to the task;
• Upload environment variables or configurations to external services;
• Using unconfirmed recursive deletions;
• Automatically modifying Git history or pushing remote ends;
• Installing unknown binary files in the background;
• Requests to disable antivirus software or bypass system security policies.

3. Check key processing

API keys should be placed in environment variables, client key stores, or .env, and ensure .env have joined the .gitignore. Do not write keys directly into SKILL.md, sample commands, or configuration files to be committed.

4. First, run it in the test repository

Execute before the first run:

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git status --short

After running, run the same command again to check which files it created, modified, or deleted. For skills that call external APIs, also confirm the requested domain name and the range of data sent.

5. Check for symbolic links and hidden files

After cloning the third-party repository, the following actions are executed:

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Get-ChildItem -Force -Recurse .\path\to\skill | Select-Object FullName,Attributes,LinkType,Target

Make sure Skill does not jump outside the repository via symbolic links, nor does it carry extra startup scripts in hidden directories.

6. Check the dependency locking method

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Get-ChildItem -Recurse .\path\to\skill -Include requirements*.txt,pyproject.toml,package.json,package-lock.json,pnpm-lock.yaml,uv.lock

If the script automatically installs the “latest” dependency at runtime, the results may change over time. Prioritize skills with locked files, version constraints, or those that do not require additional dependencies.

How to Verify a Skill Is Truly Effective

Do not use “Agent looks better to answer” as the sole criterion. Use the same task before and after installation, and record:

1. Whether it is triggered correctly;
2. Whether necessary files are read instead of traversing the entire repository;
3. Whether the inspections stated in the declaration have been carried out;
4. Whether verifiable output is generated;
5. Whether failure is clearly reported;
6. Whether content outside the scope of the task has been modified;
7. Whether tool calls and tokens have significantly increased.

For example, a code review skill can prepare a small repository containing three known issues, compare how many problems it can find, whether it provides bug fixes, and whether it has arbitrarily refactored irrelevant files.

Update, Rollback, and Uninstall

Do not let third-party Skills update automatically in the background. Retain sources and versions:

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source: https://github.com/example/example-skill
revision: <commit hash>
installed: 2026-07-26

Comparison of differences before the upgrade:

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git fetch origin
git diff <old-commit>..<new-commit> -- SKILL.md scripts

If a new version expands permissions, adds network requests, or changes destructive operations, the full testing process should be redone.

When uninstalling, delete the clear Skill directory and restart the client. Before deleting, make sure the path is located in the root directory of the target Skills; do not use fuzzy wildcards for recursive cleanup. If the project configuration also references the Skill, Hook, or MCP Server, remove the reference simultaneously.

How to handle common conflicts

Both Skills will be triggered by the same task

Narrow the trigger conditions in the description, or keep only one. Don’t rely on the Agent to choose the correct version every time.

Skill requirements conflict with project specifications

Project-level rules should explicitly cover the common skill. For example, a general skill requires running npm test, but the repository actually uses pnpm test, so the reason should be corrected and recorded in the project replica.

Skill shares the same name as the MCP tool

Distinguish between “workflow name” and “actual tool name,” and rename skills if necessary. Otherwise, when a user says “use postgres,” the agent may not be able to determine whether a read-only SQL skill is loaded or directly calls PostgreSQL MCP.

Create your own skill backward from the list

If the candidates are too broad, you can refer to the contribution template to create a small project skill:

1. Write down a real, recurring problem;
2. List trigger conditions and inapplicable situations;
3. Limit the process to 5–10 verifiable steps;
4. Clearly define the scope of read, modifying, and executing permitted items;
5. Provide a normal example and a failed example;
6. Operate in the test repository;
7. Then decide whether to submit to the team repository or Awesome list.

Small, specific skills are usually more reliable and easier to audit than the “universal developer assistant.”

What is the connect-apps plugin?

The repository README provides a connect-apps plugin example that connects to external applications such as email, issue, Slack, and more via the Composio MCP Gateway. The official sample command is:

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claude --plugin-dir ./connect-apps-plugin

Then run it in Claude:

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/connect-apps:setup

These plugins can perform real external operations and are riskier than Skills, which only generate text. During testing, low-privilege accounts are used, accessible apps are restricted, and it is confirmed whether manual approval is required before sending emails, creating issues, or posting messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

After installation, the agent did not recognize the skill

Check the directory hierarchy to ensure the client-scanned directory contains the Skill folder directly, rather than nesting an extra repository name. Restart the client and confirm that the SKILL.md front matter format is valid.

Can Claude Code Skill be used directly for Codex?

Pure Markdown workflows are usually easy to migrate, but slash commands, hooks, tool names, directory rules, and MCP configurations may not be compatible. When migrating, you need to replace client specialties item by item; you can’t just change folder names.

Should you install over 1,000 Skills?

It shouldn’t. A large number of similar Skills increases trigger conflicts and contextual noise, and can cause updates and security audits to spiral out of control. Prioritize keeping a small number of frequently used, verifiable Skills.

Recommended Minimum Workflow

Each time, you handle one clear issue: search for candidates, read the source repository, check scripts, copy the full directory, run in the test repository, check Git changes, and finally decide whether to keep or delete it. Only then can the Awesome list become a reliable tool, not a maintenance extension stack.

References

• Awesome Claude Skills GitHub Repository
• Claude Code Official Documentation
• Model Context Protocol