#Getting Started

#Install the pnpm plugin

Add the plugin to your workspace configuration:

pnpm add pnpm-plugin-skills --config

This tells pnpm to load pnpm-plugin-skills during installation.

#Declare the skills your project needs

Create a skills.json file at the workspace root. You can create it manually or use the CLI to initialize:

# Interactive — prompt for installDir and linkTargets
npx skills-package-manager init

# Non-interactive — write the default manifest immediately
npx skills-package-manager init --yes

# Interactive — clone repo, discover skills, select via multiselect prompt
npx skills-package-manager add vercel-labs/skills
npx skills-package-manager add https://github.com/rstackjs/agent-skills

# Non-interactive — add a specific skill by name
npx skills-package-manager add vercel-labs/skills --skill find-skills

Example skills.json:

{
  "installDir": ".agents/skills",
  "linkTargets": [".claude/skills"],
  "skills": {
    "find-skills": "https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills.git#path:/skills/find-skills"
  }
}

This manifest defines:

• installDir: where managed skills are materialized
• linkTargets: which agent-specific directories receive links
• skills: which skills should be installed

#Run pnpm as usual

Now run the normal install command:

pnpm install

During this process, the plugin will:

1. Read skills.json
2. Resolve each skill source
3. Generate or update skills-lock.yaml
4. Materialize skills into installDir
5. Link them into every directory listed in linkTargets

That means your regular pnpm bootstrap flow now also restores agent skill context.

#Add .agents/skills etc to .gitignore

Since the skill directories are generated artifacts, you should add them to .gitignore:

.agents/skills
.claude/skills

#Install the CLI

You don't need to install the CLI globally — just use npx to run it on demand:

npx skills-package-manager --help

#Create a skills.json manifest

Initialize a new project with the init command:

# Interactive — prompt for installDir and linkTargets
npx skills-package-manager init

# Non-interactive — write the default manifest immediately
npx skills-package-manager init --yes

The default skills.json created by init --yes:

{
  "installDir": ".agents/skills",
  "linkTargets": [],
  "skills": {}
}

This manifest defines:

• installDir: where managed skills are materialized
• linkTargets: which agent-specific directories receive links
• skills: which skills should be installed (empty initially)

#Install your first skills

Add skills to your project using the add command:

# Interactive — clone repo, discover skills, select via multiselect prompt
npx skills-package-manager add vercel-labs/skills
npx skills-package-manager add https://github.com/rstackjs/agent-skills

# Non-interactive — add a specific skill by name
npx skills-package-manager add vercel-labs/skills --skill find-skills

After add, the skill is immediately resolved, materialized into installDir, and linked to each configured linkTarget.

#Run install to materialize skills

If you edited skills.json manually or want to ensure everything is synced:

npx skills-package-manager install

This reads skills.json, resolves each skill specifier, generates or updates skills-lock.yaml, materializes skills into installDir, and links them into every directory listed in linkTargets.

#Add .agents/skills to .gitignore

Since the skill directories are generated artifacts, you should add them to .gitignore:

.agents/skills
.claude/skills