The open-source skill registry for AI coding agents.
Self-host your team's SKILL.md library. Version it, scope it, and ship it to Claude Code and OpenClaw from one CLI.
Quick start · Why · Features · Agents · Architecture · FAQ · Discord
Claude Code shares ~8,000 characters across every active skill description (docs). Past that limit, descriptions silently truncate. The system prompt forbids using skills that aren't listed in context, so truncated skills are both invisible and explicitly off-limits (#13343, #40121).
In practice, past ~15 active skills your skills stop working and you can't tell which ones. New teammates have no way to discover what skills the project depends on. Updating a shared skill means re-zipping and re-uploading for everyone. And private skills, like deploy procedures, compliance workflows, or internal API patterns, have nowhere safe to live.
SkillNote is a self-hosted registry that fixes that. Per-project collections scope which skills load. Live sync pushes browser edits to every connected agent within 60 seconds. Agents rate skills 1 to 5 after using them, so you finally have signal on what works. Your skills stay on your infrastructure. Your servers, your rules.
| Without SkillNote | With SkillNote |
|---|---|
| Skills truncate past ~15 active | Collections scope to 15 per project |
~/.claude/skills/ per laptop |
One registry, every agent |
| Re-zip + re-upload to share an edit | Edit in browser, every session picks it up in 60s |
| No signal on what actually works | Agents rate every skill they use, 1-5 + comment |
| Private skills have nowhere safe | Self-hosted; never leaves your network |
npx skillnote startOpens http://localhost:3000.
Requires Docker (running) and Node.js 20+. The CLI pulls the published images from GHCR, brings up the web + API + Postgres stack, waits for healthchecks, and opens the dashboard. About 30 seconds on a warm cache.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SkillNote ▸ the skill registry for AI │
│ v0.5.2 · github.com/luna-prompts/skillnote│
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
◇ Prerequisites ok
◇ Images pulled
◇ Containers running
◇ Services healthy
╭────────┬──────────────────────────────╮
│ Web UI │ http://localhost:3000 │
│ API │ http://localhost:8082 │
╰────────┴──────────────────────────────╯
Other ways to install
Docker Compose directly (no Node):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/luna-prompts/skillnote/cli-v0.5.4/deploy/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -dLAN-accessible for teammates on the same network:
SKILLNOTE_HOST=<your-lan-ip> docker compose up -dPodman: npx skillnote start is Docker-only, but the Compose path and install.sh both work with podman compose (Podman 4+) or podman-compose.
Building from source (contributors):
git clone https://github.com/luna-prompts/skillnote.git
cd skillnote && ./install.shinstall.sh builds from local source instead of pulling published images. Auto-detects docker compose, podman compose, or podman-compose.
npx skillnote start # boot + open UI
npx skillnote stop # halt; volumes preserved
npx skillnote restart # stop + start
npx skillnote status # health table (--json for scripts)
npx skillnote logs [svc] # tail logs (-f to follow)
npx skillnote open # open UI (--app for chromeless)
npx skillnote doctor # 11 health checks
npx skillnote reset --confirm # DESTRUCTIVE: drops all data
After the backend is running, install the plugin for your agent.
npx skillnote connect claude-code
source ~/.zshrc # or ~/.bashrcRuns the canonical /setup/agent script: registers the plugin marketplace in ~/.claude/settings.json, installs the SkillNote plugin into ~/.claude/plugins/, drops picker binaries in ~/.skillnote/bin/, and adds a shell wrapper. Run claude in any project, and the collection picker appears on first launch:
Pick a collection (it's saved to .skillnote.json) and your scoped skills load on every session.
Or, paste this prompt into a fresh Claude Code session
Install SkillNote on my machine and wire it into this Claude Code session.
1. If http://localhost:8082/health doesn't respond, run:
npx skillnote start --no-browser -d
2. If ~/.claude/plugins/skillnote/ doesn't exist, run:
curl -sf http://localhost:8082/setup | bash
3. source ~/.zshrc
4. Confirm: claude --version, ls ~/.claude/plugins/skillnote/
5. Report what collection picker options you see when running `claude`.
clawhub install skillnoteThat's the whole install for the default localhost:8082 setup. If the backend isn't running, the skill auto-bootstraps it on first sync.
The skill ships sync.sh (60s catalog sync), log-watcher.py (analytics daemon), install-backend.sh (bootstrap), and an always-loaded SKILL.md that grafts a persistent <skillnote v1> block into ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md.
Non-default host or alternative install
For a non-default host:
export SKILLNOTE_BASE_URL="http://your-server:8082"
clawhub install skillnote
echo 'export SKILLNOTE_BASE_URL="http://your-server:8082"' >> ~/.zshrcOr scripted (no clawhub):
npx skillnote start --no-browser -d
npx skillnote connect openclawCursor, Codex, Antigravity, and OpenHands are on the roadmap. Open an issue if you want to help build an adapter.
Claude Code shares ~8,000 characters across every active skill description; past ~15 skills, descriptions silently truncate and truncated skills won't trigger. Collections scope which skills load per project: frontend project gets React + testing patterns, API project gets error handling + deploy conventions. Same registry, different active sets, no context wasted.
If your folder name matches a collection, the plugin recommends it automatically.
The community has published thousands of SKILL.md files since Anthropic released the format. Paste a GitHub URL, shorthand (garrytan/gstack), a tree URL to a subfolder, or a Claude Code marketplace manifest (anthropic.json). SkillNote shallow-clones the repo, scans every SKILL.md, validates frontmatter, and opens a workspace where you pick exactly what to install.
Some popular registries to try:
anthropics/skills: Anthropic's official Agent Skills repositoryComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills: 800+ community skills, the largest curated setalirezarezvani/claude-skills: 600+ skills for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and moregarrytan/gstack: Garry Tan's 50+ opinionated YC-flavored tools (CEO, Designer, Eng Manager, etc.)obra/superpowers: Jesse Vincent's agentic skills framework
Edit a skill in the browser and every running Claude Code or OpenClaw session picks up the change within 60 seconds. Claude Code re-syncs on every prompt and hot-reloads SKILL.md mid-session. OpenClaw's sync.sh runs on a 60s throttle. One person updates a skill, everyone gets it. New teammates run the setup command once and inherit every skill the team has built.
Most skill setups are fire-and-forget. SkillNote closes the loop. After applying a skill, the agent rates it 1-5 and describes what it did. OpenClaw additionally posts a linked_usage_id correlating each rating to the specific task that produced it. You see which skills are actually being used, which ones break, and how performance changes across versions.
Every save creates a snapshot. Browse, compare, and restore any version in one click. Published versions use semver and ship as checksummed ZIP bundles.
When Claude Code notices you correct the same thing three times ("use pnpm, not npm"), it offers to turn it into a skill. The skill is pushed to SkillNote and syncs to every connected agent in 60 seconds. What one person teaches once becomes a skill everyone has.
| Agent | Status | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Supported | Native plugin (~/.claude/plugins/skillnote/) with 6 lifecycle hooks |
| OpenClaw | Supported | clawhub skill bundle with sync.sh + analytics daemon |
| Cursor | Planned | Roadmap |
| Codex CLI | Planned | Roadmap |
| Antigravity | Planned | Roadmap |
| OpenHands | Planned | Roadmap |
Want to help build an adapter? Open an issue or join us on Discord.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ SkillNote Server (Docker) │
│ │
│ Web UI REST API PostgreSQL │
│ :3000 :8082 (storage + notify) │
│ │
└────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────┘
│
REST API
│
┌────────────┴────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────┐
│ Claude Code plugin │ │ OpenClaw skill │
│ │ │ │
│ ~/.claude/ │ │ ~/.openclaw/ │
│ plugins/ │ │ skills/ │
│ skillnote/ │ │ skillnote/ │
│ │ │ │
│ 6 lifecycle hooks │ │ sync.sh + daemon │
│ Per-project picker │ │ AGENTS.md graft │
└────────────────────┘ └────────────────────┘
SkillNote uses each agent's native skill system. For Claude Code that's hooks plus plugin format, with SessionStart, UserPromptSubmit, PostToolUse, PostCompact, SubagentStart, and Stop. Only SessionStart blocks (for ~1 second to sync); every other hook runs async, so you never wait for SkillNote.
For OpenClaw it's a clawhub-installable bundle with sync.sh (catalog), log-watcher.py (analytics), and an AGENTS.md graft that keeps the agent consulting the registry on every task.
Skills are written as local SKILL.md files, not piped through a network abstraction. That means every Claude Code frontmatter feature, including allowed-tools, context: fork, effort, and model, works natively. These features only work with on-disk SKILL.md files, which is why SkillNote syncs to disk instead of serving skills over a network protocol.
For the full HLD see docs/openclaw-hld.md.
---
name: pdf-extractor
description: Extract text and tables from PDF files. Use when the user mentions PDFs or scanned documents.
collections: [data, documents]
allowed-tools: Read Write Bash(pdftotext *)
context: fork
---
# PDF Extractor
When the user provides a PDF file:
1. Use `pdftotext` to extract raw text
2. Identify tables and format them as markdown
3. Preserve headings and document structureSkillNote is built for trusted environments: a developer's laptop, a team VM on a private network, or a self-hosted server behind a VPN. Out of the box it has no authentication on the web UI or API; anything that can reach :3000 and :8082 can read and write skills.
- Local-only (default):
npx skillnote startbinds tolocalhost. Safe. - LAN-only: set
SKILLNOTE_HOST=<lan-ip>to expose to teammates on the same network. Assumes the LAN is trusted. - Internet-exposed: never bind
:3000or:8082directly to a public IP. Put it behind a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik) with basic auth, OAuth, or a Tailscale/Cloudflare Tunnel. - Marketplace imports: every install writes
SKILL.mdfiles that your agent will read. Review the workspace preview before importing from unfamiliar sources.
Auth on the API is on the roadmap. Until then, treat reachability as the access boundary.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| CLI | Node 20+, TypeScript, commander, @clack/prompts |
| Frontend | Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS 4, Tiptap, PWA |
| Backend | Python 3.12, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy 2, Alembic |
| Claude Code plugin | Bash, Python, Claude Code Plugin API |
| OpenClaw skill | Bash (sync.sh), Python (log-watcher.py), clawhub bundle |
| Database | PostgreSQL 16 |
| Distribution | npm (skillnote), GHCR multi-arch images, Docker Compose |
What is SkillNote?
SkillNote is an open-source, self-hosted registry for Anthropic's Agent Skills format. You run it on your own infrastructure (a laptop, a team VM, a private server), and it gives your team one place to create, version, and share SKILL.md files across Claude Code, OpenClaw, and other coding agents. The web UI lets you edit skills in a Notion-style editor; the CLI plugin syncs your registry into each agent's native skill system so the skills hot-reload mid-session.
How is SkillNote different from MCP?
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a wire protocol for talking to tools over a network. Skills are local SKILL.md files that the agent reads from disk. The two solve different problems: MCP lets an agent call a remote service; skills tell an agent how to do something with instructions, examples, and frontmatter directives like allowed-tools or context: fork. SkillNote distributes the second kind. It syncs skills to disk because that's where features like allowed-tools, context: fork, effort, and model are actually evaluated by Claude Code, and they don't work over a network protocol.
How do I share Claude Code skills across my team?
Run SkillNote on a server your team can reach (SKILLNOTE_HOST=<lan-ip> docker compose up -d for a LAN, or behind a reverse proxy for a remote team). Everyone installs the SkillNote plugin into Claude Code with npx skillnote connect claude-code. From then on, any edit anyone makes in the SkillNote web UI propagates to every running Claude Code session in 60 seconds. New teammates run the connect command once and inherit every skill the team has built.
Is SkillNote free?
Yes. SkillNote is MIT licensed and self-hosted. There is no cloud tier, no paid plan, and no usage telemetry. You run it on your own machines and own your data.
Claude Code: skills from another collection are showing up
Claude Code discovers skills from parent directories. If you ran claude in a parent folder (~/projects/) and picked a collection, those skills persist in ~/projects/.claude/skills/ and leak into every subdirectory project.
rm -rf ~/path/to/parent/.claude/skills/skillnote-*Always run claude from the actual project directory, not from umbrella folders.
Claude Code: plugin changes not taking effect
Claude Code loads plugins at startup. If you reinstall the plugin while Claude Code is running, quit and restart it for the new plugin to load.
OpenClaw: no sn-* skills appear after install
Check that sync.sh ran successfully on first session:
~/.openclaw/skills/skillnote/sync.sh
ls ~/.openclaw/skills/sn-* | headIf sync produces nothing, verify ~/.openclaw/skills/skillnote/config.json has a host field pointing at a reachable backend (curl -sf $host/health).
OpenClaw: agent stopped using SkillNote mid-conversation
The <skillnote v1> block in ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md is what tells the agent to consult the registry on every task. If it gets removed (manual edit, regenerated by another tool), sync.sh re-grafts it on the next run.
grep -c '<skillnote v1>' ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md
# expected: 1If 0, run ~/.openclaw/skills/skillnote/sync.sh once and re-check.
OpenClaw: analytics daemon isn't running
PID=$(cat ~/.openclaw/skills/skillnote/.log-watcher.pid 2>/dev/null) && kill -0 $PID 2>/dev/null && echo alive || echo deadIf dead, the next sync.sh run relaunches it.
- Fork the repo
git checkout -b feat/my-feature- Commit with Conventional Commits
- Push and open a PR
CLAUDE.md has the architectural patterns and conventions. docs/ has design docs and HLDs.
Active development happens on Discord.
MIT © Luna Prompts
Built by Luna Prompts