SkillPort CLI
A CLI and MCP server for Agent Skills: spec validation, installs from GitHub and on-demand loading of the right skill
- 418 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Extended access
Why this level
- `skillport add` installs skills from GitHub, local folders and archives, and the agent then follows their instructions; format validation does not assess content safety
- MCP mode hands the agent the full skill text and path, and running bundled scripts stays with the agent
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/skillportDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- `skillport add` installs skills from GitHub, local folders and archives, and the agent then follows their instructions; format validation does not assess content safety
- MCP mode hands the agent the full skill text and path, and running bundled scripts stays with the agent
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
SkillPort is a CLI and MCP server for skills in the Agent Skills format. The skillport command validates skills against the specification, installs them from GitHub, a local folder or a zip archive, updates them from their original sources, lists them and removes them. Skill metadata is edited with `skillport meta get`, `skillport meta set` and `skillport meta unset`, so bulk metadata changes need no manual file editing. For agents without built-in skill support there are two delivery modes. In CLI mode, `skillport doc` writes a skill table into AGENTS.md, the agent reads it and calls `skillport show` with a skill ID when needed. In MCP mode the skillport-mcp server offers two tools: `search_skills` finds skills by description, and `load_skill` returns the full instructions and the path. Only metadata is loaded first, about 100 tokens per skill, and the full text arrives on demand. Skills are organized by category and tags in SKILL.md metadata. Environment variables give each client its own set: by category, ID or namespace. Key skills can be made always available with the `alwaysApply` flag in metadata.
Who it is for. For developers and teams with many skills and agents that lack built-in skill support: Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, Cline, Codex.
Good fit when
- The agent has no built-in skill support and you want to give it SKILL.md files
- You have accumulated more than fifty skills and loading them all at once floods the context: `search_skills` loads the right one on demand
- CI has to check the team's skills against the specification: `skillport validate --json`
- Skills must be installed from a GitHub repository with one command, for example `skillport add anthropics/skills skills`
- Different clients need different skill sets: category filters are set through environment variables
Not a fit when
- The agent already supports skills and copying folders by hand is enough
- You want a manager with a graphical interface: SkillPort works from the command line and over MCP
- You need a safety assessment of a skill before installing it: `skillport validate` checks the format against the specification
- Interface stability matters: the author marks the project as work in progress and APIs may change
Example request
Install the skills from anthropics/skills into my skills directory and check that all of them pass validationLimitations
- Python 3.10 or newer is required. The CLI and the MCP server install as separate packages: skillport and skillport-mcp.
- Skills install from GitHub by shorthand or full URL, from a local folder and from a zip archive.
- The author states that the project is a work in progress and APIs may change.
- Skills live in `~/.skillport/skills` by default; change the directory with the `SKILLPORT_SKILLS_DIR` variable or the `--skills-dir` flag.
- The CLI manages skills on disk, while indexed search over them is available in skillport-mcp.
How to disable. Remove a skill with `skillport remove` and its ID. Delete the skillport entry from the MCP client configuration by hand, and uninstall the packages with the manager you installed them with: uv or pip.
FAQ
How do I connect SkillPort to Claude Code as an MCP server?
Run `claude mcp add skillport -- uvx skillport-mcp`. Codex has the same command, `codex mcp add skillport -- uvx skillport-mcp`. The skills folder comes from the `SKILLPORT_SKILLS_DIR` variable, `~/.skillport/skills` by default.
How does CLI mode differ from MCP mode?
In CLI mode an agent with shell access reads the skill table from AGENTS.md and calls `skillport show` for the one it needs. In MCP mode the client calls `search_skills` and `load_skill` itself, and the setup is done once and serves several projects.
How do I validate a team's skills in CI?
`skillport validate` checks all skills, `skillport validate ./skills` checks one folder, and the `--json` flag gives CI-friendly output. It catches missing fields, naming problems and specification violations.
How do I limit the skill set for a client?
Set the `SKILLPORT_ENABLED_CATEGORIES`, `SKILLPORT_ENABLED_SKILLS` or `SKILLPORT_ENABLED_NAMESPACES` environment variables in the MCP server entry. The client then sees only the chosen categories, skills or namespaces.
Where can SkillPort install skills from?
From GitHub by owner/repository shorthand or full URL, from a local folder and from a zip archive. `skillport update` refreshes installed skills from their original sources.
Discussion
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Comparison with similar tools
Entries that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Entry | Official | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkillPort (this entry) | no | 418 | |
| skillshare | no | 2,864 | a Go CLI that keeps skills, agents and rules in one place and syncs them to every AI agent |
| Agent Skill Manager | no | 960 | a manager that finds and installs skills and checks them for shell execution, network access and credential leaks before install |
README in short
The page opens with a table of situations and the tool's answers, then describes four functions: validation, management, metadata and serving. After that come a quick start, connecting to agents in two modes, organization by category, a settings table and a list of skill sources.