Imported from David-Li0406/meta-skill-evloving (skill-flow/data/skills-refined-agentskillos-36k/skillsmp/external-skills/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add David-Li0406/meta-skill-evloving --skill external-skills. Copyright stays with the author.

External Skills

Bundle skills from other repositories into your plugin with conditional activation based on project context.

Overview

External skills allow you to:

• Bundle skills from other GitHub repositories into your plugin
• Conditionally activate them based on project type (React, Python, etc.)
• Install once, use everywhere - skills auto-activate when conditions match

Quick Reference

Configuration Schema

Basic Structure

{
  "externalSkills": [
    {
      "source": "owner/repo",
      "description": "What this skill provides",
      "skills": "*",
      "condition": { ... }
    }
  ]
}

Full Schema

{
  "externalSkills": [
    {
      "source": "string",           // Required: GitHub repo "owner/repo"
      "description": "string",      // Optional: Human-readable description
      "skills": "*" | ["array"],    // Optional: "*" for all, or specific skill names
      "condition": {                // Optional: When to activate (always if omitted)
        "type": "any" | "all",      // "any" = OR logic, "all" = AND logic
        "rules": [
          { "files": ["glob patterns"] },
          { "dependencies": ["package names"] },
          { "devDependencies": ["package names"] }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

Condition Rules

File-Based Conditions

Activate when specific files exist in the project:

{ "files": ["next.config.*", "next.config.ts", "next.config.js"] }

Common patterns:

• Next.js: ["next.config.*"]
• TypeScript: ["tsconfig.json"]
• Python: ["requirements.txt", "pyproject.toml"]
• Rust: ["Cargo.toml"]
• Go: ["go.mod"]

Dependency-Based Conditions

Activate when packages are in package.json dependencies:

{ "dependencies": ["react", "next"] }

DevDependency-Based Conditions

Activate when packages are in package.json devDependencies:

{ "devDependencies": ["typescript", "@types/react"] }

Combining Rules

Any (OR) - Default:

{
  "type": "any",
  "rules": [
    { "files": ["next.config.*"] },
    { "dependencies": ["next"] }
  ]
}

Activates if next.config.* exists OR next is a dependency.

All (AND):

{
  "type": "all",
  "rules": [
    { "files": ["tsconfig.json"] },
    { "dependencies": ["react"] }
  ]
}

Activates only if tsconfig.json exists AND react is a dependency.

Common Templates

React/Next.js Projects

{
  "source": "vercel-labs/agent-skills",
  "description": "Vercel AI SDK skills for React and Next.js",
  "skills": "*",
  "condition": {
    "type": "any",
    "rules": [
      { "files": ["next.config.*", "next.config.ts", "next.config.js", "next.config.mjs"] },
      { "dependencies": ["next", "react"] },
      { "devDependencies": ["next", "react"] }
    ]
  }
}

TypeScript Projects

{
  "source": "example/typescript-skills",
  "description": "TypeScript development skills",
  "skills": "*",
  "condition": {
    "type": "any",
    "rules": [
      { "files": ["tsconfig.json", "tsconfig.*.json"] },
      { "devDependencies": ["typescript"] }
    ]
  }
}

Python Projects

{
  "source": "example/python-skills",
  "description": "Python development skills",
  "skills": "*",
  "condition": {
    "type": "any",
    "rules": [
      { "files": ["requirements.txt", "pyproject.toml", "setup.py", "Pipfile", "poetry.lock"] }
    ]
  }
}

Node.js Projects (Any)

{
  "source": "example/node-skills",
  "description": "Node.js development skills",
  "skills": "*",
  "condition": {
    "type": "any",
    "rules": [
      { "files": ["package.json"] }
    ]
  }
}

Always Active (No Condition)

{
  "source": "example/general-skills",
  "description": "General development skills",
  "skills": "*"
}

Selecting Specific Skills

Instead of importing all skills with "*", you can select specific ones:

{
  "source": "vercel-labs/agent-skills",
  "skills": ["nextjs-app-router", "react-server-components"],
  "condition": { ... }
}

How It Works

digraph ExternalSkillsFlow {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box, style=rounded];

    A[Plugin Loaded] -> B{Has externalSkills?};
    B -- No --> C[Use local skills only];
    B -- Yes --> D[Check each external skill];
    D -> E{Has condition?};
    E -- No --> F[Always activate];
    E -- Yes --> G[Evaluate rules];
    G -> H{type = any?};
    H -- Yes --> I[OR: Any rule matches?];
    H -- No --> J[AND: All rules match?];
    I -- Yes --> F;
    I -- No --> K[Skip this skill];
    J -- Yes --> F;
    J -- No --> K;
    F -> L[Load external skills];
    K --> M[Continue to next];
}

Management Commands

Use the /external-skill command to manage external skills:

# Add a new external skill
/external-skill add vercel-labs/agent-skills

# List configured external skills
/external-skill list

# Remove an external skill
/external-skill remove vercel-labs/agent-skills

Best Practices

1. Always add descriptions - Help users understand what each external skill provides

2. Use appropriate conditions - Don't load React skills for Python projects

3. Prefer "any" type - More flexible, activates if any condition matches

4. Be specific with file patterns - next.config.* is better than just *.config.*

5. Combine file and dependency checks - Covers both new and existing projects

6. Test conditions - Verify skills activate correctly in different project types

Troubleshooting

Skills not activating:

• Check if condition rules match your project
• Verify file patterns are correct
• Ensure dependencies are in the right section (dependencies vs devDependencies)

Too many skills loading:

• Add more specific conditions
• Use "all" type for stricter matching
• Select specific skills instead of "*"

Source not found:

• Verify GitHub repo format: owner/repo
• Check repo exists and is accessible
• Ensure the repo has a valid skill structure