skillhub/docs/skillhub/en/guide/cli.md

SkillHub CLI

SkillHub CLI is the official command-line tool for SkillHub, designed for searching, installing, managing, and publishing Agent skill packages.

Installation

# Install globally via npm
npm install -g @astron-team/skillhub

# Or run directly with npx
npx @astron-team/skillhub@latest version

# Or install globally via Bun
bun add -g @astron-team/skillhub

Quick Start

# Login
skillhub login --token sk_xxx

# Search skills
skillhub search pdf

# Install skill to Agent directory
skillhub install pdf-parser --agent codex

# List installed skills
skillhub list

# Publish skill
skillhub publish ./my-skill --namespace myspace

Registry Configuration

The active registry is resolved in the following priority order:

1. --registry <url> command-line argument
2. SKILLHUB_REGISTRY environment variable
3. registry in ~/.skillhub/config.json
4. Default value https://skill.xfyun.cn

# Temporarily use another registry
skillhub search pdf --registry https://skillhub.example.com

# Set via environment variable (Linux/macOS)
export SKILLHUB_REGISTRY=https://skillhub.example.com

Windows PowerShell:

$env:SKILLHUB_REGISTRY="https://skillhub.example.com"

Windows CMD:

set SKILLHUB_REGISTRY=https://skillhub.example.com

Authentication

Token resolution priority:

1. --token <token> command-line argument
2. SKILLHUB_TOKEN environment variable
3. Token stored in ~/.skillhub/credentials.json (per registry)

Login

# Login with API token
skillhub login --token sk_xxx

# Login to specific registry
skillhub login --token sk_xxx --registry https://skillhub.example.com

login validates the token, stores it in ~/.skillhub/credentials.json, and writes the registry to ~/.skillhub/config.json.

When an API-token request is denied, the CLI shows the safe reason returned by the server and its Request ID. Use that ID to correlate the failure with server logs. Other authorization failures continue to use a generic message.

Check Current Identity

skillhub whoami

# Check specific registry
skillhub whoami --registry https://skillhub.example.com

# Temporarily use different token
skillhub whoami --token sk_other

Logout

skillhub logout

# Logout from specific registry
skillhub logout --registry https://skillhub.example.com

Logout only removes the token for the specified registry, preserving registry configuration and installation records.

Search

# Keyword search
skillhub search pdf

# List all skills (empty query)
skillhub search "" --limit 50

# JSON output
skillhub search pdf --json

Output format: namespace/slug version summary

Install Skills

Install coordinates accept a bare slug (resolved to global by default) and three equivalent explicit namespace forms. When an explicit coordinate and --namespace are both present, they must match.

# Install to auto-detected Agent directory
skillhub install pdf-parser

# Equivalent namespace coordinates
skillhub install team/my-skill
skillhub install @team/my-skill
skillhub install team--my-skill

# Choose install scope explicitly
skillhub install pdf-parser --scope user
skillhub install pdf-parser --scope project --agent codex

# Specify a namespace for a bare slug
skillhub install pdf-parser --namespace myspace

# Specify version
skillhub install pdf-parser --version 1.2.0

# Install to specific Agent
skillhub install pdf-parser --agent codex

# Install to multiple Agents
skillhub install pdf-parser --agent codex --agent claude-code

# Install to custom directory
skillhub install pdf-parser --dir ~/.claude/skills

# Force overwrite existing installation
skillhub install pdf-parser --force

Install Target Resolution

The CLI determines the installation location using the following logic:

1. If --dir is specified: Install to that directory, agent marked as custom. --dir is mutually exclusive with --scope and --agent.
2. If --scope user|project is specified: Limit detection to the chosen scope.
   • With --agent <profile>: Install to that profile's user or project skills directory directly.
   • Without --agent: Detect existing skills directories within the chosen scope only. In interactive user scope, the generic target (<home>/.agents/skills/) is always also offered and can be selected alone or together with detected targets.
   • No detected directory in the chosen scope → Fallback to <home>/.agents/skills/ for --scope user or <cwd>/.agents/skills/ for --scope project.
3. If --agent is specified (no --scope): Install to the corresponding Agent's skills directory (existing behaviour, unchanged).
4. If none of the above is specified:
   • Interactive mode (stdin and stdout are both TTY, no --json): Prompt for user or project scope first, then continue per the --scope rule above.
   • Non-interactive mode: Auto-scan current directory to detect existing Agent config directories. 1 Agent detected → install directly; multiple → error; none detected → fallback to <cwd>/.agents/skills/.

--dir cannot be combined with --scope or --agent.

Install Paths

Each Agent has both project-level and user-level skills directories. Use --scope user|project to control which one is used.

Agent	Project-level Path	User-level Path
claude-code	<project>/.claude/skills/	~/.claude/skills/
codex	<project>/.codex/skills/	~/.codex/skills/
cursor	<project>/.cursor/skills/	~/.cursor/skills/
github-copilot	<project>/.github-copilot/skills/	~/.github-copilot/skills/
gemini-cli	<project>/.gemini/skills/	~/.gemini/skills/
windsurf	<project>/.windsurf/skills/	~/.windsurf/skills/
kiro-cli	<project>/.kiro/skills/	~/.kiro/skills/
roo	<project>/.roo/skills/	~/.roo/skills/
trae	<project>/.trae/skills/	~/.trae/skills/
trae-cn	<project>/.trae-cn/skills/	~/.trae-cn/skills/
openhands	<project>/.openhands/skills/	~/.openhands/skills/
openclaw	<project>/.openclaw/skills/	~/.openclaw/skills/
opencode	<project>/.opencode/skills/	~/.opencode/skills/
kilo	<project>/.kilo/skills/	~/.kilo/skills/
fallback	<project>/.agents/skills/	~/.agents/skills/

For a custom path or an unsupported Agent directory, use --dir to specify the installation path. In interactive user scope, the generic target is offered alongside detected Agent targets. When --scope user|project finds no matching agent directory, the CLI falls back to the _fallback_ row above.

File Structure After Installation

.codex/skills/pdf-parser/
├── ...                          # Extracted skill package files
└── .skillhub/
    └── metadata.json            # Installation metadata

metadata.json example:

{
  "registry": "https://skill.xfyun.cn",
  "namespace": "global",
  "slug": "pdf-parser",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "agent": "codex",
  "installedAt": "2026-04-28T06:00:00.000Z"
}

Local Management

List Installed Skills

# List all installed skills
skillhub list

# Filter by Agent
skillhub list --agent codex

# Filter by multiple Agents
skillhub list --agent codex --agent claude-code

# Filter by directory
skillhub list --dir ~/.codex/skills

# JSON output
skillhub list --json

Remove Skills

# A bare slug removes same-named local installations across namespaces
skillhub remove pdf-parser

# An explicit namespaced coordinate removes only that namespace
skillhub remove myspace/pdf-parser
skillhub remove @myspace/pdf-parser
skillhub remove myspace--pdf-parser

# Equivalent precise local removal with an explicit namespace
skillhub remove pdf-parser --namespace myspace

# Remove only specific Agent's installation
skillhub remove pdf-parser --agent codex

# Remove all targets (skip interactive confirmation)
skillhub remove pdf-parser --all

# Remove remote skill (requires authentication, prompts for confirmation)
skillhub remove pdf-parser --remote --namespace myspace

# Skip remote deletion confirmation
skillhub remove pdf-parser --remote --hard --namespace myspace

Parameter exclusivity rules:

• --all cannot be used with --agent
• --remote cannot be used with --agent or --all
• Remote deletion in non-interactive environments requires --hard

Rebuild Local Inventory

skillhub doctor

doctor performs the following operations:

1. Scans <cwd>/.<agent>/skills/<slug>/.skillhub/metadata.json
2. Groups by registry + namespace + slug
3. Backs up old inventory.json (if exists)
4. Writes new inventory.json

If the same skill has version conflicts across different targets, that skill will be skipped and reported.

Publishing

# Publish directory (auto-packaged as zip)
skillhub publish ./my-skill --namespace myspace

# Publish existing zip file
skillhub publish ./my-skill.zip --namespace myspace

# Specify visibility
skillhub publish ./my-skill --namespace myspace --visibility private

Visibility options:

• public (default) — Visible to everyone
• namespace-only — Visible to namespace members only
• private — Visible to yourself only

After successful publication, the skill detail page URL will be displayed.

Self-Update

# Check for new version
skillhub update --check

# Execute update
skillhub update

Update mechanism:

• Installed via npm globally: Auto-executes npm install -g @astron-team/skillhub@latest
• Installed via Bun globally: Auto-executes bun add -g @astron-team/skillhub@latest
• Run via npx: Prompts manual update command
• Unknown installation method: Prompts manual update

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Priority
SKILLHUB_REGISTRY	Default registry URL	Lower than --registry parameter
SKILLHUB_TOKEN	API token	Lower than --token parameter, higher than stored token

Local File Structure

~/.skillhub/
├── config.json           # User configuration (registry, defaultAgent, etc.)
├── credentials.json      # API tokens (stored per registry, permissions 0600)
└── inventory.json        # Installed skills inventory

config.json

{
  "registry": "https://skill.xfyun.cn",
  "defaultAgent": "codex",
  "lastUpdateCheckAt": "2026-04-28T06:00:00.000Z"
}

credentials.json

{
  "tokens": {
    "https://skill.xfyun.cn": "sk_xxx",
    "https://skillhub.example.com": "sk_yyy"
  }
}

inventory.json

{
  "items": [
    {
      "registry": "https://skill.xfyun.cn",
      "namespace": "global",
      "slug": "pdf-parser",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "targets": [
        {
          "agent": "codex",
          "rootDir": "/path/to/project/.codex/skills",
          "installDir": "/path/to/project/.codex/skills/pdf-parser",
          "installedAt": "2026-04-28T06:00:00.000Z"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

JSON Output

All commands support the --json parameter for machine-readable JSON output:

skillhub search pdf --json
skillhub list --json
skillhub whoami --json
skillhub install pdf-parser --json
skillhub remove pdf-parser --json
skillhub doctor --json

Success response format:

{
  "ok": true,
  ...
}

Error response format:

{
  "ok": false,
  "message": "error message",
  "exitCode": 2,
  "details": {
    "registry": "https://skill.xfyun.cn",
    "next": "run `skillhub login`"
  }
}

Exit Codes

Exit Code	Description
0	Success
1	General error
2	Authentication failure
3	Network error
4	File system error
5	Parameter error

Command Reference

help

skillhub help
skillhub help install

Display help information.

version

skillhub version
skillhub version --json

Display CLI version.

login

skillhub login --token <token> [--registry <url>] [--json]

Save token and registry configuration.

logout

skillhub logout [--registry <url>] [--json]

Remove token for specified registry.

whoami

skillhub whoami [--registry <url>] [--token <token>] [--json]

Validate current token and display user information.

search

skillhub search <query> [--registry <url>] [--limit <n>] [--json]

Search published skills.

install

skillhub install <coordinate> [options]

<coordinate> accepts a bare slug (my-skill, resolved as global/my-skill) or any of the equivalent explicit namespace forms: team/my-skill, @team/my-skill, and team--my-skill. Use --namespace team to select a non-global namespace for a bare slug. An explicit coordinate may be combined with the same --namespace; a conflicting value is rejected as a usage error.

Options:

• --scope <user|project> — Install scope (omit for interactive prompt in TTY, or fall back to existing detection in non-TTY)
• --namespace <slug> — Namespace for a bare slug
• --version <v> — Version (default: latest)
• --agent <profile> — Agent profile (repeatable)
• --dir <path> — Custom installation directory (mutually exclusive with --scope and --agent)
• --force — Overwrite existing installation
• --registry <url> — Registry URL
• --token <token> — API token
• --json — JSON output

list

skillhub list [options]

Options:

• --agent <profile> — Filter by Agent (repeatable)
• --dir <path> — Filter by directory
• --registry <url> — Registry URL
• --json — JSON output

remove

skillhub remove <coordinate> [options]

Options:

• --agent <profile> — Filter by Agent (repeatable)
• --all — Remove all targets
• --remote — Remove remote skill
• --hard — Skip remote deletion confirmation
• --namespace <slug> — Namespace for local or remote deletion
• --registry <url> — Registry URL
• --token <token> — API token
• --json — JSON output

An explicit namespaced coordinate (team/my-skill, @team/my-skill, or team--my-skill) or --namespace team removes local installations only from that namespace. For compatibility, a bare slug removes same-named local installations across all namespaces in the current registry.

doctor

skillhub doctor [--json]

Scan project directory and rebuild local inventory.

publish

skillhub publish <path> [options]

Options:

• --namespace <slug> — Namespace
• --visibility <v> — Visibility (public | namespace-only | private)
• --registry <url> — Registry URL
• --token <token> — API token
• --json — JSON output

update

skillhub update [--check] [--json]

Check or execute CLI self-update.

Security Notes

• Tokens are stored only in user directory ~/.skillhub/credentials.json
• On Linux/macOS, credential file permissions are automatically set to 0600
• Tokens are never written to any project-local files
• Remote delete operations require explicit confirmation or --hard parameter
• remove command validates path safety to prevent deletion of non-skill directories

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failure

# Verify token validity
skillhub whoami

# Re-login
skillhub login --token sk_xxx

Network Error

# Check if registry is accessible
curl https://skill.xfyun.cn/api/cli/v1/skills/search?q=test&limit=1

# Use alternative registry
skillhub search test --registry https://skillhub.example.com

Installation Directory Conflict

# Use --force to overwrite
skillhub install pdf-parser --force

# Or remove first then install
skillhub remove pdf-parser
skillhub install pdf-parser

Corrupted Inventory

# Rebuild inventory
skillhub doctor

Local Development Verification

If you're developing SkillHub locally, you can verify the CLI like this:

# 1. Build CLI
cd cli
bun install
bun run build
bun link

# 2. Start local backend
cd ..
make dev-all

# 3. Configure CLI to connect to local service (Linux/macOS)
export SKILLHUB_REGISTRY=http://localhost:8080

# Windows PowerShell:
# $env:SKILLHUB_REGISTRY="http://localhost:8080"

# Windows CMD:
# set SKILLHUB_REGISTRY=http://localhost:8080

# 4. Test commands
skillhub search test
skillhub install example-skill --agent codex
skillhub list

Related Links

• SkillHub Homepage
• GitHub Repository
• Issue Tracker

License

Apache-2.0

Copyright 2026 iFlytek Co., Ltd.