What sources can I download from?

You can download from GitHub repositories, compressed archives (.zip, .tar.gz, .tgz, .skill), or direct URLs. The unified downloader auto-detects the type.

How does validation work?

Downloaded skills are validated by checking for a SKILL.md file and ensuring YAML frontmatter contains name and description, plus a check for malicious content patterns.

How do I overwrite an existing skill?

If the target directory already exists, use the --force option to overwrite the existing skill, per the error handling guidance.

skill-downloader

Use Caution

npx machina-cli add skill nicepkg/ai-workflow/skill-downloader --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

4.1 KB

Skill Downloader

Download and install Claude Code skills from multiple sources.

Supported Sources

Source Type	Examples
GitHub Repository	`https://github.com/user/repo`, `github.com/user/repo`
Compressed Archive	`.zip`, `.tar.gz`, `.tgz`, `.skill` (renamed zip)
Direct URL	URL pointing to archive or skill folder

Usage

Download from GitHub

python scripts/download_from_github.py <repo-url> <skill-path> --output <target-dir>

Examples:

# Official Anthropic skills
python scripts/download_from_github.py https://github.com/anthropics/skills skills/docx --output ./.claude/skills/

# Community skills (root level)
python scripts/download_from_github.py https://github.com/gked2121/claude-skills social-repurposer --output ./.claude/skills/

# Nested skill path
python scripts/download_from_github.py https://github.com/MadAppGang/claude-code skills/content-brief --output ./.claude/skills/

Download from Archive

python scripts/download_from_archive.py <url-or-path> --output <target-dir>

Examples:

# From URL
python scripts/download_from_archive.py https://example.com/skills/my-skill.zip --output ./.claude/skills/

# From local file
python scripts/download_from_archive.py ./downloads/my-skill.tar.gz --output ./.claude/skills/

# .skill files (renamed zip)
python scripts/download_from_archive.py https://skillhub.club/download/awesome-skill.skill --output ./.claude/skills/

Unified Download Command

python scripts/download_skill.py <source> --output <target-dir>

Automatically detects source type:

GitHub URL → Uses git sparse checkout
Archive URL/path → Downloads and extracts
Directory path → Copies directly

Examples:

# Auto-detect GitHub
python scripts/download_skill.py https://github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/docx --output ./.claude/skills/

# Auto-detect archive
python scripts/download_skill.py https://example.com/my-skill.zip --output ./.claude/skills/

Validation

All download methods validate:

Skill folder contains SKILL.md
SKILL.md has valid YAML frontmatter with name and description
No malicious content patterns detected

Output Structure

Downloaded skills are placed in:

<output-dir>/
└── <skill-name>/
    ├── SKILL.md        # Required
    ├── scripts/        # Optional
    └── ...

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
Skill already exists	Target directory exists	Use `--force` to overwrite
SKILL.md not found	Invalid skill package	Verify source contains SKILL.md
Invalid archive	Corrupted or unsupported format	Check file integrity
Network error	Download failed	Retry or check URL

Integration with Workflow Creator

When used with workflow-creator, download skills to workflow's .claude/skills/ directory:

# Create workflow first
python /path/to/workflow-creator/scripts/create_workflow.py my-workflow --path ./workflows

# Then download skills
python scripts/download_skill.py https://github.com/anthropics/skills/tree/main/skills/docx --output ./workflows/my-workflow/.claude/skills/

Skill Sources Reference

Popular skill repositories:

Anthropic Official - docx, pdf, pptx
gked2121/claude-skills - social-repurposer, canvas-design
ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills - Collection
MadAppGang/claude-code - SEO, content skills
daymade/claude-code-skills - twitter-reader, fact-checker
skillhub.club - 1000+ skills collection

Source

git clone https://github.com/nicepkg/ai-workflow/blob/main/.claude/skills/skill-downloader/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

skill-downloader fetches Claude Code skills from GitHub repositories, compressed archives, or direct URLs and installs them into the Claude workspace. It validates that each skill folder contains SKILL.md with proper YAML frontmatter before finishing installation. This streamlines adding official and community skills to your Claude setup.

How This Skill Works

The tool uses Python scripts to detect the source type and perform the download: download_from_github.py for GitHub repos, download_from_archive.py for archives, and a unified download_skill.py that auto-detects the source (GitHub, archive, or directory) and places the skill under the target output directory.

When to Use It

You want to add a skill from a GitHub repository and install it into your Claude workspace.
You have a direct URL to a ZIP, TAR.GZ, or .skill file and need it downloaded and installed quickly.
You are pulling official or community skills from multiple sources and want a unified workflow.
You are setting up a workflow and need to populate the .claude/skills directory for a new workflow.
You need to replace an existing skill with a fresh copy using the force option.

Quick Start

Step 1: Run python scripts/download_skill.py <source> --output <target-dir> to start the download.
Step 2: Let the script auto-detect the source type (GitHub, archive, or directory) and install accordingly.
Step 3: Verify the new skill folder exists under <target-dir>/<skill-name> with SKILL.md present.

Best Practices

Ensure the target directory is clear or use --force to overwrite an existing skill.
Validate that the downloaded package contains SKILL.md.
Verify that SKILL.md includes valid YAML frontmatter with name and description.
Prefer GitHub sources with sparse checkout to minimize downloads for large repos.
Check downloaded content for malicious patterns and maintain integrity.

Example Use Cases

Download official Anthropic skills from GitHub and place them under .claude/skills using the GitHub path skills/docx.
Fetch a community skill like social-repurposer from gked2121/claude-skills and install to .claude/skills.
Retrieve a nested skill path such as skills/content-brief from MadAppGang/claude-code and install locally.
Download a skill archive from a URL, for example https://example.com/skills/my-skill.zip, and install to .claude/skills.
Install a local .skill file by downloading it via the archive handler and placing it in the .claude/skills directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Add this skill to your agents