---
title: "Skills Reference"
description: "Per-editor file locations, agent flags, verification, and updating for Arete agent skills."
editUrl: true
head: []
template: "doc"
sidebar: {"order":2,"hidden":false,"attrs":{}}
pagefind: true
draft: false
---

Reference for installing Arete agent skills manually. For an overview of how skills, the CLI, and agent.md fit together, see [Agent Skills](/agent-skills/overview/).

The universal install command (auto-detects your editor):

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills
```

---

## Per-Editor Installation

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent cursor
```

Files are created in `.agents/skills/`:

```
.agents/skills/
├── arete/SKILL.md
├── arete-consume/SKILL.md
└── arete-build/SKILL.md
```

:::tip[Allow CLI access]
When Cursor asks to run `a4 explore`, approve it.
:::

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent claude-code
```

Files are created in `.claude/skills/`:

```
.claude/skills/
├── arete/SKILL.md
├── arete-consume/SKILL.md
└── arete-build/SKILL.md
```

You can also set project-level context in `CLAUDE.md` at the project root.

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent windsurf
```

Files are created in `.windsurf/skills/`:

```
.windsurf/skills/
├── arete/SKILL.md
├── arete-consume/SKILL.md
└── arete-build/SKILL.md
```

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent opencode
```

Files are created in `.agents/skills/`. You can also load skills directly using the `/skill` command in OpenCode.

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent github-copilot
```

Files are created in `.agents/skills/`.

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills --agent cline
```

Files are created in `.cline/skills/`.

`npx skills` supports 35+ agents:

| Agent      | Flag                 |
| ---------- | -------------------- |
| Codex      | `--agent codex`      |
| Gemini CLI | `--agent gemini-cli` |
| Roo Code   | `--agent roo`        |
| Goose      | `--agent goose`      |
| Continue   | `--agent continue`   |

If your editor isn't listed, manually copy the SKILL.md files from the [skills repository](https://github.com/AreteA4/skills) into whatever directory your editor reads custom context from.

---

## Verifying Installation

Ask your agent:

What stacks are available on Arete? Show me the entities and fields for the ore stack.

The agent should run `a4 explore --json`, then `a4 explore ore --json`, and present the entity names, field paths, and types. If it doesn't recognise Arete commands, check that the skill files are in the correct directory for your editor.

---

## Updating Skills

```bash
npx skills add AreteA4/skills
```

This overwrites existing skill files with the latest versions. The static patterns (SDK syntax, DSL macros) change rarely — dynamic data (entity schemas, field types) always comes from `a4 explore` at runtime, so it's always current regardless of skill version.