# Skills

> Agent skills that teach your AI assistant how to find, install, and style Cortexcn components, blocks, and charts.

Source: https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/skills

Cortexcn publishes two agent skills that tell your AI assistant how to work with Cortexcn: one for finding and installing items, and one for following the Cortexcn design system.

## The skills

| Skill             | What it covers                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `cortexcn`        | How to find, install, compose, and theme Cortexcn items. It uses the [MCP server](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/mcp) when it is connected, and otherwise the registry and the markdown docs. |
| `cortexcn-design` | How to apply the Cortexcn design system from [DESIGN.md](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/design-md) before building or restyling UI, with a checklist to run before finishing.                 |

Both use the open Agent Skills format: each skill is a folder with a `SKILL.md` file of instructions in markdown. Your assistant reads the short description of every installed skill and loads the full file when a task matches, so you do not have to name the skill in your request.

Skills are plain markdown. Your team can read them, edit them to fit the project, and commit them like any other file.

## Install

### With the shadcn CLI

```bash
npx shadcn@latest add https://ui.cortexcn.dev/r/agent-skills.json
```

You do not need a `components.json` for these files. The command writes both skills twice, once for Claude Code and once for Codex, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot:

```text
.claude/skills/cortexcn/SKILL.md
.claude/skills/cortexcn-design/SKILL.md
.agents/skills/cortexcn/SKILL.md
.agents/skills/cortexcn-design/SKILL.md
```

### With the skills CLI

```bash
npx skills add https://ui.cortexcn.dev
```

The skills CLI reads the skill index that Cortexcn publishes at [https://ui.cortexcn.dev/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json).

### Everything at once

To install both skills and the `DESIGN.md` file in one step:

```bash
npx shadcn@latest add https://ui.cortexcn.dev/r/agent-kit.json
```

## Where each assistant reads skills

| Assistant                 | Folder                                                     |
| ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Claude Code               | `.claude/skills/`                                          |
| OpenAI Codex              | `.agents/skills/`                                          |
| Cursor                    | `.agents/skills/` (it also reads `.claude/skills/`)        |
| GitHub Copilot in VS Code | `.github/skills/`, `.claude/skills/`, or `.agents/skills/` |

The shadcn CLI install covers all four, because it writes to both `.claude/skills/` and `.agents/skills/`.

## Example requests

With the skills installed, ask as you normally would:

- "Add a feature grid from Cortexcn below the hero."
- "Install the area chart and plot weekly signups with a tooltip."
- "Build a stats page with bar and line charts from the @cortexcn registry."
- "Add a stat card with a line chart to the dashboard."
- "Restyle this settings form to follow DESIGN.md."
- "Check this page against the Cortexcn design checklist."

## Use with the MCP server

The skills work on their own, using the registry and the markdown docs. Pair them with the [MCP server](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/mcp) for the best results: the `cortexcn` skill tells the assistant to search with `search_items` and read `get_item` before it installs anything, so it works from the current catalog and the real props.

## Related

- [MCP Server](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/mcp): connect your assistant to the Cortexcn registry
- [DESIGN.md](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/integration/design-md): the design system the `cortexcn-design` skill follows
- [Installation](https://ui.cortexcn.dev/docs/installation): set up the `@cortexcn` registry by hand