How skills work in AI editors
Claude Code skills are plain text instruction packages — a SKILL.md file with optional scripts and references — that get loaded into Claude's context when you invoke them with a slash command. There is nothing editor-specific about how they are stored or read.
When you install a skill globally, it lands in ~/.claude/skills/. Any application that runs Claude and honours that directory picks it up automatically. Cursor and Windsurf both use Claude as their AI backend and both read from the same global skills folder, so a single install command covers all three tools at once.
No plugins are needed. No editor-specific config file needs to change. The only thing required is a global install.
Install skills globally
Use the -g flag with the Skills CLI to install into ~/.claude/skills/. This is the flag that makes a skill visible in Cursor, Windsurf, and every other Claude-powered tool on your machine.
# Install any skill globally — the -g flag is the key
npx skills add skill-name -g -y
# Real examples:
npx skills add anthropics/skills@frontend-design -g -y
npx skills add anthropics/skills@tdd -g -y
npx skills add anthropics/skills@systematic-debugging -g -y
The -g flag installs to your home directory instead of the current project. The -y flag skips the confirmation prompt. Both can be combined freely.
After installing, the skill is immediately available in any open Cursor or Windsurf window — no restart required. See the full installation guide for more detail on global vs. project-level installs.
Use skills in Cursor
Cursor's AI chat panel is where skills come to life. Open it with Cmd+L (macOS) or Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux), then type your skill's slash command followed by your request.
# Invoke a skill with a slash command
/frontend-design build a settings page with dark mode toggle
/tdd add unit tests for the cart reducer
/systematic-debugging this function returns undefined on the second call
Cursor will autocomplete known slash commands as you type — installed skills appear alongside Cursor's built-in commands in the same dropdown.
Cursor Agent mode
Skills work in Cursor Agent mode too. When you switch to Agent mode and invoke a skill, the skill's instructions load into the agent's context before it begins executing tasks. This means the agent inherits the skill's full reasoning framework — for example, /tdd will instruct the agent to write a failing test before any implementation code, even across multi-step autonomous runs.
Use skills in Windsurf
Windsurf uses the same slash command pattern. Open the Cascade panel with Cmd+L and invoke any globally installed skill by name.
# Same slash command syntax as everywhere else
/security-review check the open file for injection vulnerabilities
/frontend-design redesign this component to match our design system
Windsurf runs Claude Sonnet as its primary backend, so all skills that target Claude (which is the vast majority of the ecosystem) work without modification. Skills that rely on extended thinking or Claude Opus-specific behaviour may behave slightly differently, but day-to-day workflow skills are fully compatible.
Skills that work best in editors
Not all skills are equal in an editor context. The following five are particularly well-suited to the way Cursor and Windsurf work — they operate on open files, respond to in-editor context, and produce code output rather than terminal output.
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/frontend-design
Design and build UI components directly from the chat panel. Describe the component, the design system, or the style you want, and the skill produces production-ready code in the language of the open file.
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/tdd
Write tests before implementation. Works best in editors because it can reference the open file, infer the module's public interface, and scaffold the test file in the same directory.
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/systematic-debugging
Debug errors while the relevant code is visible in the editor. Paste a stack trace or error message and the skill walks through root cause analysis, hypothesis generation, and a targeted fix — without the "just rewrite it" shortcut.
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/security-review
Review the currently open file for security issues. Covers injection, auth, secrets leakage, and dependency risks. Best run before committing a new feature or endpoint.
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/find-skills
Discover more skills from inside your editor. Describe the task you're trying to automate and the skill searches the ecosystem and returns the best matches with install commands.
Browse the full curated list at skillsforai.pro/directory.
Troubleshooting
Skill not appearing in the slash command list
If a skill you installed doesn't show up as a slash command option, work through these checks in order:
- Check the install was global. Run npx skills list -g in your terminal and confirm the skill appears. If it doesn't, re-run the install with the -g flag.
- Verify the folder exists. Open your terminal and run ls ~/.claude/skills/. You should see a folder named after the skill.
- Restart the editor. Cursor and Windsurf read the skills directory at startup. If you installed while the editor was open, close and reopen it.
- Check the folder structure. Each skill must be at ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md. If SKILL.md is missing or at the wrong depth, the skill won't load.
# List globally installed skills
npx skills list -g
# Manually inspect the folder
ls ~/.claude/skills/
ls ~/.claude/skills/tdd/
# Should show: SKILL.md (plus any scripts/ or references/)
Skill not responding as expected
If the skill loads but Claude doesn't follow its instructions, the issue is usually in the SKILL.md content itself:
- Check SKILL.md syntax. Open ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md in any text editor. The file should start with a clear system prompt or instruction header. Corrupted or truncated files can cause silent failures.
- Try a fresh session. Skill context is loaded per-session. If you invoked the skill mid-conversation, start a new chat and invoke it as the first message.
- Update the skill. Run npx skills update skill-name to pull the latest version, then retry.
FAQ
Do skills work in Cursor Agent mode?
Yes. Global skills installed via npx skills add -g are available in both Cursor's standard chat and in Cursor Agent mode. In Agent mode, invoking a skill loads its SKILL.md into the agent's context before it starts executing tasks.
Can I use project-level skills in Cursor?
Yes. Project-level skills stored in .claude/skills/ inside your project folder are available when Cursor's chat is open in that project. They work the same way as global skills — invoke with a slash command from the chat panel. This is useful for team-shared skills committed to the repo.
Do skills work in JetBrains?
Yes. The Claude Code JetBrains plugin reads global skills from ~/.claude/skills/ automatically. Slash commands work in the plugin's chat panel the same way they do in Cursor and Windsurf. Install globally once and all three editors are covered.
How do I update skills used in editors?
Run npx skills update in your terminal to update all installed skills at once. To update a specific skill, run npx skills update skill-name. Changes take effect immediately — no editor restart required.