Skills

Skills are SKILL.md files shipped inside plugin packages. They contain structured instructions that teach AI coding tools how your project works — its conventions, APIs, code generation patterns, and debugging workflows.

When you install a skill, the SKILL.md file (and any reference files) are copied into your AI tool's skills directory. The tool can then use that knowledge when generating code, answering questions, or debugging issues.

Directory structure

Each skill lives in its own subdirectory under a plugin's skills/ folder:

Skills can also include reference files in a references/ subdirectory for additional context that the main SKILL.md can point to.

SKILL.md anatomy

Every SKILL.md starts with YAML frontmatter that describes the skill:

---
name: robo-core
description: "Reference guide for the Robo.js core framework — lifecycle hooks, Flashcore, State, Logger, Env, Portal, Manifest, HMR, Mode, Config, and plugin utilities."
user-invocable: true
argument-hint: "<question about Robo.js core APIs>"
---

The body of the file contains the actual instructions in Markdown. This is what the AI tool reads when the skill is activated. Skills typically include code patterns, API references, common mistakes, and step-by-step workflows.

Installing skills

npx robo skills list

npx robo skills install --all

npx robo skills list

You can also install skills from a specific plugin:

npx robo skills install @robojs/discordjs@next

Where skills are installed

Skills are copied to different directories depending on your AI tool. The CLI auto-detects which tools you use by checking for marker files in your project:

If no tool is detected, the CLI prompts you to select which tool(s) you use. Your selection is saved in the manifest for future runs.

You can also override detection with the ROBO_SKILL_TARGETS environment variable:

ROBO_SKILL_TARGETS=.claude/skills,.agents/skills npx robo skills install --all

Set ROBO_SKILL_TARGETS=none to disable skill installation entirely.

CLI commands

Install options

Shipped skills

robo-core

Source: robo.js

Complete reference for the Robo.js core framework. Covers lifecycle hooks (init, prepare, start, stop, error), build hooks, Flashcore persistent storage, State management, the Logger system with drains and forking, Env loading, Portal namespace access, Manifest queries, HMR subscriptions, Mode utilities, Config loading, and hook priority control.

robo-debug

Source: robo.js

Structured debugging workflow using robo inspect --json and robo logs --json. Walks through inspecting project topology, checking for errors, filtering by plugin/source, searching for patterns, combining filters, and cross-referencing results.

robo-plugin

Source: robo.js

Full guide to creating Robo.js plugins. Covers package structure, route definitions with RouteConfig, lifecycle hooks with typed contexts, seed files, terminal commands, CLI extensions, logging standards, build and publish workflow, and common mistakes.

robo-update

Source: robo.js

Migration assistant for upgrading Robo.js projects between versions. Detects the current version by scanning for v0.10 patterns, generates a categorized migration checklist (critical, recommended, optional), and walks through applying changes in safe order with user confirmation.

robo-discordjs

Source: @robojs/discordjs

Guide for building Discord apps with @robojs/discordjs. Covers file-based command routing, events, context menus, middleware, command configuration with createCommandConfig, Sage auto-defer, namespace controllers, and plugin configuration.

robo-server

Source: @robojs/server

Guide for building APIs with @robojs/server. Covers file-based routing, define() for typed endpoints with Zod, RoboResponse for error handling, RoboRequest fields, OpenAPI generation, CORS configuration, WebSocket support, testing utilities, and the Server facade.

Manifest tracking

Installed skills are tracked in .robo/.robo-skills.json. This manifest records which skills are installed, which plugin they came from, the plugin version at install time, and which files were copied. The manifest is used by robo skills update and robo skills remove to manage skill lifecycle.

Auto-install on plugin add

When you install a plugin with npx robo add, any skills shipped by that plugin are offered for installation. This means new plugins can immediately provide AI tool context without a separate step.

Next steps