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This page is a working reference for the skills: block. For the conceptual model, see Concepts → Skills.

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Install everything from a GitHub repo to every detected agent

skills:
  - source: vercel-labs/agent-skills
    agents: ["*"]
Defaults: global: false (project-local), every skill in the source.

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Install specific skills, in specific agents

skills:
  - source: anthropics/skills
    agents:
      - claude-code
      - github-copilot
    select:
      - frontend-design
      - skill-creator
select: matches the skill directory name in the source repo.

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Install globally (across every project on this machine)

skills:
  - source: my-utils
    agents: [claude-code]
    global: true
Files land under ~/.claude/skills/ and are visible to Claude Code in every project.

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Mix project and global

skills:
  # global utilities, available in every project
  - source: my-utils
    agents: [claude-code, cursor]
    global: true

  # codebase-specific reviewer, only for this project
  - source: ./skills/reviewer
    agents: ["*"]
    global: false

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Source from a local directory

skills:
  - source: ./company-skills
    agents: [claude-code, cursor]
    global: false
Relative paths resolve against the directory of the gaal.yaml file. ~/-prefixed paths resolve against the user’s home directory.

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Source from a full URL

skills:
  - source: https://github.com/microsoft/github-copilot-for-azure
    agents: [github-copilot]
    global: true

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Source from SSH

skills:
  - source: git@github.com:acme/private-skills.git
    agents: ["*"]
Authentication uses your local SSH agent.

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Force install into every registered agent

By default, the ["*"] wildcard expands only to agents detected on this machine. If you want gaal to populate skill directories for agents that aren’t installed yet (for example, to pre-stage a fresh machine), use --force: 
gaal sync --force
This applies only to entries with agents: ["*"]. Explicit agent lists are honoured as-is.

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Behaviour at sync time

  • Skills already at the right version are reported = unchanged.
  • New skills are added.
  • Skills no longer in the config are left in place unless you pass --prune.
  • Each skill source is fetched once per sync and reused across all agents that target it.

Concepts: skills

Agent integrations

Pruning

Schema: skills