Claude Skills
Enables intelligent semantic search and discovery of relevant Claude Agent Skills using vector embeddings. Provides access to curated scientific skills and supports both GitHub repositories and local skill directories.
What is Claude Skills?
Claude Skills is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables intelligent semantic search and discovery of relevant claude agent skills using vector embeddings. provides access to curated scientific skills and supports both github repositories and local ...
Enables intelligent semantic search and discovery of relevant Claude Agent Skills using vector embeddings. Provides access to curated scientific skills and supports both GitHub repositories and local skill directories.
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables intelligent semantic search and discovery of relevan
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx claude-skills-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Claude Skills
The Claude Skills MCP server by K-Dense AI provides AI clients with semantic search across a curated library of reusable Claude agent skills using vector embeddings, enabling agents to find and load the most relevant skill instructions on demand rather than stuffing entire skill libraries into context. Out of the box it indexes 15+ official Anthropic skills and 78+ specialised scientific skills from K-Dense AI, and it can also scan GitHub repositories or a local ~/.claude/skills directory, making it a practical context-management layer for teams running complex multi-skill Claude workflows.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or later with the uv package manager installed (https://docs.astral.sh/uv/)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Claude Code
- Internet access for the initial skill index download from GitHub (first-run only)
- Optional: a local ~/.claude/skills directory containing custom skill files
Test the server with uvx
Run the server once via uvx to confirm it downloads and starts correctly. On first run it will build the vector index for all default skill sources.
uvx claude-skills-mcpGenerate an example config (optional)
Export a starter configuration file that lists all customisable options such as custom GitHub skill sources, local directories, vector model, and content limits.
uvx claude-skills-mcp --example-config > config.jsonConfigure Claude Desktop
Add the server to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. No API keys are needed for the default skill sources.
{
"mcpServers": {
"claude-skills": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["claude-skills-mcp"]
}
}
}Configure Cursor
Add the server to ~/.cursor/mcp.json to enable skill discovery inside Cursor.
{
"mcpServers": {
"claude-skills": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["claude-skills-mcp"]
}
}
}Use a custom config file (optional)
Point the server at a custom config to add private GitHub skill repositories or a local skills directory.
{
"mcpServers": {
"claude-skills": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["claude-skills-mcp", "--config", "/Users/yourname/skills-config.json"]
}
}
}Restart the client and verify
Restart Claude Desktop or Cursor. The three tools — find_helpful_skills, read_skill_document, and list_skills — should appear in the MCP tools list. The backend index builds in the background on first launch.
Claude Skills Examples
Client configuration
Minimal Claude Desktop config for the Claude Skills MCP server using uvx.
{
"mcpServers": {
"claude-skills": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["claude-skills-mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts that exercise all three MCP tools.
- "Find skills related to single-cell RNA sequencing analysis"
- "List all available skills so I can choose the most relevant one"
- "Search for a skill about writing scientific papers and load its full instructions"
- "Find the best skill for running statistical tests on biological data"
- "Read the skill document for the nextflow-development skill"Troubleshooting Claude Skills
Server starts but find_helpful_skills returns no results
The vector index is built in the background on first launch and can take 1–2 minutes. Wait for the backend process to complete (check for a log message indicating indexing is done) and then retry your search.
uvx claude-skills-mcp fails with a network error on startup
The server downloads skill sources from GitHub on first run. Ensure you have internet access and that GitHub is reachable. If behind a corporate proxy, set the HTTP_PROXY / HTTPS_PROXY environment variables in your MCP config env block.
Custom local skills in ~/.claude/skills are not being indexed
Confirm the directory path exists and contains correctly formatted skill files. Generate an example config with '--example-config' to see the expected file format and directory structure, then pass '--config your-config.json' when starting the server.
Frequently Asked Questions about Claude Skills
What is Claude Skills?
Claude Skills is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables intelligent semantic search and discovery of relevant claude agent skills using vector embeddings. provides access to curated scientific skills and supports both github repositories and local skill directories. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Claude Skills?
Follow the installation instructions on the Claude Skills GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Claude Skills?
Claude Skills works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Claude Skills free to use?
Yes, Claude Skills is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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