Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Cisco IOS Review Patterns agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The cisco-ios-patterns skill gives an AI agent a checklist and reference material for working with Cisco IOS and IOS-XE routers and switches. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it from a ZIP file or the Claude apps, how to ask for it in plain language, and what to check before trusting its output on a real device. By the end you will be able to run a review of a configuration snippet and plan a cautious change.
Cisco IOS Review Patternsaffaan-m/ECC · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the cisco-ios-patterns ZIP from its page on this directory.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract the file into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill there instead.
- 4Ask a Cisco IOS question. Describe the task and mention Cisco IOS or IOS-XE, for example a review of an ACL snippet.
- 5Verify before applying. Check the agent's output against your platform, interface names and current configuration, and confirm out-of-band access before any change.
What the skill makes the agent do
Once installed, the skill lets the agent review Cisco IOS or IOS-XE configuration snippets, check things such as ACL wildcard masks and interface direction, and suggest read-only show commands to collect evidence from a device.
It also sets a cautious change process: capture the current state, review the exact candidate configuration, confirm you will not lock yourself out, apply small changes in a maintenance window, then verify and save only after the change is accepted.
- Review configuration before a planned change
- Pick read-only show commands for troubleshooting
- Check ACL wildcard masks and interface direction
- Explain configuration modes such as global, interface, routing process and line
How to install the cisco-ios-patterns skill
Download the ZIP file for the skill from its page on this directory. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md, so the ZIP contains that one file.
Option A: unzip it into your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/. Option B: unzip it into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project.
Option C: in the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe the task in plain language and mention Cisco IOS or IOS-XE so the agent knows to use the skill. The skill is meant to be used when you are reviewing a snippet, building a change-window checklist, or collecting evidence from a router or switch.
Good requests name the device family, the task and the output you want, for example a review of an ACL or a list of show commands for a specific problem.
- Review this IOS-XE ACL snippet and check the wildcard masks
- Build a change-window checklist for moving an interface to a new VLAN on a Cisco switch
- Give me read-only show commands to find out why this Cisco router is dropping BGP routes
- Explain the difference between running-config and startup-config for this change
Read the reference patterns the skill uses
The skill includes a mode reference showing how a typical session moves between user EXEC, privileged EXEC, global configuration, interface configuration and back out. It also includes a list of read-only commands to gather state, such as show version, show ip interface brief, show ip route and show ip access-lists.
Keep the running configuration separate from the saved one. The running-config is active memory, and the startup-config is what survives a reload. Save with copy running-config startup-config only after you have verified the change.
- running-config is active memory
- startup-config survives a reload
- Do not save a change just because the command was accepted
Router> enable
Router# show running-config
Router# configure terminal
Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
Router(config-if)# description UPLINK-TO-CORE
Router(config-if)# no shutdown
Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)# end
Router# show running-config interface GigabitEthernet0/1Check ACL wildcard masks correctly
IOS ACLs and many routing statements use wildcard masks rather than subnet masks. A wildcard mask is the inverse of the subnet mask, so a mistake here can match more traffic than you intended. The skill's table shows common pairs, and the agent can use it to check your masks.
Ask the agent to review every wildcard mask before deployment, especially when a subnet mask has been copied into an ACL line by mistake.
- 255.255.255.0 is 0.0.0.255
- 255.255.255.252 is 0.0.0.3
- 255.255.0.0 is 0.0.255.255
- 255.255.255.255 is 0.0.0.0
Subnet mask Wildcard mask
255.255.255.255 0.0.0.0
255.255.255.252 0.0.0.3
255.255.255.0 0.0.0.255
255.255.0.0 0.0.255.255Collect only what you need from a device
The skill suggests read-only show commands to collect evidence, including show logging, show interfaces status, show vlan brief, show spanning-tree and show ip route. Start with the narrowest command that answers your question.
Configurations can contain secrets, customer names or private topology. The skill recommends collecting specific sections, such as show running-config | section interface, instead of dumping the full configuration into a ticket.
- Prefer show running-config | section <name> over a full dump
- Share outputs only with people who need them
- Remove secrets and customer names before pasting into tickets
show running-config | section interface
show ip interface brief
show ip access-listsWhat people use it for
- Reviewing an IOS-XE ACL for wildcard mask mistakes before a planned change
- Writing a change-window checklist that captures state, applies a small change and verifies it
- Collecting read-only show output to troubleshoot an interface, VLAN or routing problem
- Teaching students IOS command modes, show commands and wildcard masks
Frequently asked questions
Is the cisco-ios-patterns skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as listed on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms before reusing it.
What do I need to install cisco-ios-patterns?
The listing shows no specific requirements. The skill is a single SKILL.md file that you place in a skills folder or upload in the Claude apps.
Where do I put the skill folder?
Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the skill run scripts or connect to my routers?
No. The listing says it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It provides patterns and checklists, and you run any commands yourself.
Can I use it on a live production router?
Only with a person checking each command. The skill does not verify your platform or topology, so confirm the device model, interface names, current configuration and rollback path first.
Does it work with non-Cisco equipment?
No. The content is specific to Cisco IOS and IOS-XE, so use a different skill or vendor documentation for other network gear.
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Our verdict
This skill is a good fit for network engineers reviewing planned Cisco router or switch changes, students learning IOS modes and wildcard masks, and teams writing change-window or troubleshooting checklists. It is not a substitute for checking your own device and topology, and it should not be used to make live changes without a human reviewing every command; use a different resource for non-Cisco gear.
Download the skill