Guide · Open source
How to use garden-skills: install and run the Agent Skills
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
garden-skills is an open-source collection of Agent Skills, which are packaged instructions and resources that AI coding agents such as Claude Code, Cursor and Codex can load to perform specific tasks. This guide walks through what the collection contains, how to get the repository onto your machine, and how to choose the right skill for your project. By the end you will know which of the six skills fits your work and what you need before you start.
Garden SkillsConardLi/garden-skills · ★ 13.5k · MIT Install options & downloads Quick start
- 1Confirm your agent. Make sure you have an AI coding agent such as Claude Code, Cursor or Codex installed, since the skills are built for agents.
- 2Clone the repository. Run git clone https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills in your terminal.
- 3Pick a skill. Choose from motion-showreel, web-video-presentation, web-design-engineer, gpt-image-2, beautiful-article or kb-retriever based on your task.
- 4Read the skill's README and SKILL.md. Open the skill folder under skills/ to see its requirements and the instructions the agent will load.
- 5Set up any extra tools. Follow the skill's own notes for items such as a TTS provider if you want narration.
- 6Run a small test. Start with a short task so you can see how the agent uses the skill before committing to a larger project.
What is garden-skills?
garden-skills is a curated collection of Agent Skills for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex and other AI coding agents. The README describes it as a set of production-ready skills, and each one is a packaged set of instructions and resources that an agent loads when a task calls for it.
The repository is MIT licensed and written in JavaScript.
Which skills are included?
The README lists six skills. Each one targets a different kind of work, so you can pick the ones that match your goals.
- motion-showreel: code-rendered short videos, such as showreels, product films, UI motion and narrated explainers.
- web-video-presentation: click-driven 16:9 web presentations that you can screen-record as videos.
- web-design-engineer: design and frontend work.
- gpt-image-2: image generation and prompting.
- beautiful-article: turning a source into a readable article.
- kb-retriever: local knowledge retrieval for your AI agent.
Get the repository onto your machine
The source gives one install command: clone the repository from GitHub. Run it in a terminal where you have git available.
The README also has a table of contents that lists other install routes, including the skills CLI via npx, a Claude Code plugin marketplace, a pinned .zip from Releases, a manual copy and a Git submodule. This guide only covers the clone command, since the other routes are described in the README and are not summarized here.
git clone https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skillsLoad a skill into your AI coding agent
Skills are built for agents, so the last step is making a skill available to the agent you use. The README's compatibility and what-is-a-skill sections explain the details, and each skill has its own folder under skills/ with its own README.md and SKILL.md file.
Open the skill's SKILL.md to see what the agent will read. Check the skill's README for any extra requirements, such as a TTS provider or Node tooling, before you rely on it.
- Open the skill folder, for example skills/motion-showreel, and read its README.md.
- Read SKILL.md to see the instructions the agent will load.
- Follow the skill's own setup notes for any additional tools it needs.
Use the web-video-presentation skill
According to the README, web-video-presentation turns scripts, articles, lessons, product demos and talks into record-ready Vite + React + TypeScript presentations. The workflow turns raw articles into narration scripts, maps script beats to full-screen scenes and pauses at checkpoints for your approval.
The stage is a fixed 1920×1080 canvas that scales to the viewport. Navigation is by click or keyboard, and progress controls are hidden until you hover, so the stage stays clean while you record. The skill includes 23 built-in themes and a pluggable TTS audio runner with two built-in providers, MiniMax mmx-cli and OpenAI TTS via curl.
Use the motion-showreel skill
motion-showreel delivers MP4 plus editable source. It confirms the topic, duration, orientation, music or sound-effect sources and narration mode, then writes a brief and confirms style frames before production.
The README says short pieces typically run 5 to 60 seconds, and chapter-based films can go up to 20 minutes. It includes a library of 43 styles that you can adapt, mix or replace. Narration uses Gemini or MiniMax TTS only for scripts you supply, and recordings use real timestamps.
Choose the right skill for your task
Start from your goal rather than the full list. The README suggests a few clear matches.
- Building web slides you plan to screen-record: web-video-presentation.
- Making short code-rendered motion videos with narration or music: motion-showreel.
- Giving your agent a local knowledge base to search: kb-retriever.
- Generating or prompting images: gpt-image-2.
What people use it for
- Building a click-driven web presentation from an article and screen-recording it as a video.
- Producing a short code-rendered showreel or product film with a music track or narration.
- Giving an AI coding agent a local knowledge retrieval skill over your own notes or documents.
- Generating image prompts for a design project with the gpt-image-2 skill.
Frequently asked questions
Is garden-skills free to use?
garden-skills is MIT licensed, as stated in the repository. The MIT licence permits use under its terms, so check the LICENSE file in the repo for the full text. Some skills mention third-party services such as TTS providers, which may have their own terms.
What do I need to use garden-skills?
The listed prerequisite is an AI coding agent such as Claude Code, Cursor or Codex. You also need git to clone the repository, using the command the README gives.
Does garden-skills work without an AI coding agent?
No. The README describes the skills as instructions and resources that agents load, so people who do not use an AI coding agent will not get much from it. It is not a standalone desktop app.
Which AI tools does garden-skills support?
The README names Claude Code, Cursor and Codex, and mentions other AI coding agents. Check the README's compatibility section for the full list.
Are there alternatives to garden-skills?
The source does not list comparable projects, so this guide does not name alternatives. You can look for other Agent Skills collections and compare their licences, supported agents and skill coverage.
Does the README guarantee output quality?
No. The README does not benchmark results, so test each skill on your own work before relying on it for important output.
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Our verdict
garden-skills suits developers who already use Claude Code, Cursor or Codex and want ready-made skills for web presentations, motion videos, design or local knowledge retrieval. If you do not use an AI coding agent or want a standalone app, it is not the right fit, and you should pick a tool built for that workflow.
Install options & downloads