Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Image to Code agent skill: install and run it
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Image to Code is an agent skill from the MiMo-Code project that turns a selected screenshot, mockup, generated concept, or design frame into a working frontend in your codebase. This guide is for designers and front-end developers who want a close prototype from a visual, and it explains how to install the skill, trigger it with plain requests, and check its output. After reading, you will know what the skill does, how to set it up, and where its limits are.
Image to CodeXiaomiMiMo/MiMo-Code · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 3Make the project runnable. Confirm the target project starts with its normal dev or preview command and its dependencies are installed.
- 4Select one image. Attach a screenshot, mockup or design frame and name it if more than one is present.
- 5Ask for the build. Describe the target in plain language, including whether it is desktop or mobile.
- 6Check the rendered result. Open the running app, compare it with the source at the same width and click the main interactions.
- 7Read design-qa.md. Confirm the file records final result: passed, or read the reported blocker.
What is an agent skill, and what does Image to Code make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder of instructions (a SKILL.md file, plus optional supporting files) that an AI coding agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. The skill tells the agent how to approach that kind of task.
Image to Code is a skill for turning a visual target into a frontend. The agent treats the chosen image as the design to match, records its layout, spacing, colours, typography, borders, shadows, and responsive behaviour, and then builds the interface inside your existing project. It runs the app, captures a rendered view, compares it with the design, and fixes mismatches before reporting back.
- Works within the target repository's framework, package manager, components and design tokens; it does not swap your stack.
- Builds the full visible structure and the main user journey, with navigation, forms, toggles and calls to action behaving realistically.
- Verifies visually rather than assuming a build succeeded, and saves a design-qa.md record in the project root.
- Uses the image-generation tool for custom raster imagery and an existing icon set for UI icons, rather than emoji or placeholders.
Install the Image to Code skill
Download the skill ZIP from this page. Then choose one of two routes, depending on how you use your agent.
For Claude Code, unzip the file into your user skills folder ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only in that project. For the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ so the skill is available across your projects.
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder so it is available only there.
- Claude apps: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Prepare the project and the image
The skill needs two things before it starts: a selected visual target and a project it can run. The source says it requires a selected image, screenshot, mockup, generated result, or design frame. A written brief alone is not enough.
The target project needs a runnable development environment, meaning its normal dev or preview command must work, along with the dependencies of that repository. If you have no project yet, the skill can create the smallest runnable frontend that suits the request, and plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript is acceptable.
- Attach or clearly name one image. If you have several, say which one (for example, 'the second screenshot').
- Make sure the project installs and starts with its own dev or preview command.
- Have a browser capture tool available; the parent design index skill selects which one is used.
- If the design needs custom photos or illustrations, have an image-generation tool available.
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Attach the image and describe what you want in ordinary language. The agent matches the request to the skill and follows its workflow.
If the attachment or the image reference is ambiguous, the agent is meant to ask which image you mean before editing. Mention the target viewport when it matters, for example a phone screen, since the skill checks around 390 × 844 for phone UIs when no device is named.
- 'Build this mockup as a responsive landing page in our existing Next.js app.' (Use your own framework name.)
- 'Turn the attached dashboard screenshot into components in src/components, using our current design tokens.'
- 'Implement the selected login frame as a mobile screen and check it at phone size.'
- 'Recreate this design frame as plain HTML and CSS in a new folder.'
Review the output and the design-qa.md record
The skill expects the agent to save design-qa.md in the project root. The agent should hand off only when that file records final result: passed, or when it reports a genuine capture or verification blocker. Read this file to see what was compared and what was fixed.
Do not rely on a successful build or a 200 response from the dev server as proof. The skill itself says to inspect the rendered result and the primary interactions. Click through the main flow yourself as a final check.
- Open the project's dev or preview URL and compare it with the source image at the same width.
- Check the primary interactions: navigation, tabs, menus, forms and calls to action.
- Read design-qa.md for the recorded result and any listed limitations.
Safety notes: scripts and network
The skill runs scripts, so treat it like any code you let an agent execute. Review the skill files (agents/openai.yaml and SKILL.md) before installing, and run it on a project you can restore from version control.
The skill is not an automatic deploy tool. It publishes only when you ask and the host exposes an authorised deployment tool. The source does not name any specific API keys, but the target repository's own dependencies still apply.
- Runs scripts: yes. Review before running.
- Uses network: no, according to the skill's listing. Image-generation and browser tools you select may have their own requirements.
- Publishing needs an explicit request and an authorised deployment tool.
What people use it for
- Turning a Figma-style mockup or exported design frame into a responsive landing page in an existing codebase.
- Converting a dashboard screenshot into reusable components that follow the project's current design tokens.
- Building a phone screen at around 390 × 844 and checking it at that size.
- Creating a quick, non-production frontend prototype from a generated concept image in plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Image to Code skill free?
The source lists the licence as MIT, which is the licence the MiMo-Code project uses. It does not state a price, so check the project's repository for current terms. Any image-generation or browser tool you connect may have its own cost or licence.
What do I need to use the Image to Code skill?
You need a selected image, screenshot, mockup or design frame, and a target project whose normal dev or preview command runs. You also need a browser capture tool, selected by the parent design index skill, and an image-generation tool if custom raster imagery is required.
Where do I install the Image to Code skill?
Unzip the downloaded ZIP into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can it build a page from a text brief with no image?
No. The skill requires a selected visual target, and a written brief alone is not one. The source says to route to ideation first when that is appropriate.
Does the skill use the internet or run code on my machine?
The listing says it runs scripts and does not use the network. Review the files before installing, since scripts run locally.
Why does the agent not just say the build worked?
The skill is designed to check visually. It captures the rendered app, compares it with the design, fixes mismatches, and records design-qa.md. It should not claim verification from a build or HTTP status alone.
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Our verdict
Image to Code suits designers and front-end developers who have a mockup or screenshot and want a close, responsive prototype inside an existing project with a visual QA record. It is a poor fit for text-only briefs, projects that need real backend systems or live data, and anyone expecting an automatic deploy.
Download the skill