Guide · Agent skill
How to use the reference-pack agent skill for gbrain skillpacks
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
reference-pack is an agent skill that teaches your AI agent how third-party gbrain skillpacks are built. It is useful if you want to write a gbrain skillpack or review whether someone else's pack meets the publishing checklist. After this guide you will know how to install the skill, how to phrase requests so the agent uses it, and what it can and cannot do.
Reference Skillpack Explainergarrytan/gbrain · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the reference-pack ZIP from this page and unzip it.
- 2Place the folder. Move the reference-pack folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 4Ask a natural question. Ask something like how do third-party skillpacks work, and the agent should route to reference-pack.
- 5Install gbrain for live data. If you want registry lookups, install the gbrain CLI so the info and search commands work.
- 6Run the doctor on your pack. Run gbrain skillpack doctor <pack-dir> to see which dimensions pass and the fix for each failure.
What an agent skill is and what reference-pack makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file. The file's frontmatter lists a name, a description and trigger phrases, and the markdown body holds instructions the agent reads when a request matches those triggers.
reference-pack is a documentation-style skill. When a user asks what a third-party gbrain skillpack is or how one works, the agent explains the four standard artifacts a pack ships: skillpack.json (pack metadata), skills/<name>/SKILL.md, runbooks/bootstrap.md and CHANGELOG.md. It also explains the ten quality checks the gbrain doctor applies and the tiers a pack can earn.
- Explains the manifest, skill instructions, bootstrap runbook and changelog
- Explains the ten doctor dimensions: five core checks and five quality badges
- Explains the tiers: endorsed, community, experimental and blocked
- Can point to live registry data via gbrain skillpack info and gbrain skillpack search
Install the reference-pack skill from a ZIP file
Download the ZIP for reference-pack from this page and unzip it. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md, so you can place the unzipped folder in one of two locations.
For a personal install that applies across your projects, put the folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, put it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
In the Claude apps you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/reference-pack/
- Project only: <your-project>/.claude/skills/reference-pack/
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The agent matches your wording against the skill's trigger phrases. The source lists these examples, and similar phrasing should route to the same skill:
- what is the reference skillpack
- show me the reference skill
- explain the skillpack contract
- what's a 10/10 skillpack
- how do third-party skillpacks work
Examples of what to ask
Ask a broad question first, then narrow it down. The skill is written to answer questions about the format, so questions about authoring and publishing work well.
- How do third-party skillpacks work? (gets the four artifacts overview)
- Explain the skillpack contract. (gets the ten doctor dimensions and tiers)
- What does gbrain skillpack doctor check before publishing? (gets the rubric and fixes)
- Which tier would a pack with all five core checks but only two badges earn? (answers from the tier rules: experimental)
Check a pack with the gbrain doctor
The skill describes the author's checklist. Before publishing, a publisher runs the doctor against the pack directory. The doctor shows which dimensions pass and gives a paste-ready fix for each failure. The source also describes a --fix --yes option that auto-scaffolds dimensions marked auto-fixable, such as routing-eval stubs, CHANGELOG entries, a license stub, a bootstrap stub and test stubs.
gbrain skillpack doctor <pack-dir>What you need before using it
reference-pack only explains the format. The commands it mentions need the gbrain CLI installed, so without gbrain the live lookups will not work. The end-to-end test in the example pack is gated on DATABASE_URL, which is optional and only matters if you run that test.
- Required: the gbrain CLI (used for doctor, pack, info and search)
- Optional: DATABASE_URL, only for the end-to-end test in the example pack
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
Safety notes on scripts and network access
According to the skill's listing, reference-pack does not run scripts and does not use the network. It is documentation the agent reads. Any live registry data comes from gbrain commands you run yourself, so those commands follow gbrain's behaviour, not this skill's.
The skill is marked non-mutating in its frontmatter. It explains and does not change your packs. Check the output of gbrain skillpack doctor --fix --yes before accepting it, since that option writes stub files into the pack.
What people use it for
- A developer learning the four artifacts before writing their first gbrain skillpack.
- A maintainer checking whether a third-party pack meets the core checks and badge requirements.
- A team member who needs a quick explanation of why a pack landed in the community or experimental tier.
- Someone reviewing the routing and trigger design of a skill before publishing it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the reference-pack skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to use reference-pack?
You need the gbrain CLI, since the commands the skill refers to (doctor, pack, info and search) depend on it. DATABASE_URL is optional and only needed for the end-to-end test in the example pack.
Is reference-pack free?
The skill is listed under the MIT licence. The source does not mention pricing, so check the repository for any other terms.
Does reference-pack run scripts or use the internet?
According to its listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network. It provides explanations, and any live registry data comes from gbrain commands you run.
Why doesn't the agent use reference-pack for my request?
Try wording closer to the trigger phrases, such as how do third-party skillpacks work or explain the skillpack contract. Also confirm the folder is in the correct skills directory and contains SKILL.md.
What is the difference between reference-pack and the gbrain doctor?
reference-pack explains the skillpack format in conversation. The gbrain doctor is a tool that scores a real pack directory against the ten dimensions and shows fixes for failures.
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Our verdict
Use reference-pack if you are writing or reviewing a gbrain skillpack and want the agent to explain the contract in plain terms. Pick something else if you need a general-purpose capability, or if you do not have gbrain installed, since the skill only documents that format and does not do the work itself.
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