Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Rust Async Patterns agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The rust-async-patterns skill is a set of guidance files that an AI agent loads when you work on asynchronous Rust code built on the Tokio runtime. This guide explains what the skill changes about the agent's behaviour, how to install it, how to ask for help in a way that triggers it, and what it needs to run. By the end you will be able to add the skill to Claude and use it on async Rust tasks.
Rust Async Patternswshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the rust-async-patterns ZIP from the skill's page on our site.
- 2Unzip into the right folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ in your project for a project-only install.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Check your Rust setup. Make sure a Rust toolchain and Cargo are installed and that your Cargo.toml includes Tokio and the related crates.
- 5Ask a specific async question. Describe your async Rust task or bug in plain language, naming Rust and Tokio, and include the relevant code.
What does the rust-async-patterns skill make the agent do?
Once installed, the agent gets guidance on writing asynchronous Rust, a style of programming where many tasks wait on input or output at the same time without blocking each other. It knows the Tokio runtime and common building blocks such as tasks, channels, streams, select, JoinSet and cancellation tokens.
The skill also follows a set of do's and don'ts, such as avoiding blocking calls and not holding locks across awaits. It points to a reference document, references/details.md, with more detailed worked examples.
- Explains the async model: futures are lazy, poll returns Ready or Pending, and the runtime schedules work.
- Recommends tokio::select! for racing futures and JoinSet for managing multiple tasks.
- Warns against std::thread::sleep inside async code, holding locks across awaits, and spawning tasks without limits.
- Suggests semaphores for concurrency limits and tracing for debugging async code.
How do you install the rust-async-patterns skill?
You can install the skill in one of three ways. Pick the one that matches where you use the agent.
Option 1 is a personal install for Claude Code: download the ZIP from the skill's page on our site and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. Option 2 is a project install: unzip it into the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project so it applies only to that repository. Option 3 is for the Claude apps: download the ZIP and upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Download the ZIP from our page for rust-async-patterns.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/.
- Project only: unzip into .claude/skills/ in your project root.
- Claude apps: upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
The skill's description says it applies when you are building async Rust applications, implementing concurrent systems, or debugging async code. Mention those things in plain language and name Rust and Tokio so the request matches the skill's description.
Describe the problem as you would to a colleague. Include the symptom, the code and what you expect to happen. The more specific you are, the more useful the guidance will be.
- Help me structure a Tokio service that handles many TCP connections concurrently.
- My async Rust function hangs. I think I am holding a Mutex across an await. Can you check?
- Fetch a list of URLs concurrently in Rust, but cap it at 10 requests at a time.
- Review this async Rust code for blocking calls and missing error propagation.
What does a worked example look like?
The skill's quick start shows a minimal Tokio program with tracing set up and an async function that returns a Result. The reference file adds a pattern for running many tasks at once with JoinSet, collecting successes and logging failures.
Use these examples as starting points and check them against your own project's versions and error types.
use tokio::task::JoinSet;
use anyhow::Result;
async fn fetch_all_concurrent(urls: Vec<String>) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
let mut set = JoinSet::new();
for url in urls {
set.spawn(async move {
fetch_data(&url).await
});
}
let mut results = Vec::new();
while let Some(res) = set.join_next().await {
match res {
Ok(Ok(data)) => results.push(data),
Ok(Err(e)) => tracing::error!("Task failed: {}", e),
Err(e) => tracing::error!("Join error: {}", e),
}
}
Ok(results)
}What does the skill need and does it run anything?
The skill needs a Rust toolchain with Cargo. The example Cargo.toml lists the Tokio crate with the full feature set, plus futures, async-trait, anyhow, tracing and tracing-subscriber.
The skill's listed requirements say it does not run scripts and does not use the network. It is a set of instructions and reference text, so it does not run code on your machine. Any code the agent writes for you still runs only when you build and run your project.
- Rust toolchain and Cargo installed.
- Tokio plus related crates in your Cargo.toml (futures, async-trait, anyhow, tracing).
- No scripts are run by the skill.
- The skill does not use the network.
[dependencies]
tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
futures = "0.3"
async-trait = "0.1"
anyhow = "1.0"
tracing = "0.1"
tracing-subscriber = "0.3"What practical tips help you get the most from it?
Most async bugs come from a small set of mistakes. The skill's do's and don'ts target those mistakes, so keep them in mind when you review code the agent produces, even outside the skill.
Ask the agent to explain its reasoning when it suggests a concurrency change. A short explanation makes it easier to spot a deadlock or an unbounded spawn before it reaches production.
- Use channels rather than shared state where you can.
- Use CancellationToken so tasks can be stopped cleanly.
- Propagate errors with ? or log them; do not ignore them.
- Check Send bounds on futures you spawn.
- Use semaphores or buffer_unordered to limit concurrent work.
What people use it for
- Structuring a Tokio network service that handles many connections at once.
- Running a batch of concurrent HTTP-style requests with a fixed concurrency limit.
- Finding a deadlock caused by a lock held across an await point.
- Reviewing an async codebase for blocking calls and unhandled errors during code review.
- Setting up tracing and clean task cancellation in a long-running async application.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the rust-async-patterns skill?
Download the ZIP from our page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or into .claude/skills/ in a project for a project-only install. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to use the rust-async-patterns skill?
You need a Rust toolchain with Cargo and a project that uses Tokio and related crates such as futures, async-trait, anyhow and tracing. The skill assumes you already know Rust and does not teach the language basics.
Is the rust-async-patterns skill free to use?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as listed on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository if you plan to redistribute it.
Does the skill run scripts or use the internet?
According to the listed requirements, the skill runs no scripts and uses no network. It provides guidance and reference text, and any code you build and run is your own responsibility.
Why isn't the skill helping with my request?
The skill is aimed at async Rust with Tokio. Name Rust and Tokio in your request and describe the async problem, such as debugging async code or building concurrent systems. If your project uses a different language or runtime, this skill will not apply.
How is this different from a general Rust guide?
This skill gives the agent a focused set of async Rust conventions and patterns for Tokio, including do's and don'ts and worked examples. It does not cover Rust basics or other languages, so it suits developers who already know Rust.
New agent skills, repos and AI tools — every week
The best new skills and open-source projects, the fastest-growing repos, and one free prompt. Five minutes to read. Unsubscribe anytime.
Our verdict
Use this skill if you write or review async Rust with Tokio, especially network services, concurrent workloads or hard-to-find async bugs. Skip it if your project is not Rust or Tokio, or if you are learning Rust from scratch, since it assumes you already know the language.
Download the skill