Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Surprise Me agent skill (surprise-me)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Surprise Me is an agent skill from the bytedance/deer-flow project under the MIT licence. It lets an agent answer open requests like "surprise me" or "I'm bored" by combining other skills you already have into one creative piece. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and what to check before using it.
Surprise Mebytedance/deer-flow · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the surprise-me ZIP file from the skill's page in this directory.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Extract it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 4Make an open request. Ask something like "surprise me" or "I'm bored, show me something interesting."
- 5Review the reveal. Expect a short teaser followed by the finished artifact.
What is the Surprise Me skill and what does it make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives an agent instructions for a specific kind of task. Surprise Me is a skill whose job is to produce an unexpected, delightful creative result. When triggered, the agent looks at the other skills it has available, selects one to three, and designs a single mashup. The source gives examples such as a styled presentation, an illustrated report, or an interactive web page.
The skill prioritises visual impact and emotional delight over information density. It is not designed for work that needs precise or verified facts.
What happens when no other skills are installed?
If Surprise Me is the only skill present, it uses a fallback. The source lists three options: find a current news story and present it as a striking HTML artifact, build a small single-page interactive experience such as generative art, a mini-game, or an animated infographic, or create something personal from context it knows about you.
The reveal is deliberately brief. The agent gives a short teaser and then the artifact, rather than explaining how it was made.
- News-based surprise: searches today's news for a story and builds an HTML page about it
- Interactive HTML experience: a single-page creative piece
- Personalized artifact: uses known user context
How do you install the Surprise Me skill?
Download the ZIP file from the skill's page in this directory. Then choose one of two routes.
For Claude Code, unzip the file into your personal skills folder ~/.claude/skills/ so the skill is available everywhere, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder so it applies only to that project.
In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
How do you trigger the Surprise Me skill?
Ask in plain language. The skill's description says it triggers when you say "surprise me" or make any request for an unexpected creative showcase. It also triggers when you say you are bored, want inspiration, or ask for "something interesting".
You do not need special syntax. The more open the request, the more room the agent has to mash up skills in unexpected ways.
- "Surprise me."
- "I'm bored, give me something interesting."
- "I need some inspiration today."
- "Show me something unexpected and creative."
What does the output look like?
The agent first reads the skills it has discovered, then plans one cohesive deliverable rather than separate demos. Examples from the source include a presentation about algorithmic art, a research report turned into a slide deck, or a styled document with canvas-designed illustrations.
The agent is told to present the result with minimal preamble. You should expect a short teaser line followed by the finished artifact, not a walkthrough of the process.
What does the skill need, and what about scripts and network access?
The skill lists no required dependencies. It does not run scripts. It does use the network: the news-based fallback searches current news, so it needs web access when that path is chosen.
The skill can also draw on remembered details about you when it builds a personalised piece. If you do not want news searches or personal context used unexpectedly, do not use this skill, or review its instructions first, since SKILL.md is the only file in the package.
- Requires: nothing listed
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: yes (news search fallback)
- May use remembered user context for personalised output
Tips for getting better results
Keep requests open. Phrases like "something interesting" give the agent more room to choose skills and themes. Installing several document, design, or creative skills gives the agent more to combine, since the skill selects one to three from what is available.
Use it for playful prototypes and inspiration, not for anything you will rely on as fact. Check any factual claims in the output independently.
- Install more creative skills to widen the mashup options
- Ask for a mood or theme if you want a particular direction
- Do not rely on its output for verified information
What people use it for
- A styled presentation about a topic you did not ask for, built from a presentation skill and a design skill
- An illustrated report that turns a research summary into a visual piece
- A small interactive web page, such as a visual poem or animated infographic, when you want something to explore
- A quick dose of inspiration on a slow day
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the surprise-me skill?
Download the ZIP from the skill's page here. For Claude Code, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into .claude/skills/ in a project. In the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the surprise-me skill require anything else?
The skill lists no required dependencies and does not run scripts. It does use the network, because its news-based fallback searches current news when no other skills are available.
Is the Surprise Me skill free?
The skill is released under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. The source does not mention pricing for the Claude apps or Claude Code, so check those products' terms separately.
What phrases trigger the surprise-me skill?
Phrases such as "surprise me", "I'm bored", "I want inspiration", or "something interesting" trigger it. Any request for an unexpected creative showcase should also work.
Why won't the agent explain how it made the surprise?
The skill is designed to reveal results with minimal spoilers. It gives a short teaser and then the artifact, so the process stays hidden. If you want to see how something was made, ask for that separately or choose a different tool.
Can I use Surprise Me for accurate research or reports?
Not as a primary source. The skill prioritises visual delight over information density, so its output is not suited to tasks that need precise, verified facts. Use a research-focused skill or check facts independently.
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Our verdict
Surprise Me suits people who want a fun, unexpected creative piece or inspiration, especially if they already have several document, design, or creative skills installed. It is a poor fit for accurate reporting, for anyone who wants to see exactly how a deliverable was made, or for people who object to news searches or unexpected use of personal context.
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