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    How to Update Claude Code Skills: Keep Skills Current

    Update your SKILL.md skills in Claude Code — marketplace updates, GitHub pulls, and version management.

    May 3, 20263 min read
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    Skills improve over time. Creators fix bugs, add features, and update instructions based on feedback. Here's how to keep your skills current.

    Quick Answer: To update Claude Code skills, if it's from the Agensi marketplace, download the new ZIP and replace old files; for GitHub skills, use git pull; for manual skills, edit the SKILL.md file directly. Always restart your Claude Code session to apply updates.

    Marketplace skills (Agensi)

    When a creator ships an update on Agensi, buyers get it free. You'll see an update notification in your purchase history. Download the new zip and replace the old files:

    rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/
    unzip skill-name-v2.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/
    

    Start a new Claude Code session to pick up the changes.

    Recommended skills

    GitHub skills

    If you cloned a skill from GitHub, pull the latest:

    cd ~/.claude/skills/skill-name/
    git pull
    

    That's it. The next Claude Code session uses the updated version.

    Manual skills

    If you created a skill yourself or pasted it from a community share, you update it by editing the SKILL.md file directly. Use any text editor.

    After editing, start a new Claude Code session. Claude Code reads skills at startup — changes mid-session aren't picked up.

    Version management

    SKILL.md doesn't have a built-in versioning system. If you want to track versions:

    • Keep the old version in a backup folder before updating
    • Add a version comment at the top of the SKILL.md body: *Version 2.1 — April 2026*
    • For GitHub skills, check the commit history to see what changed

    When to update

    Update skills when:

    • The creator announces bug fixes or improvements
    • You notice the skill's output quality declining (might be due to model updates)
    • You changed your project's stack and the skill needs to match (e.g., switched from Jest to Vitest)
    • The skill references outdated practices or deprecated APIs

    Don't update for the sake of updating. If a skill works well, leave it alone.


    Find skills with active creators on Agensi.

    Frequently Asked Questions