How do I set up skills in a Cursor project?

Create a `.cursor/skills/` directory in your project root, add skill folders containing SKILL.md files, and then reload your Cursor workspace.

How do Cursor skills and .cursorrules work together?

Skills provide on-demand specialized workflows, while .cursorrules offers always-on project context like coding conventions. They complement each other to create comprehensive AI responses.

Where can developers find skills to install for Cursor?

Developers can find skills on the Agensi marketplace, by searching for `filename:SKILL.md` on GitHub, or by building their own custom SKILL.md files.

Can Claude Code skills be used with Cursor?

Yes, SKILL.md is a cross-agent standard, so skills built for Claude Code can be directly copied and used in Cursor without modification.

What is a common error when implementing new skills in Cursor?

A common mistake is forgetting to reload the Cursor workspace after adding new skills, as Cursor needs a window reload to detect them.

Should skill instructions be placed in the .cursorrules file?

No, skill instructions should not be placed in .cursorrules, as this can unnecessarily bloat the always-on context and waste AI tokens.

Does Cursor have a global skills directory for all projects?

No, Cursor does not have a personal or global skills directory; skills must be copied into each project's `.cursor/skills/` folder to be active for that project.

What is a SKILL.md file used for?

A SKILL.md file contains a set of instructions that an AI agent reads to learn and execute a new workflow.

How to Use SKILL.md Skills in Cursor

Quick Answer: 1. Download a skill zip from the Agensi marketplace. 2. Unzip into .cursor/rules/ in your repo or ~/.cursor/skills/ globally. 3. Reload Cursor. The SKILL.md file is picked up automatically on the next session. Try code-reviewer first; it is free and has 764 installs.

Step 1: pick a skill

Open the Agensi skills marketplace and download the zip for any skill. Free skills need no account.

Step 2: unzip into the right folder

Repo-scoped (recommended): .cursor/rules/<skill-folder>/ at the root of your repo. Only that repo uses the skill.
Global: ~/.cursor/skills/<skill-folder>/. Available in every Cursor project.

unzip code-reviewer.zip -d .cursor/rules/

Step 3: reload Cursor

Close and reopen Cursor, or run "Developer: Reload Window" from the command palette. Open the composer, and the skill activates when the trigger described in its SKILL.md frontmatter matches.

Three skills worth installing first

code-reviewer. Free, 764 installs. Runs a diff-aware code review before you commit.
git-commit-writer. Free, 232 installs. Writes conventional-commit messages.
readme-generator. Free, 171 installs. Generates a full README from your repo.

Troubleshooting

If the skill does not activate, confirm the folder contains a SKILL.md file at its root (not one level deep), and that Cursor was fully reloaded. Format details live in our SKILL.md format reference.