MCP client setup

This walks through wiring Skill Library MCP into Claude Code from nothing, verifying the three tools show up, and using them once. The same shape applies to any MCP client — only the registration command or config file changes (see Installation for the others).

1. Check your Node version

The server needs Node.js 22 or newer. Confirm before you start:

node --version
# v22.x.x or higher

If you’re below 22, upgrade Node first — the package won’t run otherwise.

2. Register the server

Add Skill Library MCP to Claude Code at user scope, so it’s available across all your projects:

claude mcp add skill-library --scope user -- npx -y skill-library-mcp

The part after -- is the command Claude Code will run to start the server: npx -y skill-library-mcp. The -y lets npx fetch the package without an interactive prompt.

Tip

Prefer even less setup? Install the Claude Code plugin instead — it starts the server automatically and you skip this step entirely. Use the plugin or this server registration, not both.

3. Confirm the server is registered

List your configured MCP servers and check that skill-library is there:

claude mcp list

You should see skill-library in the output, pointing at npx -y skill-library-mcp.

4. Confirm the tools appear

Start Claude Code and check that the server’s three tools are available:

claude

Inside the session, you can list MCP tools (for example with /mcp). You should see all three from skill-library:

• search_skill
• load_skill
• list_categories

If they’re listed, the handshake succeeded and the index built — you’re ready to use it.

5. Use it once

Ask in plain language and let the assistant drive the tools:

“Browse the skill categories, then find and load a skill about writing good commit messages.”

Under the hood that’s list_categories → search_skill({ query: "writing good commit messages" }) → load_skill({ name: "<top result>" }). You’ll see the assistant call the tools and bring the skill’s content into the conversation. See Search and load a skill for the raw call-by-call version.

Troubleshooting

Caution

First run is slow, then fast. The very first time the server starts, npx downloads skill-library-mcp from the registry before it can launch — so the tools may take a few extra seconds to appear, and the first run needs network access. Subsequent runs use the cached package and start quickly. If startup seems to hang on a fresh machine, give it a moment to finish the download.

A few more things to check if the tools don’t show up:

• “Tools missing or server failed to start” — re-check your Node version (node --version must be ≥ 22). An older Node is the most common cause; the ESM-only package won’t load on it.
• No network on first run — the initial npx fetch needs internet. If you’re offline, either run it once while connected to populate the cache, or use the manual / local build and point the config at node dist/index.js.
• Server registered but tools absent — fully restart the client so it re-reads its MCP config and re-spawns the server.

Next steps

• Usage — full reference for the three tools.
• Configuration — install scopes, plugin vs. server, and the include_resources toggle.