Installation

Skill Library MCP runs straight from npm with npx — there’s nothing to build or globally install, and no configuration to write. Pick the install path that matches your tool below.

Requirements

• Node.js 22 or newer (node --version to check). The package is ESM-only and targets Node 22.
• An MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, or any other).

Caution

The Claude Code plugin and the Claude Code MCP server are two ways to do the same thing — both end up running skill-library-mcp and exposing the same three tools. Pick one, not both. The plugin is the simpler, recommended path; the MCP-server install is there if you’d rather manage the server entry directly.

Claude Code plugin (recommended)

Add the marketplace source, then install the plugin:

claude plugin marketplace add https://github.com/modbender/skill-library-mcp.git --scope user
claude plugin install skill-library --scope user

The MCP server starts automatically whenever Claude Code launches — there’s no separate server entry to manage. That’s the whole install.

Claude Code (MCP server)

If you’d rather register the server yourself instead of using the plugin, add it directly:

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

This registers skill-library as an MCP server that Claude Code spawns via npx. See MCP client setup for a worked end-to-end example, including how to verify the tools appear.

Other MCP clients

Every other client uses the same idea: a small JSON entry that tells the client to run npx -y skill-library-mcp. The server key is skill-library. Add the snippet below to the config file your client expects.

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json (location varies by OS):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skill-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skill-library-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json (project-scoped) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skill-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skill-library-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skill-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skill-library-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "skill-library": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "skill-library-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Caution

VS Code uses the key "servers", not "mcpServers" like the other clients. Copy the snippet that matches your client exactly — the wrapper key is the one thing that differs.

Manual / local build

If you want to run the server from a local checkout — to pin a specific commit, contribute skills, or work offline — clone and build it:

git clone https://github.com/modbender/skill-library-mcp
cd skill-library-mcp
pnpm install
pnpm build

Then point your MCP config at the built entry point instead of npx:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "skill-library": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/skill-library-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Tip

For everyday use, prefer npx -y skill-library-mcp — it always fetches the latest published version and needs no checkout. Reach for the manual build only when you specifically need a local copy.

Next steps

• Usage — the three tools and the browse → search → load workflow.
• MCP client setup — wire it into Claude Code end to end and confirm it works.