Get Started with SkillForge

Prerequisites

Before installing SkillForge itself, make sure these are in place. SkillForge will tell you if anything is missing when you launch it for the first time.

• Windows 11 macOS and Linux builds coming in the next few weeks.
• Visual Studio Code Download →

  SkillForge skills are used by Claude inside VS Code. You'll need VS Code installed to use them.

• Claude Code extension Install from Marketplace →

  Anthropic's Claude Code extension is what actually runs the MCP skills. Search Claude Code in the VS Code Extensions panel.

• Node.js 18 or newer Download →

  Used under the hood to run each skill and install its dependencies. SkillForge detects Node.js at first launch and offers to install it for you automatically (via winget) if it's missing.

• Git (recommended) Download →

  Claude Code's built-in Bash tool uses Git Bash on Windows. Without it, some non-SkillForge Claude tools won't work. One command to fix: winget install Git.Git.

Create your SkillForge account

Sign up so you can log in to the desktop app and install skills. If you were sent an invite link by an admin, use that instead — your organization and subscription will be set up automatically.

Install SkillForge Desktop

SkillForge Desktop is a small Electron app that runs on your machine, talks to the marketplace over OAuth, and manages your installed skills.

macOS and Linux builds are landing in the next few weeks. If you need one sooner, reach out to your SkillForge admin.

About Windows SmartScreen: on first run you may see a "Windows protected your PC" dialog because the installer isn't code-signed yet. Click More info → Run anyway. We'll add code signing in a later release.

Sign in and install your first skill

1. Launch SkillForge from your Start Menu.
2. Click Sign in with SkillForge. Your browser will open to the marketplace for approval.
3. Click Approve. The browser tab shows "You're in!" — you can close it.
4. Back in the app, click Catalog in the sidebar.
5. Pick a skill (try Hello World first) and click Install skill.
6. Watch the progress modal: Download → Extract → npm install → Configure → Register with Claude.
7. When it finishes, reload VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window).
8. Claude now has the new skill. Try asking Claude to use it.

Configure skills that need setup

Some skills (like SSH) need settings before they can do anything useful — for example, a list of servers to connect to. Open Settings in the sidebar, pick the skill, and fill out the form. Save, then reload VS Code so Claude picks up the changes.

Use skills with Claude

Just talk to Claude normally. Claude will pick the right tool automatically when it's helpful. For example:

• "Claude, say hi to Stephen using the greet tool."
• "Run systemctl status apache2 on the webserver and summarize the output."
• "Upload ./index.html to the webserver at /var/www/site/."

The more skills you install, the more Claude can do. Browse the catalog for the full list.

Updates

SkillForge Desktop checks the marketplace when it starts. If any of your installed skills have newer versions, you'll see an orange badge on the Installed Skills sidebar link and a banner on the dashboard. Click Update or Update all, then reload VS Code.

Troubleshooting

Sign-in hangs after the browser opens

Make sure you click Approve in the browser. If the browser sent you to the main marketplace instead of the authorize page, you may have been mid-login — just hit Sign in again from the app.

The app says Node.js is missing

Click the Install Node.js for me button, let winget do its thing, then relaunch SkillForge so the new PATH is picked up. Or install manually from nodejs.org.

A skill's install fails at npm install

Almost always a network or Node version issue. Re-check Settings → System → Prerequisites — Node should report 18+. If it does and installs still fail, send us the error text.

Claude doesn't see a skill I just installed

Reload the VS Code window (Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window). Claude Code only picks up new skills at window reload.

I need to remove a skill

Open the skill's detail page in SkillForge and click Uninstall. That unregisters it from Claude. The files stay on disk for safety — you can re-enable by reinstalling.

What's next