Start here · no coding required

Use your first AI skill in 5 minutes

AI assistants can browse the web, read your files, and work in your Notion — but nobody tells you how to switch that on. Here is the entire foundation, once, in plain language.

  1. 1
    An app that supports skills

    The easiest is Claude Desktop (free download, Mac & Windows). If you already use Claude Code, Cursor, or VS Code, those work too — every skill page here has a tab for each.

  2. 2
    The one-time foundation (only for local skills)

    Skills come in two kinds. Hosted skills (Notion, GitHub) need nothing — you paste a URL into your app and sign in with your browser. Local skills (browser automation, files on your computer) run on your machine and need Node.js installed once (free, two clicks, like any other program). Every local skill reuses it — you never do this twice.

  3. 3
    A recipe — not a manual

    Don't start from documentation. Pick a recipe for something you actually want done — it walks you from install to the exact prompt to paste, and tells you what you should see when it works.

Good first recipes

All recipes →

FAQ

What is an AI skill?
A skill (technically: an MCP server, after the Model Context Protocol) is an ability you add to an AI assistant — browsing the web, reading files in a folder you allow, searching your Notion. Without skills, an assistant can only talk; with skills, it can act.
Which app do I need?
Any app that supports the Model Context Protocol. The easiest for non-developers is Claude Desktop (free download for Mac and Windows from claude.ai/download). If you code, Claude Code, Cursor, and VS Code work too.
Do I need to install anything else?
Hosted skills (Notion, GitHub): no — you paste a URL and sign in with your browser. Local skills (browser automation, files on your computer): one single one-time install of Node.js from nodejs.org. That's the entire technical foundation.
Is this safe?
Skills only get the access you give them: a file skill only sees folders you list, a hosted skill only what you approve during browser sign-in. Start with read-only tasks, use official skills (marked in our directory), and never paste API keys for accounts you can't afford to expose.
What does it cost?
The skills in our directory are free or have free tiers. You only need a normal account for the AI app you use (e.g. a free or paid Claude plan).