kb — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Central hub skill for Open Knowledge Format bundles. Routes coding agent tasks to specialized kb tools and holds the shared memory specification.
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a claude-codeWhat kb does
The kb skill serves as the router and reference library for the entire kb-* ecosystem. It never edits files directly. Instead, it inspects incoming requests and delegates work: starting a wiki triggers kb-init, source processing points to kb-ingest, repo documentation goes to kb-document, and graph health checks go to kb-lint. When a repository contains a knowledge/ directory, the agent consults it before generating answers from scratch.
The skill embeds the OKF v0.2 specification, maintenance rules, glossaries, and starting templates like concept.md and log.md. One strict rule governs the system: every non-reserved .md file must feature valid YAML frontmatter with a non-empty type. All other schema requirements remain soft guidance, so missing metadata or broken links will not break ingestion.
What it helps with
- structure agent memory using the OKF knowledge bundle standard
- route wiki workflows to the right kb companion skill
- enforce basic frontmatter conformance across repository markdown notes
- provide templates and definitions for project documentation
Example prompts for the agent
- Check our
knowledge/bundle before proposing architecture changes - Which kb skill should I use to import a research paper into the wiki?
- Set up project reference docs following the OKF spec
How to install kb
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/kb/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/kb/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/kb/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/kb/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install stjbrown/agent-knowledge kb2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/kb/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/stjbrown/agent-knowledge --path skills/kbManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/kb/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about kb
How to install kb in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add stjbrown/agent-knowledge --skill kb -a claude-code in your terminal. This registers the skill at ~/.claude/skills/kb/SKILL.md.
What is the main purpose of the kb skill?
It serves as the vocabulary and routing hub for OKF knowledge bundles. Rather than modifying files, it directs the agent toward dedicated skills like kb-query, kb-ingest, or kb-lint.
What makes an OKF bundle conformant?
Every non-reserved .md file must contain parseable YAML frontmatter with a non-empty type. Consumers tolerate broken links, unknown types, and missing optional fields.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
--- name: kb description: >- Portable OKF knowledge bundle for coding-agent memory and LLM wikis. Use when the user wants to start a wiki, ingest a source, document a repository, query project knowledge with citations, lint for drift, or visualize connections; whenever a repo has a knowledge/ bundle that should inform the task; and when another kb-* skill needs the shared spec, glossary, templates, or trust model. version: 0.3.2 tags: [knowledge, okf, bundle, hub] --- # kb — bundles **Hub** for the `kb-*` family: vocabulary, shared reference, routing. Knowledge **compounds** — compiled once, kept current, not re-derived per query. Does not modify a bundle — routes to the skill that does. ## Key terms [references/glossary.md](references/glossary.md) defines the vocabulary. Minimum before routing: **Bundle**, **Ingest**, **Progressive disclosure**, **Trust model** (see [trust-model.md](references/trust-model.md)). ## The one hard rule A bundle is **conformant** iff every non-reserved `.md` file has parseable YAML frontmatter with a non-empty `type`. Everything else is soft guidance — consumers MUST tolerate missing optional fields, unknown types, and broken links. Never reject a bundle over them. Full rules: [references/SPEC.md](references/SPEC.md) §11. The domain portion of `spec/types.md` is a living, producer-chosen vocabulary, not a validation enum. Keep the workflow conventions `Reference` and `Spec Section`; start the domain types small and evolve them through [`kb-ingest`](../kb-ingest/SKILL.md) or [`kb-document`](../kb-document/SKILL.md) when the domain reveals a durable new kind of entity. Use [`kb-lint`](../kb-lint/SKILL.md) to detect schema drift. ## Route to the right skill | The user wants to… | Use | |---|---| | Start a new bundle | [`kb-init`](../kb-init/SKILL.md) | | Capture, ingest, file, or process a source (note, transcript, PDF, image, URL) | [`kb-ingest`](../kb-ingest/SKILL.md) | | Document a repository, explain its architecture/workflows, or refresh knowledge after code changes | [`kb-document`](../kb-document/SKILL.md) | | Ask what the bundle knows; look something up; explore connections | [`kb-query`](../kb-query/SKILL.md) | | Health-check the bundle (**drift**, orphans, contradictions, conformance) | [`kb-lint`](../kb-lint/SKILL.md) | | See the bundle as a graph | [`kb-visualize`](../kb-visualize/SKILL.md) | If a `knowledge/` bundle exists and would inform the current task, consult it via [`kb-query`](../kb-query/SKILL.md) before answering from scratch — even when the user didn't ask an explicit knowledge question. ## Shared reference (single source of truth) Every `kb-*` skill reads these rather than restating them, so the family stays consistent: - [references/SPEC.md](references/SPEC.md) — OKF v0.2, vendored verbatim. - [references/version-profile.md](references/version-profile.md) — v0.2 production and v0.1 compatibility rules; every writing skill reads it before changing a bundle. - [references/glossary.md](references/glossary.md) — leading words and definitions. - [references/trust-model.md](references/trust-model.md) — the maintenance rules. - [templates/](templates/) — `concept.md`, `index.md`, `log.md` starters. - [example-bundle/](example-bundle/) — a tiny conformant bundle: a worked example, and the seed `kb-init` copies from.
© stjbrown · MIT · stjbrown/agent-knowledge
