I built 25 executable skills for AI coding agents – all open source

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Your AI coding agent keeps doing dumb things? Here's the fix.

😤 You've been there:

#1 Agent does /clear and forgets everything — you re-explain from scratch

#2 Agent sees "fix this bug" and starts changing code — one fix, three new bugs

#3 Token burns fast — $5 gone before lunch, and you don't know why

#4 Context fills up and agent starts forgetting what you said 5 minutes ago

#5 Agent pushes code changes without asking — you only find out when it breaks

This pack of 25 executable skills fixes all of that. Not vague advice. Step-by-step workflows your agent loads and follows.

🎬 Demo

Watch the full 30-second quick install — click to play!

SVG animation — works everywhere, no loading time, scales perfectly.

🚀 Quick Start (30 seconds)

cp -r skills/* ~/.claude/skills/ # Claude Code cp -r skills/* ~/.cursor/skills/ # Cursor cp -r skills/* ~/.codex/skills/ # OpenAI Codex

Hermes Agent: auto-dispatched from ~/.hermes/skills/

Then tell your agent: "Use the systematic-debugging skill to help me with this error."

💡 Why These Skills?

The problem

AI coding agents are powerful, but they have a fatal flaw: they don't know how to work safely yet. Without guidance, an agent will:

Burn through your token budget in minutes

Fix one bug and introduce three more

Push code changes without asking

Forget context after every /clear

Loop forever on the same error

The solution

These 25 skills are executable workflows that teach your agent how to behave — systematic debugging, token-aware planning, self-regulation, and safety nets. They're not vague advice; they're step-by-step instructions your agent follows automatically.

🆚 How This Compares

Feature Hermes Core Skills LangChain Agents Manual Prompting

Drop-in ready ✅ Copy and use ❌ Requires code integration ❌ Write prompts yourself

Executable workflows ✅ Agent follows step by step ❌ Just a framework ❌ No structure

Cross-platform ✅ Claude / Codex / Cursor / Hermes ❌ Python only ✅ Any agent

Token-aware ✅ Built-in efficiency rules ❌ No token optimization ❌ No token optimization

Self-regulation ✅ Brake system, stall detection ❌ Not available ❌ Not available

Open source ✅ MIT ✅ MIT ✅ Free

Hermes Core Skills is not a framework you integrate — it's a workflow layer your agent loads. It works alongside any agent and any framework.

💬 Example: How to Use These Skills

Scenario 1: Your agent keeps making bugs worse

You: "Use the systematic-debugging skill on this error: TypeError: Cannot read ..." Agent: [Loads the 4-stage workflow]

1. Report — captures the full error context
2. Context — reads affected files
3. Hypothesis — identifies root cause
4. Fix — only applies change after root cause is confirmed

Result: One fix, zero new bugs.

Scenario 2: You're tired of surprise token bills

You: "Follow the token-efficiency skill for this task." Agent: [Loads token-saving rules]

• Compresses long context before proceeding
• Delegates heavy research to sub-agents
• Avoids wasteful pattern loops

Result: Uses 40-60% fewer tokens.

Scenario 3: Complex project needs multiple features

You: "Run subagent-driven-development to implement the auth system." Agent: [Splits into parallel sub-agents]

• Sub-agent 1: Login page
• Sub-agent 2: JWT middleware
• Sub-agent 3: Database schema
• Review pass: merges all, fixes conflicts

Result: Features built in parallel, completed faster.

✨ Highlight Skills

Skill One-liner Problem it solves

systematic-debugging No root cause, no fix Agent randomly patches bugs, making things worse

self-regulation-brake-system Force stop after 3 failures Agent looping forever, burning your budget

writing-plans Write a plan before touching code Agent builds the wrong thing, needs redo

subagent-driven-development Split into subagents, review after Complex tasks overwhelm a single agent's context

token-efficiency Every token counts End-of-month surprise bills

checkpoints-and-rewind Auto-backup before any change Agent destroys a file, can't recover

📋 What's Inside

🧠 Agent Core (13 skills)

Skill Role Pain Point Highlight

self-regulation-brake-system Agent seatbelt Agent crashes and keeps burning tokens when you're away 3-fail stop, 5-min stall report, no bypass allowed

systematic-debugging Your Sherlock Holmes Agent randomly patches bugs, one fix creates three more 4-stage: Report → Context → Hypothesis → Fix. Iron rule: no root cause, no fix

writing-plans Your project manager Agent builds in wrong direction, discovers at the end Bite-size tasks, exact file paths, code + test per task

spec-driven-development Your requirements doctor Unclear requirements, builds the wrong thing Write spec first, no coding without understanding

test-driven-development Your quality gate Agent says "done" but never actually tested RED-GREEN-REFACTOR, no tests = not done

subagent-driven-development Your team lead Complex task doesn't fit in one agent context Split tasks → fresh subagent each → review → merge

requesting-code-review Your code reviewer Agent commits bad code, you don't know Security scan + quality gate + independent reviewer

security-hardening-checklist Your security advisor Agent doesn't know secure coding, leaves vulnerabilities Input, auth, storage, third-party, item by item

think-tool Your rational voice Agent makes impulsive decisions without thinking first Pros cons + trade-offs + risk analysis framework

token-efficiency Your CFO Token burn rate is scary, don't know how to save Context compression, delegate strategy, waste pattern avoidance

checkpoints-and-rewind Your undo button Agent corrupts a file, can't roll back Auto-backup, snapshot, rollback before any change

context-aware-task-decomposition Your context doctor Context full, agent starts forgetting Auto-decompose tasks, never hit context limit

context-compaction-verification-and-recovery Your memory detective After compaction, agent doesn't remember what it did Verify tool commands actually executed

🤖 AI Agent Ecosystem (6 skills)

Skill Role Pain Point Highlight

agent-capability-comparison-methodology Your agent buyer Don't know which agent is good, marketing lies Source code + benchmark + hands-on, three-layer verification

open-source-adaptation-pattern Your technical due diligence Install an OSS project, find out it doesn't fit License + maintenance + community + actual need, four-dimension eval

multi-agent-browser-text-extraction Your research team JS-heavy sites, browser itself can't extract Multiple subagents extract in parallel, merge results

skill-slimming-strategy Your diet plan SKILL.md too long, agent loads it and half context is gone Keep core workflow, move details to references/

batch-skill-description-standardization Your admin assistant Dozens of skills with inconsistent descriptions Fix 100+ at once

hermes-improvement-multiphase-plan Your CTO Want to improve agent but don't know where to start IDE docs → nightly release → plugin marketplace → desktop app

🔄 Cross-Session / Planning (3 skills)

Skill Role Pain Point Highlight

cross-session-execution-framework Your project continuity Next session agent doesn't remember what it did File-based state persistence, recover without memory loss

plan Your brake pedal User says "plan it first" but agent starts coding immediately Pure planning mode, output checklist for approval

multi-role-synthesis-framework Your board of directors Single-role decisions have blind spots Multiple roles each give advice → integrated verdict

🎯 Agent Integration (3 skills)

Skill Role Pain Point Highlight

openclaw-hermes-arch Your architecture diagram Don't understand how agent and gateway divide work Clear responsibility docs + failover mechanism

hermes-agent Your Hermes setup guide New to Hermes, don't know how to set up Complete zero-to-running guide

autonomous-work-signaling Your team coordinator Multiple autonomous agents don't know what each other is doing Cross-session work status synchronization

🏆 Use Cases

Who Problem Skill Pack Solution

Solo developer Agent burns tokens, context gets lost token-efficiency + context-aware-task-decomposition

Startup CTO Junior devs using AI produce inconsistent code requesting-code-review + spec-driven-development

Open source maintainer Need help but can't trust AI with security security-hardening-checklist + systematic-debugging

Agency owner Multiple agents running, no coordination autonomous-work-signaling + cross-session-execution-framework

AI researcher Evaluating which agent to use for a project agent-capability-comparison-methodology + open-source-adaptation-pattern

📱 Compatible Platforms

Category Platform

AI Code Assistants Claude Code, OpenAI Codex CLI, Cursor, Hermes Agent, GitHub Copilot

Agent Frameworks LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, Any MCP-compatible agent

MCP Clients Claude Desktop, VS Code via Continue/Cline, JetBrains, any MCP host

🧑‍🎓 For Beginners

New to AI coding agents? Here's everything you need to know.

What is an AI coding agent? A tool like Claude Code or Cursor that can write, edit, and debug code for you in your terminal or editor.

What's a "skill"? A skill is a Markdown file that teaches your agent how to do something properly — like a recipe for your AI chef.

How do I use these skills?

Install with one command (cp -r skills/* ~/.claude/skills/)

Tell your agent: "Use the [skill name] skill"

Your agent follows the instructions automatically

Which skill should I start with?

First: systematic-debugging — the most useful for daily coding

Second: token-efficiency — saves you money immediately

Third: checkpoints-and-rewind — safety net, never lose work

Still confused? Open a discussion — we'll help you get started.

🌐 Translations

Help translate this README! Click a badge to contribute:

Currently English only. Translations welcome — submit a discussion or PR!

🗺️ Roadmap

v1.0.0 — 25 core skills released (Jun 2026)

v1.1.0 — Skill index (index.json) for agent discovery

v1.2.0 — Interactive playground on GitHub Pages

v2.0.0 — Community-contributed skills + skill templates

Add mappings to common frameworks (pain point categories)

💬 What People Are Saying

"Finally — skills that actually tell the agent what to do instead of just giving it vague instructions." — Early adopter feedback

"The self-regulation-brake-system alone saved me from a $50 runaway agent bill." — Solo developer, Jun 2026

"Drop-in ready and zero config. This is what agent tooling should be." — Open source contributor

Have feedback? Open a discussion and share your experience.

⭐ Star History

📖 Featured In

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Want to feature this project? Let us know.

🤝 How to Contribute

We'd love your help! Here's how to get started:

Good first issues (no coding needed):

📝 Review a skill — Try one and open an issue with your feedback

🌐 Translate README — Pick your language and submit a translation

🐛 Report a bug — If a skill doesn't work with your agent, let us know

✨ Suggest new skills — Open a discussion with your pain point

Code contributions:

Browse open issues — look for good first issue labels

Fork the repo and create a feature branch

Make your changes and submit a PR

Your PR will be reviewed within 48 hours

All contributors are expected to follow our Code of Conduct. See the Contributing Guide for details.

📄 Citation

If you use this project in your work:

@software{hermes_core_skills, author = {Lam, Ch

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