Data

Tools

Indexes

Applications

Experiments

Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

https://github.com/pradeepmouli/skillit

Generate AI agent skills (SKILL.md) from TypeScript API docs — TypeDoc plugin + CLI + Docusaurus/VitePress
https://github.com/pradeepmouli/skillit

agent-skills ai api-documentation claude-code cli code-generation copilot cursor developer-tools documentation docusaurus jsdoc llm llms-txt skill-md typedoc typedoc-plugin typescript vitepress

Last synced: 8 days ago
JSON representation

Generate AI agent skills (SKILL.md) from TypeScript API docs — TypeDoc plugin + CLI + Docusaurus/VitePress

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
# skillit



> **skillit** — Compile-time generator of AI agent skills from your codebase.



Inline docs, CLI definitions, config schemas, and examples compile into progressively disclosed [SKILL.md](https://agentskills.io) files that any LLM can discover. Integrated with TypeDoc, with support for conventional repo docs, and plugins for Docusaurus and VitePress provided for what code can't cover.



## MCP Servers (orthogonal workflow)



`skillit` can also generate skills from **any live MCP server**, even when the

server was not authored with `skillit`.



This is separate from the TypeDoc/docs extraction flow above: it introspects MCP

tools/resources/prompts over stdio or HTTP and emits a progressive-disclosure

`SKILL.md`. You can render:



- native MCP launch instructions (`mcp:` frontmatter in `SKILL.md`, which tells

  MCP-capable agents how to start/connect to the server), or

- CLI-proxy launch instructions for non-MCP harnesses (such as mcpc/fastmcp).



```bash

# Inspect any running or launchable MCP server and generate skills

npx skillit mcp extract \

  --command "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" \

  --out ./skills



# Optional: install non-default CLI invocation adapters

npm install --save-dev @skillit/target-mcpc @skillit/target-fastmcp



# Emit CLI-proxy invocation variants for non-MCP agents

npx skillit mcp extract \

  --command "npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem /tmp" \

  --invocation cli:mcpc \

  --invocation cli:fastmcp \

  --out ./skills

```



For server package authors, `skillit mcp bundle` can be run in your build to

ship pre-generated skills with your MCP package.



See [`packages/mcp/README.md`](packages/mcp/README.md) for install, extract,

bundle, config-file batch mode (`mcp.json` / `claude_desktop_config.json`), and

programmatic API details.



### Bootstrap (recommended): `/skillit-bootstrap`



The primary way to create or improve a skill is the **`/skillit-bootstrap`**

Claude Code skill (bundled with `@skillit/client`). It runs the deterministic

generate → audit loop and lets the agent enrich your repo's source (JSDoc,

README, examples, package.json) until the skill hits its grade target — you

never hand-edit a `SKILL.md`.



```bash

# Install the bundled skill into your project (one time)

cp -R node_modules/@skillit/client/skills/skillit-bootstrap .claude/skills/



# Then, in Claude Code:

/skillit-bootstrap --source cli --program ./dist/cli.js#program

/skillit-bootstrap --source typedoc

```



Supported sources this release: **cli** and **typedoc**. For `config` / `mcp`,

use `skillit refine` (below); slash-command support for those lands in a later

phase. The CLI commands (`skillit gen`, `skillit audit --json`, `skillit

refine`) remain for headless/CI use.



### Init: detect → install



`skillit init` wires a project up. It detects the project's nature and installs

the matching `@skillit/*` package with your package manager, then points you at

`skillit gen` to produce the skill. It does **not** generate or refine — those

are separate, explicit commands (`skillit gen`, `skillit refine`).



```bash

# Auto-detects nature and package manager, installs the right @skillit package

npx skillit init



# Force the source kind

npx skillit init --source mcp



# Config source is built in (no install) — init just points at `skillit gen`

npx skillit init --source config --config-type ./src/config.ts#MyConfig

```



Detection:



- **Nature** — `commander` / `yargs` dep → `cli`; `@modelcontextprotocol/sdk` →

  `mcp`; otherwise a plain TS library → `typedoc`. Override with `--source`.

- **Package** — `cli` → `@skillit/cli`, `mcp` → `@skillit/mcp`, `typedoc` →

  `typedoc-plugin-skillit`. The `config` source is built into the CLI (no

  install).

- **Package manager** — `pnpm-lock.yaml` → pnpm, `yarn.lock` → yarn, else npm.



If the install step fails, `init` prints the exact add command and stops.



| Flag                           | Default | Description                       |

| ------------------------------ | ------- | --------------------------------- |

| `--source ` | auto    | Override project-nature detection |

| `--config-type `  | —       | Config type entry (config source) |



### Gen: deterministic skill generation



`skillit gen` (re)generates the skill from the current source — no install, no

model, no network. It is the deterministic, side-effect-free generate primitive:

the same source always yields the same skill. Run it after `init`, and again

whenever you change the documented source (JSDoc, config type, README).



```bash

# Generate from the auto-detected source into skills/

npx skillit gen



# CLI source with an explicit commander program entry

npx skillit gen --source cli --program ./dist/cli.js#program



# Config source

npx skillit gen --source config --config-type ./src/config.ts#MyConfig



# Generate into a custom directory (default: skills)

npx skillit gen --out docs/skills

```



This release implements `gen` for the **cli** and **config** sources; `mcp` and

`typedoc` generation land in a later phase (use `skillit mcp extract` for MCP

servers meanwhile).



| Flag                          | Default  | Description                              |

| ----------------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------------------- |

| `--source `      | auto     | Source kind (cli/config this release)    |

| `--program `     | —        | Commander program entry (cli source)     |

| `--config-type ` | —        | Config type entry (config source)        |

| `--out `                 | `skills` | Output directory for the generated skill |



### Audit: score + findings as JSON



`skillit audit` runs the same audit + judge the refine loop uses and prints the

result. With `--json` it emits the full `AuditResult` + score estimate, plus a

resolved on-disk location for each improvement target — the machine-readable

read-surface an agent (or CI) can act on without re-deriving anything.



```bash

# Human summary (grade + severity counts)

npx skillit audit --source cli



# Full machine-readable report

npx skillit audit --source config --config-type ./src/config.ts#MyConfig --json

```



Like `gen`, `audit` supports the **cli** and **config** sources this release;

`mcp` / `typedoc` land in a later phase.



| Flag                          | Default | Description                            |

| ----------------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------- |

| `--source `      | auto    | Source kind (cli/config this release)  |

| `--program `     | —       | Commander program entry (cli source)   |

| `--config-type ` | —       | Config type entry (config source)      |

| `--json`                      | off     | Emit the full audit + estimate as JSON |



### Refine: autonomous annotation loop



`skillit refine` runs an audit → draft → review loop that iteratively improves

the `useWhen` / `avoidWhen` annotations in your generated skills. On each pass it

asks an LLM to evaluate the current guidance, proposes improvements, and applies

them — no manual editing required.



Refine is **source-aware**. It auto-detects the source from the installed

`@skillit/*` package, or you can choose explicitly:



```bash

# CLI source — writes guidance back into the *Options interface JSDoc

npx skillit refine --source cli --program ./dist/cli.js#program



# MCP source (see modes below)

npx skillit refine --source mcp --mcp ./mcp.json

```



For the **cli** source, refine writes annotations into the JSDoc of your typed

`*Options` interface (e.g. `GenerateOptions`), correlated to each command's flags.



Two modes depending on whether you own the server's source:



**Build mode** — for TypeScript MCP servers you own. `refine` writes annotations

directly into source as `_meta` fields on each `server.tool(...)` call:



```typescript

server.tool(

  'read_file',

  {

    description: 'Read a file',

    _meta: { useWhen: 'After listing a directory to inspect a specific file' }

  },

  schema,

  handler

);

```



```bash

# Auto-detected when @modelcontextprotocol/sdk appears in package.json

npx skillit mcp refine



# Explicit

npx skillit mcp refine --mode build

```



**Runtime mode** — for any MCP server, including ones you don't own. `refine`

writes an overlay JSON file that `extract` / `bundle` merges at render time:



```bash

# Auto-detected when --mcp points to mcp.json / claude_desktop_config.json

npx skillit mcp refine --mcp ~/.config/claude/mcp.json



# Refine only a subset of tools

npx skillit mcp refine --mode runtime --mcp ./mcp.json --items filesystem,github

```



**Auto-detection** checks for an SDK dependency (build signal) and a runtime

config path (runtime signal). When both are present the command is ambiguous —

pass `--mode` explicitly.



Key flags:



| Flag                           | Default   | Description                                                                       |

| ------------------------------ | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| `--source ` | auto      | Refine source (auto-detected from installed package)                              |

| `--program `      | —         | Commander program entry (cli source)                                              |

| `--mode build\|runtime`        | auto      | Override auto-detection                                                           |

| `--mcp `                 | —         | Path to `mcp.json` or `claude_desktop_config.json`                                |

| `--source-glob `         | `**/*.ts` | Glob for TypeScript files to scan (build mode)                                    |

| `--max-iterations `         | `5`       | Iteration cap for the audit→draft→review loop                                     |

| `--items `                  | `5`       | Work items per iteration                                                          |

| `--model-client `        | `api`     | Model backend: `api` (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY) or a CLI: `claude` / `codex` / `copilot` |

| `--model-cli-timeout `     | `120000`  | Per-call timeout for CLI model backends                                           |



**CLI model backends.** Instead of the Anthropic API, `refine` (and `init`) can

drive the loop through an already-authenticated agent CLI — `--model-client claude`,

`codex`, or `copilot`. The drafter/reviewer prompts are identical; only the

transport changes. `claude` maps the drafter/reviewer split to Sonnet/Opus via

`--model`; `codex`/`copilot` use their configured default model. Each CLI must be

installed and authenticated. Note: `copilot` prioritizes a `GH_TOKEN`/`GITHUB_TOKEN`

environment variable over its `/login` credential — if that token lacks the

"Copilot Requests" permission, unset it so copilot uses your login. On Windows the

CLIs are launched through the shell to support `.cmd` shims; the prompt is always

piped via stdin (never passed as a command argument), so untrusted content never

reaches the command line.



## Why Inline?



When an agent updates your code, inline docs update atomically. There's no separate file to remember, no coordination problem, no drift. The agent edits ONE location and the truth propagates mechanically.



```typescript

/**

 * Parse a configuration file.

 *

 * @useWhen

 * - Loading config from user-provided paths

 * - Dynamic config resolution at startup

 *

 * @pitfalls

 * - NEVER trust user paths without sanitization — resolves relative to cwd

 *

 * @param path Path to the config file

 * @returns Parsed and validated configuration

 */

export function loadConfig(path: string): Config { ... }

```



`pnpm typedoc` → the generated skill tells every LLM _when_ to use this function, _what_ to watch out for, and _how_ to call it.



## Quick Start by Project Type



### TypeScript Library (most common)



```bash

pnpm add -D typedoc-plugin-skillit

pnpm typedoc

```



That's it. TypeDoc auto-discovers the plugin. Skills appear at `skills//SKILL.md`.



### Monorepo



```json

// typedoc.json

{

  "entryPointStrategy": "packages",

  "entryPoints": ["packages/*"],

  "plugin": ["typedoc-plugin-skillit"],

  "skillsPerPackage": true

}

```



One skill per package — each with its own SKILL.md, references, and config surfaces.



### CLI Tool (commander/yargs)



```typescript

import { extractCliSkill, writeCliSkill } from '@skillit/cli';



const skill = await extractCliSkill({

  program, // commander Program object

  metadata: { name: 'my-tool', keywords: ['build', 'deploy'] }

});



writeCliSkill(skill, {

  outDir: 'skills',

  installTargets: ['.claude/skills']

});

```



Introspects command definitions, correlates flags with typed `*Options` interfaces for JSDoc enrichment, surfaces CLI audit findings on `skill.audit`, and can install the generated skill plus bundled CLI guidance into agent discovery roots.



### Library with Docs Site (VitePress)



```typescript

// .vitepress/config.mts

import { defineConfig } from 'vitepress';

import { toSkills } from '@skillit/vitepress';



export default defineConfig({

  vite: {

    plugins: [toSkills({ skillsOutDir: 'skills' })]

  },

  themeConfig: { sidebar: [...] }

});

```



The VitePress plugin uses your sidebar for authoritative page ordering — no frontmatter heuristics.



### Library with Docs Site (Docusaurus)



```typescript

import { extractDocusaurusDocs } from '@skillit/docusaurus';



const docs = extractDocusaurusDocs({ projectRoot: '.' });

// Returns ExtractedDocument[] — merge into your skill

```



Reads `_category_.json` for folder labels and ordering. Excludes `api/` and `blog/` by default.



### Library with Prose Docs (any framework)



```json

// typedoc.json — opt-in alongside API extraction

{

  "plugin": ["typedoc-plugin-skillit"],

  "skillsIncludeDocs": true,

  "skillsDocsDir": "docs"

}

```



Scans `docs/` directory for markdown files. Also picks up root-level docs (ARCHITECTURE.md, MIGRATION.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md).



## What Gets Extracted



### Sources



| Source                         | Extractor                                      | What It Produces                                                        |

| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| TypeScript source + JSDoc      | `typedoc-plugin-skillit`                       | API reference — functions, classes, types, enums, variables             |

| `@useWhen` / `@avoidWhen` tags | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Decision procedures in SKILL.md "When to Use"                           |

| `@pitfalls` tag                | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Anti-patterns in SKILL.md "Pitfalls"                                    |

| `@remarks` tag                 | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Expert knowledge in references                                          |

| `@category` tag                | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Export grouping in Quick Reference + references                         |

| `@config` interfaces           | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Configuration tables in SKILL.md + references/config.md                 |

| Commander/yargs programs       | `@skillit/cli`                                 | CLI commands + flags in references/commands.md                          |

| `examples/` directory          | `@skillit/core`                                | Linked to matching exports by import analysis                           |

| `docs/` directory              | `@skillit/core` or VitePress/Docusaurus plugin | Prose docs as reference files                                           |

| Root `.md` files               | `@skillit/core`                                | ARCHITECTURE.md, MIGRATION.md, etc. as references                       |

| README.md                      | `@skillit/core`                                | Blockquote description, ## Features, ## Quick Start, ## Troubleshooting |

| package.json                   | TypeDoc plugin                                 | Name, description, keywords, repository, license                        |



### Audit Checks



The documentation audit runs automatically during `pnpm typedoc` and reports issues at four severity levels:



| Severity    | What It Checks                                                                                                                          | CI Behavior           |

| ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |

| **fatal**   | package.json description, 5+ keywords, README description, JSDoc on every export                                                        | Exit 1 (configurable) |

| **error**   | @param prose, @returns on non-void, interface property JSDoc, at least one @example, repository URL                                     | Exit 1 (configurable) |

| **warning** | @useWhen, @avoidWhen, @pitfalls presence, @remarks on complex functions, @category usage, README ## Features, README ## Troubleshooting | Exit 0 (logged)       |

| **alert**   | Generic keywords, @param restates type, trivial @example, verbose Quick Start                                                           | Exit 0 (logged)       |



Enable CI enforcement: `"skillsAuditFailOnError": true`



### Generated Output



```

skills//

  SKILL.md                     # Discovery file (~200 tokens)

  references/

    functions.md               # Grouped by @category or source module

    types.md                   # Interfaces with properties, type aliases

    classes.md                 # With inheritance, methods, properties

    config.md                  # @config interfaces as option tables

    commands.md                # CLI commands with flags (from @skillit/cli)

    variables.md               # Exported constants

    examples.md                # From @example tags

    architecture.md            # From root ARCHITECTURE.md

    getting-started.md         # From docs/ pages

    ...                        # One file per doc page

```



Each reference file is token-budgeted independently (default 4000 tokens).



## Packages



| Package                                                        | Description                                                            |

| -------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| [`typedoc-plugin-skillit`](packages/typedoc-plugin)            | Auto-discovery wrapper — just install, no config                       |

| [`@skillit/core`](packages/core)                               | Types, renderer, audit engine, token budgeting, docs/examples scanning |

| [`@skillit/typedoc`](packages/typedoc)                         | TypeDoc plugin — API + config extraction from the reflection tree      |

| [`@skillit/cli`](packages/cli)                                 | Commander/yargs introspection + `--help` fallback + flag correlation   |

| [`@skillit/vitepress`](packages/vitepress)                     | VitePress Vite plugin — sidebar-driven docs extraction                 |

| [`@skillit/docusaurus`](packages/docusaurus)                   | Docusaurus adapter — `_category_.json` + docs scanning                 |

| [`@skillit/mcp`](packages/mcp)                                 | MCP extractor/bundler — introspect live servers and emit SKILL.md      |

| [`@skillit/target-mcp-protocol`](packages/target-mcp-protocol) | MCP-native invocation target adapter for rendered skills               |

| [`@skillit/target-mcpc`](packages/target-mcpc)                 | CLI-proxy invocation adapter via `mcpc`                                |

| [`@skillit/target-fastmcp`](packages/target-fastmcp)           | CLI-proxy invocation adapter via Python `fastmcp` CLI                  |



## Configuration



```json

{

  "plugin": ["typedoc-plugin-skillit"],

  "skillsOutDir": "skills",

  "skillsPerPackage": true,

  "skillsAudit": true,

  "blockTags": ["@useWhen", "@avoidWhen", "@pitfalls", "@config"]

}

```



| Option                   | Default    | Description                                     |

| ------------------------ | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------- |

| `skillsOutDir`           | `"skills"` | Output directory for SKILL.md files             |

| `skillsInstallTargets`   | `[]`       | Additional agent discovery directories to sync  |

| `skillsPerPackage`       | `true`     | One skill per package in monorepos              |

| `skillsMaxTokens`        | `4000`     | Max token budget per reference file             |

| `skillsAudit`            | `true`     | Run documentation audit during generation       |

| `skillsAuditFailOnError` | `false`    | Fail build on fatal/error audit issues (for CI) |

| `skillsIncludeDocs`      | `false`    | Include prose docs from `docs/` directory       |

| `llmsTxt`                | `false`    | Generate llms.txt and llms-full.txt             |



See the [full options reference](packages/typedoc/src/plugin.ts) for all 14 options.



## Examples



See the [`examples/`](examples/) directory for runnable scripts:



- **[basic-skill-generation.ts](examples/basic-skill-generation.ts)** — generate a SKILL.md from an ExtractedSkill object

- **[audit-and-fix.ts](examples/audit-and-fix.ts)** — run the documentation audit and print results

- **[cli-extraction.ts](examples/cli-extraction.ts)** — extract skills from a commander program

- **[docs-scanning.ts](examples/docs-scanning.ts)** — include prose docs alongside API skills



## Case Study: PixiJS (47K stars)



We forked [PixiJS](https://github.com/pixijs/pixijs) and bootstrapped skillit to measure the before/after impact on generated skill quality, scored against the [skill-judge](https://github.com/anthropics/skill-judge) rubric (120 points, 8 dimensions).



### Results



| Phase                       | Score   | Grade | What Changed                                                 | Agent Cost  |

| --------------------------- | ------- | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------- |

| **Install + generate**      | 84/120  | B-    | `npm install typedoc-plugin-skillit && pnpm typedoc`         | 0 tokens    |

| **After JSDoc conventions** | 113/120 | A     | `@useWhen`/`@pitfalls` on 7 key classes (110 lines of JSDoc) | ~80K tokens |



**B- → A with 110 lines of JSDoc annotations.** The generator handles structure, progressive disclosure, config detection, and reference splitting automatically. The annotations add the expert knowledge — when to use each class, what to never do, and why.



### What the agent wrote (110 lines, ~80K tokens)



```typescript

// src/scene/sprite/Sprite.ts — added to existing JSDoc

/**

 * @useWhen

 * - Displaying images, texture regions, or sprite sheets

 * - You need fast batched rendering of many images

 * @avoidWhen

 * - Drawing dynamic shapes — use Graphics instead

 * - Rendering text — use Text or BitmapText

 * @pitfalls

 * - NEVER create Sprites from unloaded textures — always Assets.load() first

 * - NEVER use Sprite.from() in hot loops — it creates new textures each call

 */

```



Similar annotations on Application, Container, Graphics, Text, Assets, and AbstractRenderer. The `@packageDocumentation` block added 6 NEVER rules covering v8 migration pitfalls.



### Generated output (224 reference files)



```

skills/pixi-js/

  SKILL.md (343 lines)

  references/

    classes/

      scene/                    # Per-class files + index.md

        container.md, sprite.md, graphics.md, ...

      rendering/                # 80+ renderer system classes

        abstractrenderer.md, webglrenderer.md, ...

      text/, assets/, events/, filters/, maths/, ...

    functions.md, types.md, config.md, variables.md

    architecture.md, scene-graph.md, render-loop.md

    performance-tips.md, garbage-collection.md

    v5-migration-guide.md ... v8-migration-guide.md

```



Fork: [pradeepmouli/pixijs](https://github.com/pradeepmouli/pixijs/tree/dev/skills/pixi-js)



## Ecosystem



- **[agentskills.io](https://agentskills.io)** — the SKILL.md specification

- **[skills.sh](https://skills.sh)** — skill registry and CLI (`npx skills add`)

- **[llmstxt.org](https://llmstxt.org)** — the llms.txt specification



## License



MIT