# Installation

Install the Ancher skills into any coding agent, or use Ancher's own installer to configure the hosted MCP server as well.

Ancher needs two things inside a coding agent:

- **Skills** — instructions that tell the AI when and how to save, search, research, and organize Ancher content.
- **A way to reach Ancher** — the `ancher` CLI, or the hosted Ancher MCP server.

## Install

```bash
npx -y skills add streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills
```

The [`skills`](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills) CLI installs the Ancher skills into whichever agent you use — its [supported-agents list](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills#supported-agents) covers Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Zed, Windsurf, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and 70 more. It writes each agent’s own skills directory; support for optional skill features varies between agents, so check that list before relying on a specific one.

It installs skills and nothing else, so give the agent a way to reach Ancher. The CLI requires **Node 24+**:

```bash
npm install -g @ancher-ai/cli
ancher login
```

`ancher login` runs a browser sign-in once and saves the session locally; the skills call the CLI from then on. Confirm it worked with `ancher whoami`.

`skills` is a third-party tool maintained by Vercel Labs, not by Ancher.

### What `-y` means

`npx` normally asks permission before temporarily downloading a package it has not installed yet. `-y` answers that **npx download prompt** automatically — here and for `@ancher-ai/agent-skills` below.

It does **not** approve Ancher actions, grant the AI access to your content, or send a token. Omit it if you prefer to confirm the download yourself:

```bash
npx skills add streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills
```

## Install with MCP tools instead

On Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor you can have the agent talk to the hosted Ancher MCP server directly — structured tools rather than shelling out to the CLI. Ancher’s own installer configures both halves in one command:

```bash
npx -y @ancher-ai/agent-skills install
```

The installer finds Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, then configures the ones it finds. It does not install a local server or require an API token. The package is published as [@ancher-ai/agent-skills](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@ancher-ai/agent-skills) on npm, with a read-only source mirror at [streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills](https://github.com/streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills) for reading and issue tracking.

Next, [sign in to Ancher](/content/docs/agent-skills/mcp/index.html) for the agent you use.

Do not run both installers. They write the same skill directories (`~/.claude/skills`, `~/.codex/skills`, `~/.cursor/skills`) under the same skill names, so whichever runs last wins.

### Install options

```bash
# Configure only specific agents.
npx -y @ancher-ai/agent-skills install --agent claude,codex

# Preview every file and command without changing anything.
npx -y @ancher-ai/agent-skills install --print

# Add skills to the current repository instead of your user profile.
npx -y @ancher-ai/agent-skills install --project

# Remove Ancher skills and MCP configuration again.
npx -y @ancher-ai/agent-skills uninstall
```

The default installation is user-wide. It writes each agent’s skills to its native global directory and configures the hosted MCP server. With `--project`, skills are written into the current repository; Codex MCP configuration remains user-wide, so the installer prints the one command you need to run.

### Persistent command

You can install the installer globally if you prefer a persistent command:

```bash
npm install -g @ancher-ai/agent-skills
ancher-agent-skills install
```

## Native plugin installation

You may instead install the native plugin marketplace entry.

**Claude Code**

```text
/plugin marketplace add streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills
/plugin install ancher@ancher-agent-skills
```

**OpenAI Codex**

```bash
codex plugin marketplace add streamify-one/ancher-agent-skills
```

Then start `codex`, open `/plugins`, install **ancher**, and begin a new session.