---
name: skills
description: Using Skillz MCP Server with Docker
Summarize documentation files
---


# Skillz MCP Server Integration

Skillz is an MCP server that turns Claude-style skills (`SKILL.md` files plus optional resources) into callable tools for any MCP client. It discovers each skill, exposes instructions and resources, and can run bundled helper scripts.

**Repository**: https://github.com/intellectronica/skillz

> ⚠️ **Experimental proof-of-concept. Potentially unsafe. Treat skills like untrusted code and run in sandboxes/containers. Use at your own risk.**

## Quick Start

### Basic Docker Configuration

To use Skillz with GitHub Agentic Workflows, add it as an MCP server in your workflow frontmatter:

```aw
on: issues
engine: copilot
mcp-servers:
  skillz:
    container: "intellectronica/skillz"
    args:
      - "-v"
      - "/path/to/skills:/skillz"
      - "/skillz"

# Your workflow with skills

Use skills from the skillz server to accomplish tasks.
```

**Key points:**
- Replace `/path/to/skills` with the actual path to your skills directory
- The skills directory is mounted at `/skillz` inside the container
- Pass `/skillz` as the argument to tell skillz where to find skills

## Skills Directory Structure

Skillz looks for skills inside the root directory you provide (defaults to `~/.skillz`). Each skill lives in its own folder or zip archive that includes a `SKILL.md` file with YAML front matter.

### Example Directory Layout

```text
skills/
├── summarize-docs/
│   ├── SKILL.md
│   ├── summarize.py
│   └── prompts/example.txt
├── translate.zip
└── web-search/
    └── SKILL.md
```

### Skill Structure

Each skill folder must contain:
- **`SKILL.md`** - Required file with YAML frontmatter describing the skill
- **Helper scripts** - Optional Python, Node.js, or other scripts
- **Resources** - Optional datasets, examples, prompts, etc.

Example `SKILL.md`:

```markdown
name: summarize-docs
description: Summarize documentation files

# Document Summarization Skill

This skill helps summarize long documentation files.

Use the provided `summarize.py` script to process documents.
```

### Packaging Skills as Zip Files

Skills can be packaged as `.zip` archives:

```text
translate.zip
├── SKILL.md
└── helpers/
    └── translate.js
```

Or with a top-level directory:

```text
data-cleaner.zip
└── data-cleaner/
    ├── SKILL.md
    └── clean.py
```

## Skillz vs Claude Code Directory Structure

### Claude Code-Compatible Layout (Flat)

For compatibility with Claude Code, use a flat directory structure where every immediate subdirectory is a single skill:

```text
skills/
├── hello-world/
│   ├── SKILL.md
│   └── run.sh
└── summarize-text/
    ├── SKILL.md
    └── run.py
```

**Limitations**: No nested directories, no `.zip` files.

### Skillz-Only Layout (Flexible)

Skillz supports nested directories and `.zip` files:

```text
skills/
├── text-tools/
│   └── summarize-text/
│       ├── SKILL.md
│       └── run.py
└── image-processing.zip
```

**Note**: This layout is NOT compatible with Claude Code.

## Configuration Options

### Environment Variables

When using Docker, you can pass environment variables to skills:

```yaml
mcp-servers:
  skillz:
    container: "intellectronica/skillz"
    args:
      - "-v"
      - "/path/to/skills:/skillz"
      - "/skillz"
    env:
      API_KEY: "${{ secrets.SKILL_API_KEY }}"
```

### Verbose Logging

Enable verbose logging for debugging:

```yaml
mcp-servers:
  skillz:
    container: "intellectronica/skillz"
    args:
      - "-v"
      - "/path/to/skills:/skillz"
      - "/skillz"
      - "--verbose"
```