What can we help you with?
Chapter 28: Cursor Skills
Chapter 28: Cursor Skills
Last Updated: 2026-04-16
28.2 Skill Locations
| Location | Count | Contents | Who manages it |
|---|---|---|---|
~/.cursor/skills/ |
249 | ITI skills + 13 client-builder skills (synced copies) | ITI (synced from canonical source) |
~/.cursor/skills-cursor/ |
11 | Cursor-platform skills | Cursor (managed) |
~/.codex/skills/ |
236 | ITI skills (synced copies for Claude Code) | ITI (synced) |
ITI/operations/Skills/Claude-Skills/ |
224 | Canonical source for all ITI-authored skills | ITI |
ITI/.agents/skills/ |
~224 | Antigravity workspace mirror + 6 context docs | Synced |
The 13 client-builder skills in ~/.cursor/skills/ but not in the canonical source are Cursor-specific integration patterns: anylist-client, apple-music-client, archive-org-client, calendar-client-builder, claude-chatbot, email-client-builder, google-gmail-calendar-client, google-places-maps-integrator, kanban-board-builder, podcast-feed-reader-player, rss-feed-reader, todo-list-builder, todoist-client, youtube-client.
Always update the canonical source first, then sync to ~/.cursor/skills/ and ~/.codex/skills/. See ITI/operations/Skills/Claude-Skills/CANONICAL-SOURCE.md for sync instructions.
28.3 How to Invoke a Skill
Describe the task in natural language referencing the skill name or domain:
“Apply the infrastructure-operations skill and perform a health check.”
“Use the n8n-workflow-development skill to create a workflow that sends a daily report.”
“Apply the prompt-auditor skill to this system prompt: [paste]”
Cursor detects the relevant skill and reads it automatically when skills are configured in the IDE. Alternatively, explicitly reference the skill in your prompt.
Personal Assistant runtime invocation
Skills are also available in the Personal Assistant desktop app (Tauri). Unlike Cursor, skills are invoked automatically based on keyword matching — no explicit reference needed. When your message to an advisor matches skill keywords, the relevant SKILL.md content is injected into the prompt context (max 2 skills per query, 12K chars each).
See Chapter 20, §20.3 for full details on Personal Assistant skill invocation.
28.4 ITI Infrastructure Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
infrastructure-operations |
Daily ops runbook: health checks, backups, log review, incident triage |
infrastructure-upgrades |
Safe upgrade procedures: pre-upgrade checklist, per-service upgrades, rollback |
docker-compose-management |
Orchestrating multi-container stacks with healthchecks, volumes, networking |
postgresql-administration |
Multi-database management, pgvector, backup/restore, query optimization |
redis-operations |
Caching strategies, Celery broker config, key management, monitoring |
nginx-reverse-proxy |
Dify gateway config, CORS handling, upstream routing |
pinecone-embedding-management |
Pinecone vector index lifecycle: auditing, chunking, embedding, upsert, verification, metadata design |
celery-task-management |
Celery distributed task queues with Redis, worker tuning, retry strategies |
28.5 n8n and Dify Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
n8n-workflow-development |
SDK lifecycle, expression patterns, credential management, webhook design |
n8n-debugging |
Expression errors, webhook failures, timeout troubleshooting, execution monitoring |
n8n-dify-testing |
Running and extending the pytest test suite |
dify-knowledge-base-management |
Dataset creation, document ingestion, chunking, embedding, retrieval |
workflow-adapter-integration |
Extending the ITI_Workflow_Adapter: routing, fallback, adding products |
28.6 Application Development Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
wordpress-development |
Plugin architecture, hooks, security standards, shared library usage |
wordpress-role-based-access |
Custom roles, capabilities, and permission-scoped REST APIs |
wordpress-seo-plugin-integration |
Integration patterns for Yoast, Rank Math, AIOSEO, SEOPress |
multi-client-wordpress-architecture |
WordPress Multisite for multi-client SaaS deployments |
schema-markup-generation |
JSON-LD structured data for WordPress content |
tauri-desktop-development |
Tauri 2: Rust IPC, React/TypeScript, SQLite, multi-platform builds |
cloudkit-tauri-debugging |
CloudKit + Tauri six-layer diagnostic: signing, entitlements, TestFlight |
fastapi-development |
FastAPI async endpoints, Pydantic, dependency injection, Docker |
flask-application-development |
Flask app factory, blueprints, APScheduler, AI service integration |
java-development |
Maven/Gradle, Spring Boot, JVM tuning, testing, Docker (general pattern) |
apache-httpd-configuration |
VirtualHosts, mod_rewrite, reverse proxy, SSL |
rabbitmq-messaging |
Exchange types, consumer design, dead-letter handling, HA |
api-design |
RESTful API design: authentication, error handling, versioning, documentation |
28.7 AI & Knowledge Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
claude-tools |
Implementing Claude tool use via the Anthropic API |
mcp-server-development |
Building, testing, and deploying MCP servers with tool definitions and resource providers |
mcp-client-tauri |
MCP client implementation for Tauri/Rust desktop applications |
ai-vision-diagnosis |
Structured photo diagnosis workflows using Claude Vision API |
ai-content-authenticity-detection |
Detect AI-generated content using detection APIs |
ai-citation-tracking |
Monitor brand visibility across AI answer engines |
multi-agent-deliberation-design |
Design multi-agent debate, voting, and consensus workflows |
28.8 Design & UX Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
ui-design |
Visual interface construction, layout systems, component design |
ux-research |
User behavior analysis, research synthesis, usability evaluation |
product-design |
End-to-end product design: problem framing, IA, user flows |
design-systems |
Component libraries, design tokens, cross-platform consistency |
accessibility-design |
WCAG 2.1/2.2 compliance, ARIA patterns, inclusive design |
interaction-design |
Motion design, microinteractions, state transitions |
conversational-ui-design |
Chat interfaces, AI product interactions, voice UIs |
visual-brand-design |
Typography, color theory, iconography, brand expression |
presentation-design |
Slide presentations: visual storytelling, data visualization, pitch decks |
28.9 Business & Content Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
seo-optimization |
Focus keyphrases, meta descriptions, AI answer engine optimization |
answer-engine-optimization-strategy |
AEO strategy: content structuring, llms.txt, AI crawler management |
generative-engine-optimization |
GEO/AEO methodology for AI citation optimization |
local-seo-optimization |
GBP management, citation building, NAP consistency, local pack |
google-business-profile-api |
GBP API integration for profile, posts, reviews, and insights |
content-strategy |
Content pillars, editorial planning, multi-channel distribution |
content-gap-analysis |
Map existing content against customer journey stages and personas |
copywriting |
Marketing copy for ads, landing pages, emails |
brand-voice-development |
Brand voice, tone, messaging guidelines |
marketing-doc-tone |
ITI brand voice for marketing content |
social-media-content-calendar |
Content calendars, platform-specific strategies |
email-campaign-automation |
Automated email workflows, personalization, lifecycle sequences |
landing-page-optimization |
Conversion rate improvement, A/B testing |
ad-campaign-optimization |
Google, Meta, LinkedIn bid management and audience targeting |
video-scripting |
YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn video scripts |
press-release-writing |
Newsworthy press releases for launches and announcements |
competitive-analysis |
Market positioning and competitive intelligence |
market-research |
Industry analysis, audience insights, trend identification |
lead-qualification |
Lead scoring, prioritization, routing |
objection-handling |
Sales objection frameworks |
meeting-management |
Productive meeting facilitation: agendas, outcomes, follow-up |
technical-writing |
Technical documentation: API references, user guides, README files |
multilingual-content-management |
Multilingual content pipelines and locale-aware AI |
28.10 Analytical Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
financial-analysis |
Financial projections, ROI, sensitivity testing |
data-interpretation |
Marketing and business data analysis |
contract-analysis |
Contract risk review and flagging |
proposal-evaluation |
Eight-perspective business proposal evaluation |
business-proposal-evaluation |
Structured executive rubric scoring for business proposals |
multi-domain-decision-synthesis |
Integrating 4+ expert domains into unified recommendations |
fact-checking |
Professional fact-checking methodology |
career-assessment |
Career discovery, skills gap analysis, path mapping |
customer-journey-methodology |
Journey phase design, emotional curve mapping, opportunity scoring |
journey-mapping |
Customer journey maps, touchpoint analysis |
professional-selection |
Engaging professional advisors: legal, financial, real estate, medical |
salary-negotiation-frameworks |
BATNA, principled negotiation, compensation discussions |
interview-coaching-design |
AI-powered mock interview experiences with STAR framework |
28.11 Application Security Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
appsec-api-security-engineer |
API security: REST/GraphQL attack surface analysis, input validation, rate limiting, abuse prevention |
appsec-cloud-container-security-engineer |
Cloud-native and container security: Kubernetes hardening, image scanning, IaC review, secrets management |
appsec-devsecops-engineer |
DevSecOps: CI/CD pipeline security, SAST/DAST integration, supply chain hardening, SBOM generation |
appsec-iam-security-engineer |
IAM security: OAuth 2.0/OIDC hardening, JWT analysis, authorization model design (RBAC/ABAC), privilege escalation detection |
appsec-security-testing-ir-engineer |
Security testing and incident response: pen testing, fuzzing, DAST, application forensics, threat hunting |
28.12 Development Process Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
code-review |
Code review for correctness, security, performance, and standards compliance |
requirements-writing |
Elicit and document software requirements: user stories, acceptance criteria, non-functional requirements |
test-plan-writing |
Comprehensive test plans: functional, non-functional, integration, regression, exploratory |
deployment-readiness |
Verify deployment environments, rollback procedures, and pre-deploy gates |
release-management |
Release coordination: release notes, version management, checklists, rollback procedures |
dependency-hygiene |
Audit and manage dependencies: prevent hallucinated packages, version conflicts, bloat |
tech-debt-analysis |
Identify, categorize, and prioritize technical debt across a codebase |
antigravity-testing |
Antigravity test orchestration: autonomous test agent dispatch, artifact review, AGENTS.md config |
antigravity-debugging |
Antigravity parallel debug: multi-agent parallel debugging, root cause analysis, diff review |
antigravity-browser-qa |
Antigravity browser QA: browser sub-agent visual regression, screenshot/recording, CI integration |
28.13 Governance & Session Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
vibe-coding-guardrails |
Audit projects against the 15 vibe-coding pitfalls with risk scorecard and remediation plan |
scope-control |
Evaluate scope change requests, manage parking lot backlog, enforce sprint boundaries |
session-context-protocol |
Standardize build session start/maintain/close lifecycle to prevent context drift |
claims-integrity-audit |
Audit documents for false, hyperbolic, or unverifiable claims before publication |
claims-evidence-registry |
Build and maintain claims evidence registries mapping claims to supporting evidence |
prompt-auditor |
Audit prompts and requirements for ITI RAID failure patterns |
safety-guardrails |
Safety constraints for high-stakes AI domains |
ai-project-showcase |
Reconstruct a project’s full story from codebase, git history, and docs for portfolio entries |
doc-sync |
Maintain documentation dependency graph, detect stale files, propagate updates |
product-roadmap-update |
Update product roadmaps against competitive landscape and white-space opportunities |
roadmap-build-planning |
Convert product roadmap into phased build plan with epics, tasks, and dependencies |
advisor-action-framework |
Pattern for AI advisors proposing confirmable real-world actions |
agentic-task-execution |
Claude tool use for executing real-world tasks with safety guardrails |
28.14 Domain & Specialty Skills
| Skill | Description | Product |
|---|---|---|
atlanta-gardening |
Atlanta-specific gardening: USDA Zones 7b/8a, planting schedules, disease-resistant varieties | — |
garden-planner-ui |
Interactive visual garden planners with drag-and-drop, spacing, companion planting | Backyard Gardener |
weather-disease-modeling |
Plant disease risk modeling from weather data and phytopathology thresholds | Backyard Gardener |
dive-planning |
Scuba dive trip planning: destinations, site recommendations, safety, logistics | — |
marine-life-identification |
AI marine species ID from photos/descriptions, database structuring, confidence scoring | Scuba GPT |
dive-conditions-forecasting |
Marine weather/tide/current aggregation for dive condition forecasts | Scuba GPT |
dive-site-data-ingestion |
Multi-source dive site API ingestion, GPS grid traversal, dedup, reverse geocoding | Scuba GPT |
ai-journalism |
Ethical AI-assisted journalism: news curation, source credibility, editorial workflows | — |
multi-agent-journalism-workflow |
Multi-agent journalism pipelines: researcher, fact-checker, analyst, editor | AI News Cafe |
news-credibility-scoring |
Source credibility scoring: ownership analysis, editorial standards, domain authority | AI News Cafe |
claimreview-schema-integration |
ClaimReview structured data for fact-checking content | Factchecker |
cooking-techniques |
Culinary technique guidance | — |
culinary-knowledge |
Culinary knowledge base | — |
meal-planning |
Meal planning assistance | — |
recipe-formatting |
Recipe formatting standards | — |
estate-accounting |
Double-entry bookkeeping for estate and trust accounting | Estate Manager |
estate-document-extraction |
AI extraction of structured data from estate documents via Claude Vision | Estate Manager |
estate-jurisdiction-engine |
Jurisdiction-specific probate rules, thresholds, deadlines, and forms | Estate Manager |
estate-task-automation |
Jurisdiction-aware task templates with dependency tracking and deadline calculation | Estate Manager |
retirement-calculator-engine |
Rust-based Social Security, RMD, Roth conversion, and IRMAA calculations | Retirement Planner |
household-os-budget-patterns |
Household budget templates, spending benchmarks, financial wellness scoring | Household OS |
household-os-maintenance-advisor |
Home maintenance scheduling, cost estimation, seasonal checklists | Household OS |
family-gamification-design |
Game design patterns for household chore systems | Good Husband |
mental-load-equity-design |
Track and rebalance invisible household labor between partners | Good Husband |
relationship-app-design |
Emotionally sensitive couples app interfaces and dual-user flows | Good Husband |
email-parsing-travel-bookings |
Parse airline, hotel, restaurant confirmation emails into structured data | My Travel Planner |
mapbox-offline-packs |
Mapbox offline tile downloads and region-based caching | My Travel Planner |
tsp-route-optimization |
TSP solvers and Mapbox Optimization API for itinerary optimization | My Travel Planner |
eventkit-calendar-sync |
Apple EventKit and CalDAV integration for calendar sync | Personal Assistant |
proactive-briefing-engine |
Multi-source daily briefing aggregation with relevance scoring | Personal Assistant |
home-iot-integration |
Consumer IoT device integration (Wyze, Tuya, smart locks, weather stations) | Personal Assistant |
plaid-financial-integration |
Plaid API for bank account linking, transaction import, and balance retrieval | Household OS |
icalendar-ics-generation |
Standards-compliant .ics calendar feed generation (RFC 5545) | — |
28.14a Executive Review Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
executive-ceo |
CEO perspective: strategic alignment, opportunity cost, execution readiness |
executive-cfo |
CFO perspective: financial rigor, ROI, sensitivity testing, cash flow |
executive-coo |
COO perspective: operational feasibility, cross-functional coordination |
executive-cmo |
CMO perspective: customer validation, market positioning, GTM readiness |
executive-chro |
CHRO perspective: organizational readiness, talent, change management |
executive-cto |
CTO perspective: technical feasibility, architecture fit, security |
executive-cpo |
CPO perspective: product strategy, UX, roadmap alignment |
executive-cro |
CRO perspective: revenue impact, sales enablement, pipeline health |
executive-cco |
CCO perspective: customer retention, satisfaction, lifetime value |
executive-gc |
GC perspective: legal, regulatory, compliance risk |
executive-board-advisor |
Independent board advisor: pattern recognition, assumption testing |
28.14b Personal Advisory Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
atlanta-guide |
Atlanta recommendations: neighborhoods, dining, music, events |
music-discovery |
Music discovery, playlists, history, concert guidance |
travel-planning |
Trip planning, itineraries, cultural context |
scouting-trip-planning |
Evaluation trips to prospective relocation destinations |
weather-advisory |
Weather analysis and activity-based decision support |
expat-planning |
European relocation: visa, finance, housing, cultural adaptation |
expat-tax-compliance |
Cross-border tax: FBAR, FATCA, FEIE, FTC, treaty interpretation |
estate-trust-management |
SNT management, trustee duties, court accountings |
b2b-media-consulting |
B2B media transformation advisory |
28.14c ITI Consulting Pipeline Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
iti-consulting-intake |
Discovery and intake for consulting engagements |
iti-audience-development |
Audience growth, segmentation, engagement |
iti-content-strategy |
Content pillars, editorial ops, thought leadership |
iti-financial-modeling |
Revenue projections, ROI, scenario analysis |
iti-revenue-strategy |
Revenue diversification, pricing, partnerships |
iti-strategic-planning |
SWOT, gap analysis, initiative prioritization |
iti-technology-strategy |
Stack assessment, MarTech, AI/ML opportunities |
iti-project-planning |
WBS, timelines, resource allocation |
iti-quality-assurance |
Deliverable completeness, accuracy, coherence |
iti-report-synthesis |
Multi-agent output synthesis into deliverables |
28.14d Estate Professional Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
estate-pro-cpa-accountant |
Estate tax returns and trust accounting |
estate-pro-elder-law-attorney |
Medicaid planning, SNTs, guardianship |
estate-pro-enrolled-agent |
Tax prep, IRS representation |
estate-pro-estate-attorney |
Wills, trusts, POA, healthcare directives |
estate-pro-financial-advisor |
Trust/estate investment management |
estate-pro-insurance-agent |
Estate-related life, property, umbrella insurance |
estate-pro-probate-attorney |
Estate administration, court filings |
estate-pro-probate-litigation |
Contested estates, will contests, disputes |
estate-pro-real-estate-agent |
Estate property sales, pricing |
estate-pro-real-estate-appraiser |
Date-of-death appraisals, FMV |
estate-pro-real-estate-attorney |
Property transfers, title issues |
estate-pro-tax-attorney |
Complex estate tax planning, IRS disputes |
estate-pro-title-company |
Title search, insurance, closing services |
28.14e Patriot University Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
patriot-voting-research |
US voting rights across 56 jurisdictions |
patriot-news-orchestrator |
News monitoring pipeline orchestration |
patriot-speech-analyzer |
Authoritarianism marker detection in political speech |
patriot-source-scanner |
RSS/Tavily content acquisition with deduplication |
patriot-access-fingerprinter |
Government network visitor classification |
28.14f Product Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
grateful-dead-historian |
Grateful Dead history, 2,388 shows, setlists, culture |
fifa-2026-travel |
FIFA 2026 World Cup travel: cities, venues, visas |
influencer-marketing |
Creator partnerships, campaigns, FTC, ROI |
customer-support |
Ticket resolution, help docs, escalation, CSAT |
podcast-production |
Episode planning, show notes, guest prep |
onboarding-design |
Welcome sequences, training, 30/60/90 plans |
privacy-compliance |
GDPR, CCPA, privacy policies, data mapping |
project-management |
Agile/Scrum/Kanban, sprints, risk assessment |
community-engagement-features |
User profiles, contribution systems, voting, moderation, leaderboards |
guided-content-journeys |
Curated multi-step exploration paths through content domains |
mutual-aid-platform-operations |
Mutual aid platform ops: volunteer management, donation tracking |
trauma-informed-product-design |
Trauma-informed design for products serving vulnerable populations |
civic-tech-privacy-architecture |
Zero-PII architectures for civic technology |
democratic-health-monitoring |
Democratic health indicators using V-Dem, Freedom House methodologies |
federal-register-api-integration |
Federal Register API for executive orders, regulatory actions |
28.15 Botanical Garden Skills
30 botanical garden skills covering every major role:
| Category | Skills |
|---|---|
| Horticulture & Grounds | botanical-director-of-horticulture, botanical-curator-living-collections, botanical-head-gardener, botanical-horticulturist, botanical-gardener-groundskeeper, botanical-garden-technician, botanical-greenhouse-manager, botanical-greenhouse-technician, botanical-irrigation-specialist, botanical-arborist, botanical-ipm-specialist |
| Science & Conservation | botanical-director-of-science, botanical-botanist, botanical-taxonomist, botanical-conservation-biologist, botanical-seed-bank-curator, botanical-herbarium-curator, botanical-gis-mapping-specialist, botanical-research-associate |
| Education & Programming | botanical-director-of-education, botanical-education-curator, botanical-education-coordinator, botanical-school-programs-specialist, botanical-childrens-garden-educator, botanical-therapeutic-horticulture-manager, botanical-volunteer-coordinator |
| Outreach & Community | botanical-community-engagement-manager, botanical-public-relations-manager, botanical-dei-coordinator, botanical-internship-coordinator |
28.15a Image Generation Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
stable-diffusion-image-generation |
Generate images via Stable Diffusion: txt2img, img2img, prompt engineering |
stable-diffusion-operations |
Deploy and manage the ITI Stable Diffusion service: Docker/native, model management |
flux-image-generation |
Generate images using FLUX models via BFL API: text-to-image, editing, text rendering |
flux-operations |
Deploy and configure FLUX backends (local Klein 4B and BFL cloud API) |
28.16 Cursor Platform Skills (skills-cursor)
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
babysit |
Keep a PR merge-ready: triage comments, resolve conflicts, fix CI in a loop |
canvas |
Create interactive in-IDE visualizations, dashboards, mini-apps |
create-hook |
Create Cursor hooks (hooks.json, scripts) |
create-skill |
Guide for authoring new Agent Skills |
create-rule |
Guide for creating Cursor rules (.mdc files) |
create-subagent |
Guide for creating Cursor agent definitions |
update-cursor-settings |
Modify Cursor/VSCode settings.json |
statusline |
Configure custom status line in the CLI |
update-cli-config |
Update CLI configuration |
migrate-to-skills |
Convert .cursor/rules to SKILL.md format |
shell |
Run following text as a shell command (invoked via /shell) |
28.17 Creating a New Skill
See Chapter 20 — Agents, Skills & Pipelines, Section 20.7.
Quick reference:
- Check
SKILLS-INDEX.mdfirst — extend rather than duplicate. - Create
ITI/operations/Skills/Claude-Skills/./SKILL.md - Follow the skill template: YAML frontmatter (
name,description), then## Instructionssection. - Keep under 500 lines. Summary first, details second.
- Sync to
~/.cursor/skills/. - Update
SKILLS-INDEX.mdandSKILLS-INDEX.json.
Previous: Chapter 27 — Deployment | Next: Chapter 29 — Cursor Rules
