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Install Docker Skills

Table of contents

Choose the installation method managed by your agent or organization. Native plugins, the Gemini CLI extension, and the cross-client skills CLI are separate options; the skills CLI is not a prerequisite.

Claude Code

In Claude Code, add Docker's marketplace, then install its plugin:

/plugin marketplace add docker/skills
/plugin install docker-skills@docker

See Claude Code's plugin docs for marketplace setup.

GitHub Copilot CLI

Add Docker's marketplace in the GitHub Copilot CLI, then install its plugin:

$ copilot plugin marketplace add docker/skills
$ copilot plugin install docker-skills@docker

See Copilot CLI's plugin documentation for marketplace setup.

Cursor

In Cursor, repository-backed marketplaces require a Teams or Enterprise plan and someone with permission to add a team marketplace (an admin on Enterprise). Ask that person to open Dashboard → Plugins & MCPs → Team Marketplaces → Add Marketplace, choose Import from Repo, enter https://github.com/docker/skills, add the Docker plugin to the marketplace, and save its access settings. Once the marketplace is available to you, open Customize, find docker-skills, select Install, and choose a project or user scope. If your team can't import a marketplace, use the skills CLI. See Cursor's plugin instructions for marketplace permissions and installation modes.

Codex

In Codex CLI, add Docker's repository as a plugin marketplace:

$ codex plugin marketplace add docker/skills

Enter /plugins in Codex CLI, find the docker-skills plugin in the Docker marketplace, and install it through the plugin browser. Start a new session to use its skills. Plugins are available in Codex CLI and the ChatGPT desktop app, not the Codex IDE extension. If plugins aren't available in your client, use the skills CLI. See the Codex plugin instructions and marketplace setup.

Gemini CLI

Install the repository as a Gemini CLI extension:

$ gemini extensions install https://github.com/docker/skills

See the Gemini CLI extension docs for extension configuration.

Google Antigravity

Antigravity reads standard SKILL.md directories from your workspace's .agents/skills/. From the project directory, use the skills CLI and select Antigravity and the skills you need:

$ npx skills add docker/skills --agent antigravity

Alternatively, clone a reviewed Docker Skills tag and copy each selected directory from its skills/ folder into <workspace-root>/.agents/skills/<skill-folder>/, keeping its SKILL.md and supporting files together. See Google's Antigravity agent skills docs for other discovery locations. The Gemini CLI extension is a separate installation method, not an Antigravity plugin.

Other supported agents with the skills CLI

From your project directory, run the interactive installer:

$ npx skills add docker/skills

Select your supported agent and the skills you need when prompted. The default installation is project-scoped; use --global for user scope. See the skills CLI docs for supported agents and options.

Docker Sandboxes

Note

The sbx skills installer is experimental and may change or be removed. Check sbx skills --help in your installed release before automating it.

Install from the repository into the shared sandbox skill store:

$ sbx skills add docker/skills

For shared-store management, mounting behavior, and host imports, see Share agent skills.

Docker Agent

Docker Agent consumes skills installed in its documented discovery paths; it doesn't install or update them. Install with the skills CLI or copy the selected skills to one of those paths, then select them in agent.yaml:

agents:
  root:
    model: dmr/ai/qwen3
    instruction: Help with Docker development tasks.
    skills: true
    toolsets:
      - type: filesystem

skills: true includes all discovered skills; use a list of skill names to limit the selection. See Docker Agent skill discovery for paths and configuration.

Git clone or manual copy

When a managed installer doesn't fit your client, select a reviewed tagged revision of Docker Skills and replace vX.Y.Z with that tag:

$ git clone --branch vX.Y.Z --depth 1 https://github.com/docker/skills.git

Copy each selected directory under skills/ into a discovery path documented by your agent. Keep its SKILL.md and all supporting files together.

Verify the installation

First, check the installed-plugin or extension view, npx skills list, or sbx skills ls, as appropriate. For a manual copy, check that the destination contains a readable SKILL.md and its supporting files. This confirms the files are installed, not that the agent loaded a skill.

Start a new agent session and ask for a matching Docker task, such as “Review my Dockerfile for cache efficiency and non-root execution. Tell me which installed skill you loaded, and show its SKILL.md path.” If your client displays skill activity, check that it loaded the expected file. Otherwise, ask for a specific instruction from that file and compare it with the installed copy. If the skill isn't available, check the installation path and scope.

Update and troubleshoot

  • Update native plugins and extensions with their client, CLI-managed skills with npx skills update in the matching scope (add --global for user scope), and repository-installed sandbox skills with sbx skills update when available. For host-imported sandbox skills, update the host files and run sbx skills import again, then restart the sandbox. Docker Agent relies on the installer that owns its discovered files.
  • For a fixed snapshot, choose a Docker Skills tag and use that tagged revision instead of a rolling repository URL. Manually copied directories don't update themselves; replace the complete directory when moving to another reviewed tag.
  • If a plugin or extension doesn't appear, check that it is enabled in the intended scope and that your organization permits the repository.
  • If the agent doesn't find an installed skill, check its discovery path and selected agent and scope, then start a new session. For Docker Agent, also check the skills: filter; for Sandboxes, check that the shared store is mounted and the skill was added or imported into it.
  • If a link isn't followed or supporting files are missing, reinstall with a physical copy of the complete skill directory.