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Stable Skills Manifest v1 for Custom Integrations
This page documents the legacy-compatible skills_index.json contract used by custom host integrations and lazy loaders.
For Codex and Claude Code, use AAS Core instead of wiring a host directly to this repository manifest. Core exposes every skill in a verified local catalog through bounded, read-only MCP tools for search, inspection, and agent-owned composition. The raw manifest remains useful for integrations that do not have an AAS Core host adapter.
Manifest contract (v1)
- Canonical file:
skills_index.jsonat repository root. - Mirror file:
data/skills_index.jsonmust be an exact compatibility mirror ofskills_index.json. - Format: JSON array, one object per skill.
- Schema:
schemas/skills-index.v1.schema.json
Required fields
Each manifest entry includes:
id– skill identifier (same as@skill-id).path– relative skill folder, e.g.skills/brainstorming.category– grouping used by UI/search surfaces.name– display name.description– short purpose/trigger summary.risk– one of repo risk labels.source– source of authority/trust metadata.date_added– ISO date string ornull.
Additional fields are allowed, and plugin metadata is optional.
Recommended host behavior
Stable integrations must not load every skill instruction file up front.
- Read the manifest (
skills_index.json). - Resolve only the requested
@skill-idvalues from the conversation. - For each resolved skill, read that one
SKILL.mdlazily. - Enforce a per-turn maximum so user prompts stay below context limits.
- Validate each resolved path stays under your configured
SKILLS_ROOT.
This is the main prevention for context truncation and trajectory conversion errors in custom multi-skill hosts. It is not the AAS Core catalog or stack lifecycle contract.
Why the data/ mirror exists
data/skills_index.json remains for downstream compatibility where clients still read from the data/ subtree. The stable contract is that both files contain the same payload.
Quick structure example
{
"id": "brainstorming",
"path": "skills/brainstorming",
"category": "planning",
"name": "brainstorming",
"description": "Use before any creative or constructive work.",
"risk": "safe",
"source": "official",
"date_added": "2026-02-27"
}