> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://helix-isolate-failing-index-entities.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# helix skills

> Install, refresh, and list the Helix agent skills

<div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2"><Badge color="gray" size="sm">Reference</Badge></div>

Install, refresh, and inspect the Helix agent skills — the query-authoring skills
(`helix-query-typescript`, `helix-query-rust`, `helix-memory-system`, and friends) that
coding agents like Claude Code use to write correct HelixDB queries. `helix init` and
`helix chef` install these skills for you; `helix skills` is how you manage them afterwards.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
helix skills <SUBCOMMAND> [--project]
```

## Subcommands

| Subcommand | Description |
| - | - |
| `install` | Install the Helix agent skills (interactive). |
| `update` | Refresh installed Helix skills to the latest version. |
| `list` | List installed agent skills. |

## Options

| Flag | Description | Default |
| - | - | - |
| `--project` | Operate on the current project (`.<agent>/skills`) instead of globally. | Global (`~/.agents/skills`) |

## Behavior

* Skills are installed with the [`skills`](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills) CLI under the hood (`npx skills add HelixDB/skills`), so this command requires **Node.js/npm** (`npx`) on your PATH.
* Skills install **globally** by default (`~/.agents/skills`, shared across projects); `--project` works relative to the current directory.
* `install` and `list` hand the terminal to the `skills` CLI, so they refuse `--json`. `update --json` prints `{"updated":true}`.

<Note>
  `helix skills update` re-fetches the skills from source and **overwrites** their files,
  so any local edits to the installed skills are discarded.
</Note>

### Update notifications

When skills are installed, the CLI checks once every 24 hours (the same cadence and
`HELIX_NO_UPDATE_CHECK` opt-out as the CLI version check) whether the Helix skills are out
of date, and prints a one-line notice pointing you at `helix skills update`. It is
**notify-only** — it never rewrites skill files on a routine command. Running
[`helix update`](/cli/command-reference/update) also refreshes installed skills.

## Examples

```bash theme={null}
# Install the Helix skills globally
helix skills install

# Refresh installed skills to the latest version
helix skills update

# Install into the current project instead of globally
helix skills install --project

# List installed skills
helix skills list
```

## Related

* [`helix update`](/cli/command-reference/update) — update the CLI and refresh skills together.
* [`helix init`](/cli/command-reference/init) — installs skills when creating a project.
* [`helix chef`](/cli/command-reference/chef) — installs skills and launches a coding agent.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.