local-skills-mcp-usage

Local Skills MCP searches four directories in priority order: personal (~/.claude/skills/), project (./skills/), Claude-compatible (./.claude/skills/), and custom ($SKILLS_DIR). Place globally reusable skills in ~/.claude/skills/ and project-specific skills in ./skills/ to ensure correct loading and sharing across clients.

Organize skills by scope and priority: use ~/.claude/skills/ for personal skills available everywhere, ./skills/ for project-specific expertise, and $SKILLS_DIR for custom directory placement. Local Skills MCP applies priority-based override rules so project skills take precedence over personal ones.

Configure Local Skills MCP by specifying skill directories and environment variables in your client settings. Step-by-step setup varies by client—Claude Code, Desktop, and Cline each have distinct configuration paths. Local Skills MCP loads skills from all configured directories automatically.

Yes, set the $SKILLS_DIR environment variable to define a custom skills directory. Local Skills MCP respects this alongside the default ~/.claude/skills/, ./skills/, and ./.claude/skills/ paths, enabling flexible skill placement driven by environment configuration.

Use project-specific skills (./skills/) for domain or codebase expertise tied to one project, and global skills (~/.claude/skills/) for general-purpose tools reused across projects. Local Skills MCP's priority system ensures project skills override globals, preventing conflicts.

Local Skills MCP applies priority-based override rules: skills in higher-priority directories replace those with the same name in lower-priority ones. Project skills override personal skills, ensuring your AI uses the most contextually appropriate version without manual conflict resolution.