Get started with the Algolia skills

1Download

Not sure which you need? Take the full library — the first skill works out the rest.

Download the full library

All eleven skills. Individual skills and project-type bundles are on the same page.

2Drop it in

Pick the tool your team already uses.

No terminal needed.

Settings → Capabilities → turn on Code execution and file creation.
Customize → Skills → + → Create skill → Upload a skill.
Pick one skill ZIP. Repeat for each skill you want.
Type / in the message box — the skill should be listed.

Upload the individual skill ZIPs, not the full-library ZIP — the uploader takes one skill at a time.

Copy the folders into your skills directory.

$ unzip algolia-skills-library.zip -d /tmp/alg
$ mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
$ cp -R /tmp/alg/algolia-* ~/.claude/skills/

Then in a session: /algolia-discovery-planning

$ unzip algolia-skills-library.zip -d /tmp/alg
$ mkdir -p .cursor/skills
$ cp -R /tmp/alg/algolia-* .cursor/skills/

Then /algolia-discovery-planning, or @algolia-discovery-planning to attach it.

$ unzip algolia-skills-library.zip -d /tmp/alg
$ mkdir -p .agents/skills
$ cp -R /tmp/alg/algolia-* .agents/skills/

Then /skills to list, $algolia-discovery-planning to use one.

Sidebar → Plugins → Plugin Directory → Skills → Create → Upload from your computer. Add one skill at a time. ChatGPT scans each upload, so a skill can come back Needs Review or Blocked before you can use it.

Skills are generally available on Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu — but on Enterprise and Edu an admin has to switch them on. Skills also don't sync between the desktop app and web, so add them in both.

$ unzip algolia-skills-library.zip -d /tmp/alg
$ mkdir -p .github/skills
$ cp -R /tmp/alg/algolia-* .github/skills/

Then /algolia-discovery-planning in Copilot Chat.

These follow the open Agent Skills spec, which standardises the skill folder itself. Each tool still decides where it looks for one, so try the most widely read path first:

$ mkdir -p .agents/skills
$ cp -R algolia-* .agents/skills/

That works in Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, Antigravity and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf). Two tools need their own location: Claude Code reads ~/.claude/skills/, and Kiro reads .kiro/skills/.

It worked if the skill name appears in your tool's skill list — and your first prompt comes back asking you questions instead of writing code.

3Ask

Start with this whatever your situation. It works out which skill you actually need.

Use the Algolia Discovery Planning skill to help me choose the right implementation path.

Ask me only the questions you need to understand my goal, my data, my search UI, my events, and my launch risk. Assume I may not know which technical details matter yet.

Then recommend the next Algolia skill to use, the smallest useful first milestone, and the validation artifact I should create.

Expect questions back before you get an answer. That is the point.

When to use it

The prompt above picks the skill for you. This is just what it covers.

You're building something newGet the data shape and events right before any code. Retrofitting them is the expensive part.algolia-discovery-planning

Your results feel wrongUsually ranking, searchable attributes, facets, synonyms or rules — not the platform.algolia-index-configuration

Your analytics don't add upWithout click and conversion events your dashboards are guessing, and so is every AI feature you pay for.algolia-events-insights

You're about to launchProduces launch evidence, and says “not verified” rather than guessing.algolia-release-qa

You're turning on AI featuresNeuralSearch, personalization and Recommend need good records and real behavioural data first.algolia-neuralsearch

You're migrating or replatformingWrites the record shape and objectID strategy as a contract both sides can review.algolia-data-modeling

What good output looks like

It asks before it builds. If it starts writing code immediately, the skill didn't load.
It names the phases and the order: data → events → settings → UI → launch checks.
It gives you documents you can keep — a record contract, an event plan, a launch checklist.
It says “not verified” instead of assuming, when it can't see your account.
It writes down assumptions and who owns them, rather than quietly inventing answers.

Add live account access (optional)

The skills decide what to ask and in what order. They don't touch your Algolia account. If you want your AI tool to read real analytics and index settings, add the official tooling:

# live analytics, index inspection
$ claude mcp add --transport http algolia https://mcp.algolia.com/mcp

# indices, settings, rules, synonyms, records
$ brew install algolia

Point it at a non-production app while you explore. These skills make an agent cautious, but an agent with write access to a production index is still an agent with write access to a production index.

If something doesn't work

Nothing happens. Check SKILL.md sits at the top level of the skill folder. Unzipping often creates a doubled folder — look for algolia-events-insights/algolia-events-insights/.
Claude rejected the ZIP. Upload individual skill ZIPs, not the full library. If one is still rejected, unzip it and re-zip just the algolia-… folder.
Can't use Skills in Claude. Skills need code execution — turn on Settings → Capabilities → Code execution and file creation first.
Some load, others don't. Codex budgets its startup skill list to 2% of the model's context window (8,000 characters if that's unknown). Past that it shortens descriptions, then omits skills and warns you. Install just the ones you need.
It writes code without asking anything. Name the skill explicitly: /algolia-discovery-planning.

Still stuck, or hit something not listed here? Tell us what happened — it goes to the people maintaining these skills, and it is how this list gets longer.