So much depends upon
Create, search, install, and publish agent skills through a verification-first workflow.
Scanned and Versioned skills, customized to your specific agent and workflow.
Why Toolshed exists
Agent skills need a trust layer, not just a directory.
A random zip from a repo or chat thread can become executable workflow logic with real permissions. That means skill distribution is a supply-chain problem, not just a discovery problem.
Toolshed focuses on the install path: validate archives, attach signed metadata, make verified versions searchable, and let users verify what they installed on their own machine.
What we mean by verification
More provenance. Less blind trust.
- Archives are validated before they become distributable artifacts.
- Accepted artifacts receive a generated manifest and signature.
- Users install a specific version, not an ambiguous latest blob.
- Local verify gives users an independent integrity check after install.
How it works
Publish, verify, install, verify again.
The product is intentionally narrow. The MVP wins if the trust path is reliable and easy to understand.
1. Publish
Submit a versioned archive
Creators package a skill as a zip and submit it into the verification queue.
2. Validate
Check structure and policy
Workers validate the archive, required files, and acceptance constraints before release.
3. Sign
Generate trusted metadata
Accepted artifacts receive a manifest and signature that become part of the install record.
4. Install
Verify locally after download
Users search, install a specific version, and run local verification against the published trust data.
For installers
Fewer mystery installs.
Toolshed is for people who want to adopt a useful skill without reconstructing its provenance by hand. Search for a use case, inspect the versioned result, install it, and verify it locally.
Quick install flow
node packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js search "meeting notes markdown"node packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js install 'research-note-distiller@1.2.0'node packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js verifyFor creators
A higher-trust path to distribution.
Packaging a skill is only half the work. Toolshed aims to give creators a clearer route from archive submission to trusted, searchable, versioned distribution.
Quick publish flow
node packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js loginnode packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js publish ./my-skill.zip --name my-skill --skill-version 1.2.0node packages/cli-ts/bin/toolshed.js status <job-id>From the blog
SKILL.md is JTBD.md
Good skills describe a user, a condition, and a downstream goal, not a vague unconditional superpower. Better framing improves search quality and makes skills easier to trust and reuse.