Quickstart

1. Run the platform

If you already have Postgres, the only required env var is DATABASE_URL:

docker run -p 8080:8080 \
  -e DATABASE_URL="postgres://user:pass@host:5432/skael?sslmode=disable" \
  ghcr.io/skael-dev/skael:latest

Migrations run automatically on startup. The platform is at http://localhost:8080 — sign up to create the first account and a personal API key. (Port 8080 in use? Stop whatever holds it, or change the left side of -p 8080:8080.)

No Postgres handy? Use Docker Compose, which bundles one:

docker compose up -d

2. Install the CLI

# macOS / Linux (curl installer — fastest)
curl -fsSL skael.dev/install | sh

# macOS / Linux (Homebrew)
brew install skael-dev/skael/skael

# From source
go install github.com/skael-dev/skael/cmd/skael@latest

3. Connect

skael setup http://localhost:8080 <your-api-key>

This validates the connection, saves your config, detects installed agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode), and installs activation-tracking and auto-sync hooks for each. Pass --no-auto-sync to skip auto-sync hook installation.

4. Install skills

skael add code-review
skael add my-team:debugging --scope project

Skills are installed explicitly — pick what you need from the registry. Use --scope project to install a skill only for the current project, or --scope user for all projects (default comes from your config).

5. Publish a skill

skael publish ./code-review

The skill is scanned, packed, and uploaded. Anyone who has it installed gets the update on their next skael sync (or automatically via auto-sync hooks).

6. Keep up to date

Auto-sync hooks run skael sync in the background with 30-minute debouncing — your agents always have the latest versions of installed skills without manual intervention. You can also run skael sync manually at any time.