> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.helix-db.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# helix skills

> For the complete documentation index optimized for AI agents, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt).

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. They 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.

`helix init` and `helix chef` install these skills for you; `helix skills` is how you
manage them afterwards. They install **globally** by default (`~/.agents/skills`, shared
across projects) — pass `--project` to operate on the current project instead.

## Usage

```bash theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
helix skills <SUBCOMMAND>
```

## Available sub-commands

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

## Available flags

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

<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`HELIX_NO_UPDATE_CHECK` opt-out as the CLI version check) whether the Helix skills are out
of date, and prints a one-line notice pointing you at `helix skills update`.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={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
# 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
```