Source: https://cli.nylas.com/guides/nylas-agent-skills

# Install Nylas Skills for AI Coding Agents

The nylas/skills repository ships two drop-in skills — nylas-cli and nylas-api — that teach Claude Code, Cursor, Codex CLI, Windsurf, and 30+ other AI coding agents how to use Nylas without any per-agent OAuth or MCP wiring. One command installs both.

Written by [Qasim Muhammad](https://cli.nylas.com/authors/qasim-muhammad) Staff SRE

Updated May 4, 2026

> **TL;DR:** Run `npx skills add nylas/skills` (or `/plugin marketplace add nylas/skills` inside Claude Code) to install two MIT-licensed skills: `nylas-cli` and `nylas-api`. Your agent now knows how to send mail, list events, and call the v3 API without per-agent setup.

## What is a Nylas skill?

An [Agent Skill](https://github.com/nylas/skills) is a small, version-controlled bundle of instructions and examples that an AI coding agent loads alongside your project. The agent reads the skill the same way it reads your README — except the skill is curated for the agent and ships with worked examples, command syntax, and conventions. The `nylas/skills` repository ships two:

- **nylas-cli** — teaches the agent how to send email, manage calendar events, sync contacts, and use the MCP server from the terminal. Pairs with the [command reference](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands).
- **nylas-api** — teaches the agent how to build integrations against the [Nylas v3 REST API](https://developer.nylas.com/): grants, OAuth, webhooks, scheduler, transactional send.

Skills work alongside (not instead of) the [MCP integration](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/ai-agent-email-mcp). The [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) gives the agent live access to your inbox; skills give it the knowledge of how to call that access correctly.

## Install for Claude Code

Claude Code consumes skills through its plugin marketplace. From the Claude Code prompt, run:

```bash
/plugin marketplace add nylas/skills
```

Both `nylas-cli` and `nylas-api` become available. Claude Code surfaces them in the skills picker and loads them on demand when the conversation matches their description.

## Install for Cursor, Codex CLI, Windsurf, and others

Every other agent uses the universal [`skills` CLI](https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills) — an open-source installer (npm package `skills`) that supports `claude-code`, `cursor`, `codex`, `cline`, `continue`, `github-copilot`, and 40+ other agents. Run it from your project root:

```bash
# Install both Nylas skills
npx skills add nylas/skills

# Or install one at a time
npx skills add nylas/skills --skill nylas-cli
npx skills add nylas/skills --skill nylas-api
```

The installer detects your agent (Cursor, Codex CLI, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, and 30+ others), writes the skill files to the location each agent expects (`.cursor/`, `AGENTS.md`, `.claude-plugin/`, and so on), and registers them with the agent's manifest. No manual file copying.

## Verify the skills loaded

After install, ask the agent a question that should trigger one of the skills, for example:

- "Use nylas-cli to send an email from my Gmail account to test@example.com."
- "Use nylas-api to list grants for my application."

A working install responds with the correct `nylas email send` invocation or the right v3 endpoint without you re-explaining the syntax. If the agent still asks for documentation, restart it so it picks up the new skill manifest.

## Develop a fork or local copy

If you fork the repo to add internal-only conventions, the installer accepts a local path:

```bash
cd /path/to/your/project
npx skills add /path/to/your/fork --agent claude-code --copy --all
```

The `--copy` flag inlines the skill files into the project so they ship with the repo, rather than referencing the installed copy.

## Next steps

- New to the CLI itself? Start with the [getting started guide](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/getting-started).
- Want live inbox access (not just instructions)? See [Give AI Agents Email Access via MCP](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/ai-agent-email-mcp).
- Connecting a specific agent? See [Give Your AI Coding Agent an Email Address](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/give-ai-agent-email-address).
- Building a Manus-specific workflow instead? See [Create a Manus Skill](https://cli.nylas.com/guides/manus-ai-skills).
- Browse the full [command reference](https://cli.nylas.com/docs/commands) (72+ commands) the `nylas-cli` skill maps to.