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Skills vs Plugins
A skill is Markdown instructions the agent reads and follows. A plugin is code that runs: it adds tools, changes the interface or connects models. Teach the agent a way of working with a skill; give DeepSeek Harness a new capability with a plugin.
| Skill | Plugin | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A SKILL.md file, optionally with scripts and references | Code in an npm package or Git repo |
| Install | Copy the folder into a skill folder | dsh plugin --profile web add <package> |
| Takes effect | Discovered automatically, no restart | After restarting dsh web |
| Scope | By folder: one project or all projects | By profile: web, desktop and so on |
| Risk | Text, but the agent runs the scripts it points to | Runs with the same rights as DSH |
DeepSeek Harness Skills Folder: Six Locations in Priority Order
DeepSeek Harness scans these folders in order. If the same skill name exists in two of them, the one higher in the list wins.
- The project root is the nearest parent folder that contains
.git; without one, it is the current folder. - A skill is a folder
<name>/SKILL.mdor a single file<name>.md. - Only one level is scanned:
skills/group/name/SKILL.mdis not found. - The
.systemfolder inside~/.dsh/skillsis skipped.
| Priority | Folder | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | <project root>/.dsh/skills | This project, DSH only |
| 2 | <project root>/.agents/skills | This project, shared with other agent tools |
| 3 | customSkillDirs in config | Extra folders you list |
| 4 | ~/.dsh/skills | All your projects ($DSH_HOME/skills if set) |
| 5 | ~/.agents/skills | All your projects, shared with other agent tools ($DSH_AGENTS_HOME if set) |
| 6 | Bundled skills | Shipped with your DSH build |
How to Write SKILL.md
Names use lowercase letters, digits and hyphens, such as code-review. Keep the folder name and the name field the same. The description tells the agent when to use the skill.
---
name: code-review
description: Review the current changes and list problems by severity. Use when the user asks for a code review.
---
# Code Review
1. Run git diff to see what changed.
2. Check correctness first, then naming and tests.
3. Report each problem with file, line and a suggested fix.| Frontmatter key | Effect |
|---|---|
name | Skill name, same as the folder |
description | When to use it. The agent sees only names and descriptions until a skill is called; up to 500 characters are shown. |
disable-model-invocation: true | Only you can call it with /name; the agent never loads it on its own |
user-invocable: false | Hidden from the / menu; only the agent loads it |
How to Use DeepSeek Harness Skills
- By hand: type
/in the input box and pick one, or type/namewith your request, such as/code-review only the src folder. - Automatically: every session the agent sees the names and descriptions of the skills it is allowed to load, and loads one when it fits.
- When you call a skill by hand, its full text is added to that turn, so the agent does not have to load it again.
- If a skill shares its name with a built-in command,
/nameruns the command. Rename the skill.
Skill Not Showing Up?
You never need to restart DSH for skills: the folders are watched. Check these in order.
- 1The name uses only lowercase letters, digits and hyphens.
Code_Reviewis ignored. - 2The layout is
skills/<name>/SKILL.mdwith no extra folder level. - 3A project skill sits under the project root, the folder that contains
.git. - 4No skill with the same name sits in a higher-priority folder.
- 5An open session keeps the skill list it started with. Start a new session and type
/again. - 6The frontmatter does not say
user-invocable: false, which hides it from the/menu.
Skill Packs and Skill Managers
Copying skills one by one gets old. Skill packs install a whole set as one plugin, and manager plugins let you browse, enable and disable skills in the Web UI. Stars update live.
archify
88.9kGitHub starsDSH Profile: web
An agent skill that turns an idea, plan or codebase into an interactive diagram.
Security and compatibilitysandbase-skills
202GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
A large set of open-source skills for research, social listening and marketing.
dsh plugin --profile web add github:sandbaseai/sandbase-skillsdsh-mattpocock-skills-deck
244GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
Ships the mattpocock/skills engineering and productivity skills, no manual copying.
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-mattpocock-skills-deckdsh-reverse-skill
276GitHub starsA full reverse-engineering skill set packaged as a DSH plugin.
Security and compatibilitydsh-skills-manager
275GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
Loads the agent skills already on your machine and manages them safely.
dsh plugin --profile web add @michengai/dsh-skills-manager@latest --registry=https://registry.npmjs.org/dsh-skill-mcp-panel
234GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
Manage skills and MCP servers from the Web UI.
dsh plugin --profile web add https://github.com/Fishquito7/dsh-skill-mcp-panel/releases/latest/download/dsh-skill-mcp-panel.tgzdsh-skill-hub
34GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
Browse and search the full skill catalog, enable, disable, read and create skills.
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-skill-hubdsh-skill-picker
35GitHub starsDSH Profile: web
A picker next to the input box that inserts /name for you.
dsh plugin --profile web add "git+ssh://[email protected]:a735624258/dsh-skill-picker.git"FAQ
Can I use Claude Code skills in DeepSeek Harness?
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Yes, the SKILL.md format is the same. Copy the folder into ~/.agents/skills or ~/.dsh/skills. Steps that mention Claude Code-only commands need rewriting for DSH.
How do I remove a skill?
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Delete its folder; no restart needed. Start a new session to see the change. For a skill pack, remove the plugin with dsh plugin --profile web remove <package>.
Are project skills committed to Git?
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.dsh/skills and .agents/skills live in the project, so they are committed by default and your team gets the same skills. Add them to .gitignore to keep them private.
Do skills cost extra tokens?
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The agent normally sees only names and descriptions. The full text loads when a skill is called, which adds its length to that turn.
Are third-party skills safe?
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A skill is text, but the agent follows it, including running the scripts it bundles. Read SKILL.md and any scripts before you add a skill from someone else.
Primary sources
This guide is grounded primarily in the current DeepSeek AI Harness repository and development documentation. Harness is still in developer preview, so exact commands and contracts can change with later releases.