Quick Start for Consumers

1. Run install#

npx @tanstack/intent@latest install

This command creates or updates skill-loading guidance for your agent.

Examples use npx for npm projects. In pnpm, Yarn, or Bun projects, use the matching runner: pnpm dlx, yarn dlx, or bunx.

The command:

1. Checks for existing intent-skills guidance in your config files (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, etc.)
2. Writes lightweight instructions for skill discovery and loading
3. Preserves content outside the managed block
4. Verifies the managed block before reporting success

If an intent-skills block already exists, Intent updates that file in place. If no block exists, AGENTS.md is the default target.

Intent creates guidance like:

<!-- intent-skills:start -->
## Skill Loading

Before editing files for a substantial task:
- Run `pnpm dlx @tanstack/intent@latest list` from the workspace root to see available local skills.
- If a listed skill matches the task, run `pnpm dlx @tanstack/intent@latest load <package>#<skill>` before changing files.
- Use the loaded `SKILL.md` guidance while making the change.
- Monorepos: when working across packages, run the skill check from the workspace root and prefer the local skill for the package being changed.
- Multiple matches: prefer the most specific local skill for the package or concern you are changing; load additional skills only when the task spans multiple packages or concerns.
<!-- intent-skills:end -->

Intent detects the package manager when generating this block, so the runner may be npx, pnpm dlx, yarn dlx, or bunx.

To enforce loading guidance before edits in supported agents, opt in to hooks:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest hooks install

Project-scoped hooks are installed for Claude Code and Codex. intent install can write project guidance to .github/copilot-instructions.md, but GitHub Copilot CLI hook enforcement is user-scoped, so configure it explicitly:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest hooks install --scope user --agents copilot

Cursor and generic AGENTS.md agents use the guidance block only.

Hooks return the available Intent skill catalog as context for supported agent sessions and keep the edit gate active until they observe a supported intent load command.

Hooks do not verify that:

• The command succeeded.
• The skill matched the task.
• The agent applied the guidance.

To control what appears in the session catalog, configure intent.skills and intent.exclude in package.json.

2. Choose which packages' skills to use#

package.json#intent.skills is an allowlist of the packages whose skills you want surfaced.

{
  "intent": {
    "skills": ["@tanstack/*"]
  }
}

List the packages or * package patterns you trust. Intent then surfaces skills from matching packages and leaves the rest out. See the source entries in Configuration for the forms an entry can take, and Trust model for why the allowlist exists.

3. Use skills in your workflow#

Load a skill when it matches the task:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest load @tanstack/react-query#core

This prints the skill content for the installed package version.

Intent cannot guarantee that an agent selected the correct skill or followed its guidance. See Lifecycle boundaries.

If you want explicit task-to-skill mappings in your agent config, opt in:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest install --map

4. Keep skills up-to-date#

npm update @tanstack/react-query

Skills version with library releases. Updating a library also updates its packaged skills, so the skill version matches the installed code. If a package is installed both locally and globally and global scanning is enabled, Intent prefers the local version.

List the installed skills:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest list

Use --json for machine-readable output:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest list --json

Global package scanning is opt-in:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest list --global

You can also check if any skills reference outdated source documentation:

npx @tanstack/intent@latest stale