Getting Started

Go from signup to your first AI-powered skill in about 5 minutes. This guide walks you through every step — no prior experience required.

What is this?Install Node.jsInstall CLIActivate licenseIDE setupFirst skillsFAQ

What is Enterprise Skills?

Enterprise Skills is a collection of AI-powered agent skills that work inside your code editor. Instead of writing prompts from scratch every time, you type short commands like code review and the AI follows a battle-tested, multi-step process that produces professional-grade results.

Think of each skill as a reusable expert playbook — built from real engineering workflows, not generic chat prompts. They work in Cursor, VS Code with Copilot, Windsurf, JetBrains, and other AI-enabled editors.

1Install Node.js

Already have Node.js? Open a terminal and run node --version. If you see a version number (like v20.18.1), skip to Step 2.

What is Node.js and why do I need it?

Node.js is a free tool that lets you run programs written in JavaScript on your computer. Enterprise Skills uses a small command-line tool (called the CLI) to activate your license and sync skills to your editor. Node.js is what powers that tool.

Think of it like installing a runtime — similar to how you might install Java or Python. You only need to do this once, and it takes about 2 minutes.

How to install

Windows

1. Go to nodejs.org

2. Click the big green LTS button (LTS means "Long Term Support" — it's the stable version)

3. Run the downloaded installer — click "Next" through all the steps (defaults are fine)

4. When it finishes, open PowerShell (press the Windows key, type "PowerShell", click it)

5. Verify it worked:

node --version
Mac

1. Go to nodejs.org

2. Click the LTS button and run the installer

3. Or, if you use Homebrew:

brew install node

4. Open Terminal (press Cmd+Space, type "Terminal", press Enter) and verify:

node --version
Linux
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash - && sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Or use your distribution's package manager. Verify:

node --version

2Install the Enterprise Skills CLI

The CLI (command-line interface) is the tool that activates your license and installs skills into your editor. Open a terminal and run:

Copy and paste this into your terminal

npm install -g enterprise-skills

What is a terminal? A terminal is a text-based window where you can type commands. On Windows, it's called PowerShell (press the Windows key, type "PowerShell"). On Mac, it's called Terminal (press Cmd+Space, type "Terminal"). Most code editors also have a built-in terminal — in Cursor or VS Code, press Ctrl+` (backtick key, next to the 1 key).

The -g flag means "global" — it installs the tool so you can use it from anywhere, not just one project. You should see a success message when it finishes.

Verify the installation:

enterprise-skills --version

3Activate your license

After purchasing, you received a license key by email (and on the checkout success page). It looks like es-pro-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx.

Run this command, replacing the placeholder with your actual key:

Copy and paste — replace YOUR_LICENSE_KEY with your actual key

enterprise-skills license activate YOUR_LICENSE_KEY

You should see a confirmation message with your tier and the number of skills activated. Your license is now stored locally and will be validated periodically. You can work offline for up to 7 days before needing to reconnect.

Lost your key? Check the email from noreply@enterpriseskills.ai with the subject "Your Enterprise Skills License Key". If you can't find it, contact support@enterpriseskills.ai.

4Set up your IDE

Enterprise Skills works inside AI-powered code editors. Pick the one you use (or want to try) and follow the setup instructions below.

C
CursorRecommended

Cursor has built-in AI that reads your skills automatically. No extra plugins needed.

1. Download Cursor from cursor.com (free plan available)

2. Open any project folder in Cursor

3. Open the AI chat panel (Cmd+L on Mac, Ctrl+L on Windows)

4. Type your first command:

session start

Cursor will automatically discover and load your installed skills.

Available on: Community, Pro, Team, Enterprise tiers

VSVS Code + GitHub Copilot

VS Code works with Enterprise Skills through GitHub Copilot's agent mode.

1. Install GitHub Copilot extension in VS Code

2. Skills are loaded from ~/.cursor/skills/ — the same location Cursor uses

3. Open Copilot Chat and reference skills using @workspace context

Available on: Pro, Team, Enterprise tiers

WWindsurf

Windsurf reads skills through its rules system.

1. Skills are synced to Windsurf's rules directory automatically

2. Open the Windsurf AI panel and type any skill command

Available on: Team, Enterprise tiers

JBJetBrains (IntelliJ, WebStorm, etc.)

JetBrains IDEs work with Enterprise Skills through Junie (JetBrains AI) guidelines.

1. Enable Junie in your JetBrains IDE

2. Skills are loaded through the guidelines system

Available on: Team, Enterprise tiers

ClClaude (Anthropic)

Use Enterprise Skills with Claude Code or Claude's project context.

1. Skills are formatted as CLAUDE.md instructions

2. Reference them in Claude's project knowledge or attach directly

Available on: Pro, Team, Enterprise tiers

5Try your first skills

Open your AI chat in your editor and type any of these commands. Each one triggers a multi-step process that the AI follows automatically.

Start here (all tiers)

session start

Load project context, check state, and prepare your workspace. Always run this first.

code review

Enterprise-grade review of your recent changes — catches bugs, security issues, and anti-patterns.

bug-hunter

Give it a bug report or symptom. It reproduces, diagnoses, fixes, and verifies automatically.

build feature

Describe a feature. It plans the architecture, scaffolds files, implements, and tests.

Pro and above

security audit

Scans for auth gaps, hardcoded secrets, XSS, CSRF, exposed routes, and missing encryption.

full-stack audit

Runs all audit skills in sequence — security, API contracts, dependencies, and pre-deploy checks.

db migration

Takes a schema change request, generates the migration, updates types and routes, and tests.

refactor

Takes a refactoring goal, analyzes impact across the codebase, plans changes, and executes safely.

performance audit

Finds slow queries, bundle bloat, memory leaks, unnecessary re-renders, and N+1 problems.

generate api docs

Scans all API routes, extracts methods and auth requirements, generates OpenAPI or Markdown docs.

Team and above

bootstrap ai governance

Apply model routing rules, change control, and drift protection across your org's projects.

pre-deploy check

Full deployment checklist — types, lint, tests, env vars, migrations, build, and git state.

issue triage

Scans open GitHub issues, categorizes by type and priority, assigns labels, and generates triage reports.

init project skills

Detects your project's stack and generates tailored skills locked to that specific technology.

Browse all 83 skills in the full catalog →

Setting up your team

Team and Enterprise tiers only

If you purchased a Team plan, each team member needs their own setup:

  1. Share the license key with each team member (or purchase additional seats)
  2. Each member installs Node.js and the CLI on their machine (Steps 1-3 above)
  3. Each member activates with the same license key
  4. All 8 IDE adapters are available — team members can use whichever editor they prefer

Team plans include cross-project intelligence (patterns learned in one project apply to others) and mandatory model handoff governance (ensuring AI follows team standards consistently).

Frequently asked questions

I get 'npm: command not found' when I try to install
This means Node.js isn't installed yet, or your terminal doesn't see it. Go back to Step 1 and install Node.js. After installing, close your terminal completely and open a new one — the old terminal won't know about newly installed programs.
I get a permission error when running npm install -g
On Mac/Linux, try adding 'sudo' before the command: sudo npm install -g enterprise-skills. On Windows, right-click PowerShell and choose 'Run as administrator', then try again.
The activate command says 'invalid key'
Double-check that you copied the full key from your email — it should start with 'es-pro-' or 'es-team-' followed by a long string of letters and numbers. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key.
I can't find my license key
Check your email from noreply@enterpriseskills.ai. Also check your spam folder. If you still can't find it, email support@enterpriseskills.ai with the email address you used to purchase.
Do I need to be online to use skills?
Skills themselves run locally in your editor's AI — no internet needed for execution. Your license is validated periodically and works offline for up to 7 days. After that, you'll need to connect briefly to re-validate.
Can I use skills in multiple editors at once?
Yes! Your license activates skills at the system level. Once activated, they're available in every supported editor you have installed. The specific editors available depend on your tier.
What's the difference between Community and Pro?
Community gives you 6 core skills in Cursor only. Pro unlocks all skills (except enterprise-only), works in 4 editors (Cursor, VS Code, Claude, CLI), and includes governance features like execution logging and preflight checks. See the full comparison at the pricing section.
How do I update to the latest skills?
Run 'npm update -g enterprise-skills' in your terminal. This updates the CLI and pulls the latest skill definitions. Your license key stays active — no need to re-activate.

Still need help?

We're here for you. Reach out and we'll get you up and running.

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