skill tutorial · agent
Workshop skills as Cursor rules
Cursor's agent is rule-driven, not skill-driven — but a rule is just a markdown file with a trigger, and a WorkshopSkill skill is a markdown file with a description. Converting one to the other takes a minute, and the printable files come along untouched.
Keep the folder where the repo can see it
Skills reference files by name; the agent needs them on disk. A skills/ directory inside the workshop repo keeps paper and rules in one place:
fetch the bundle into the repo
cd my-workshop-repo mkdir -p skills && cd skills curl -LO https://workshopskill.com/en/activities/blind-portrait/files/blind-portrait.zip unzip blind-portrait.zip && rm blind-portrait.zip
Write the rule
A Cursor rule is .cursor/rules/<name>.mdc with frontmatter. Activation: Agent Requested, description copied from the skill's own — so the rule fires on the same briefs.
.cursor/rules/blind-portrait.mdc
--- description: Prep and adapt the Blind Portrait pairs exercise (communication, 2 people, 15 min, printable props) globs: alwaysApply: false --- Read skills/blind-portrait/SKILL.md and follow it: - match a brief against its metadata (category, group size, minutes) - run its curl steps as printed; files live in skills/blind-portrait/ - assessment.json is the pre/post measure spec - live form only with user consent: formlm-cli, needs a FormLM login
Use it
Ask Cursor's agent naturally: prep blind portrait for 12 people next Thursday
. The rule pulls the skill, the skill's own commands print the run sheet, adapt prop cards to six pairs, and — when you approve — build the live measure. Because the rule points at the folder, updates land by swapping the directory, not rewriting rules.
Troubleshooting
- Rule never activates? Check activation is Agent Requested (not Manual) and the description carries the words you actually type.
- Agent reprints the whole SKILL.md? Keep the rule a pointer (as above), not a copy — one paragraph, then the file reference.
- Many activities? One rule per skill, or a single index rule that lists installed folders and points at skills.json.
keep going
questions
Why not just paste SKILL.md into a rule?
You can — but rules bloat context on every request. A pointer rule plus the file keeps the brain lazy: loaded when matched, not always.
Does the Cursor agent run curl?
Yes, in its sandbox with your approval, or outside it on request. The download steps are anonymous static files.
Will my converted rule go stale when skills update?
Swap the folder.