Walkthroughs available

See the Knowledge Worker Walkthrough for marketplace browsing and deployment, the Product Manager Walkthrough for team publishing, or the Team / Enterprise Admin Walkthrough for governance-aware publishing.

Marketplace — Search, Install, Publish, Lifecycle¶

The SkillMeat marketplace is a curated repository of verified artifact bundles created by the community. This guide covers the complete marketplace workflow: discovering and installing artifacts as a consumer, publishing as a publisher, and managing your published bundles through their full lifecycle.

Overview¶

Two roles. Two flows.

Role	Purpose	Key Tasks
Consumer	Find and install verified artifacts	Search, install, manage versions, report issues
Publisher	Share your artifacts with the community	Bundle, publish, maintain versions, deprecate

What You Can Install¶

The marketplace contains four main artifact types:

Skills — Reusable Claude capabilities (text analysis, data processing, code generation)
Commands — Automated workflows for common tasks
Agents — Specialized subagents for specific domains
MCP Servers — Model Context Protocol servers for external integrations

These are distributed as bundles — curated collections of one or more artifacts, signed and verified by SkillMeat.

Trust & Security¶

All marketplace bundles include:

Cryptographic signatures — Verify authenticity and prevent tampering
Security scanning — Automated checks for malicious content, hardcoded secrets, and unsafe patterns
License verification — Ensure compatibility across all artifacts
Publisher ratings — Community feedback and historical performance
Provenance tracking — Know where artifacts come from and who published them

Prerequisites¶

For Consumers (Searchers & Installers)¶

SkillMeat installed — Get started: Quickstart Guide
Collection initialized — Run skillmeat init or see Collection Init & Config
Access to marketplace — Via Web UI (http://localhost:3000/marketplace) or CLI (skillmeat marketplace-search)

For Publishers (Authors)¶

In addition to consumer prerequisites:

Author credentials — Name and email for publisher attribution
Repository source — GitHub repository containing your artifacts (or bundle path)
Artifact quality standards — Artifacts must meet SkillMeat validation criteria:
Complete documentation
Passing security scan (no secrets, safe patterns)
Clear license (SPDX identifier)
Semantic versioning (major.minor.patch)
Understanding of bundle format — Create bundles via CLI or configuration file

Enterprise Context¶

Publisher Approval Workflow — Enterprise deployments may require approval before publishing
Role-Based Access — Only designated roles can publish or approve
Governance Configuration — See Enterprise Governance

Search & Discover¶

CLI Search¶

Basic search:

skillmeat marketplace-search python

Search with filters:

# By type
skillmeat marketplace-search --type skill --query "data processing"

# By tag
skillmeat marketplace-search --tags "productivity,automation"

# By license
skillmeat marketplace-search --license MIT,Apache-2.0

# By author
skillmeat marketplace-search --author "john@example.com"

# Combined filters
skillmeat marketplace-search "document" --type skill --tags "productivity" --limit 20

Browse categories:

# List trending bundles
skillmeat marketplace-search --trending --limit 10

# List recently published
skillmeat marketplace-search --recent --limit 10

# List by category
skillmeat marketplace-search --category productivity

Sorting:

# By popularity (downloads)
skillmeat marketplace-search "python" --sort downloads --order desc

# By recent update
skillmeat marketplace-search "python" --sort updated --order desc

# Alphabetical
skillmeat marketplace-search "python" --sort name --order asc

Web UI Browse & Search¶

Web UI

Access the marketplace at: http://localhost:3000/marketplace

Main sections:

Featured — Curated recommended bundles by SkillMeat team
Trending — Most popular this week
New — Recently published (last 30 days)
My Installs — Bundles you've installed (personalized)
Starred — Bundles you've bookmarked

Browsing views:

Grid — Visual cards with screenshots and ratings
List — Detailed table with metadata
Compact — Minimal listings (for high-volume browsing)

Filters in sidebar:

Type (skill, command, agent, mcp_server)
License (MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, etc.)
Tags (category-based filtering)
Rating (4+ stars, 3+ stars, etc.)
Author (search by publisher name)

Search bar:

Full-text search across titles, descriptions, and tags
Results update in real-time as you type
Filter results after searching

Bundle card information:

Title and description
Author/publisher name with rating
Downloads and active installs
Tags and license
"Install" button (one-click install to collection)
"View Details" for full bundle page

Release Information¶

When browsing a marketplace source on the details page, you can view release information from the upstream GitHub repository:

Latest Release Display: - Release tag — The version identifier (e.g., v2.1.0) - Publication date — When the release was published on GitHub - Release notes — Summary of changes in this release - Assets — Downloadable artifacts (if the release includes them)

Viewing all releases:

Click the Releases tab on a source detail page to see: - Complete chronological list of all releases - Release dates in descending order (most recent first) - Draft and pre-release indicators - Quick filters to show/hide drafts and pre-releases

Release selection for installations:

When installing a marketplace artifact with release tracking enabled, SkillMeat automatically selects the latest stable release based on your binding's pin policy:

track_latest_release — Automatically follows the latest non-draft, non-prerelease release
snapshot_on_change — Takes a snapshot when changes are detected; relies on manual pin updates
track_tags — Tracks available Git tags; selection is manual
manual_pin — You manually specify which release to use

For more details on pin policies, see Pin Policy Reference.

Understanding Ratings & Reviews¶

Star ratings: 1–5 stars based on community feedback

5 stars — Excellent, reliable, well-maintained
4 stars — Good, minor issues or limited scope
3 stars — Okay, useful but with notable limitations
1–2 stars — Issues: poor docs, bugs, or security concerns

Review details: See publication date, author, and full review text on the bundle details page

Your installs: After installing, leave a review to help others decide

Install from Marketplace¶

Via CLI¶

CLIWeb UI

Basic install:

skillmeat marketplace-install <bundle-id>

Example:

skillmeat marketplace-install skillmeat-productivity-42

Install specific version:

skillmeat marketplace-install skillmeat-productivity-42 --version 2.1.0

Install with conflict strategy:

# Skip if already installed
skillmeat marketplace-install skillmeat-productivity-42 --strategy skip

# Upgrade to newer version
skillmeat marketplace-install skillmeat-productivity-42 --strategy upgrade

# Overwrite existing
skillmeat marketplace-install skillmeat-productivity-42 --strategy force

View bundle details before installing:

skillmeat marketplace-info skillmeat-productivity-42

# Include reviews and version history
skillmeat marketplace-info skillmeat-productivity-42 --reviews --versions

Installation output:

Fetching bundle from marketplace...
Validating signature...
Scanning security...
Checking licenses...
Installing artifacts:
  ✓ skill-document-processor v1.2.0
  ✓ command-convert-pdf v1.0.0
  ✓ skill-email-automation v1.1.0

Installation complete
  Location: ~/.skillmeat/collection/default/artifacts/
  Version locked in: ~/.skillmeat/collection/default/lock.toml

Search or browse marketplace bundles (see Search & Discover)
Click "Install" on the bundle card or details page
Select collection (if multiple collections exist)

Review permissions warning:

This bundle includes:
• 3 skills
• 2 commands
• 1 agent

Artifacts will be added to your collection and available
for deployment to projects immediately after installation.

Confirm install — Click "Install Bundle"
Monitor progress:
- Signature validation (cryptographic verification)
- Security scan (checks for secrets, malicious patterns)
- License compatibility check
- Artifact extraction and placement
Completion confirmation — Shows installed artifacts with versions

Post-Installation Verification¶

After installing, verify the artifacts are available:

# List installed artifacts
skillmeat list

# Search for a specific installed artifact
skillmeat list --search "document-processor"

# Show version info
skillmeat list --verbose

Output example:

Collection: default
  skill:document-processor v1.2.0 (marketplace/skillmeat-productivity-42)
  command:convert-pdf v1.0.0 (marketplace/skillmeat-productivity-42)
  skill:email-automation v1.1.0 (marketplace/skillmeat-productivity-42)

All installed artifacts are immediately available for deployment. See Deploying Artifacts for next steps.

Publish Your Own Artifact¶

Prerequisites Checklist¶

Before publishing, ensure you have:

[ ] Artifacts ready — Skills, commands, or agents in your .claude/ project directory
[ ] Complete documentation — README with usage examples for each artifact
[ ] Passing security scan — No hardcoded secrets (API keys, passwords, tokens)
[ ] Valid SPDX license — Choose one: MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, BSD-3-Clause, CC0-1.0
[ ] Publisher metadata — Your name and email
[ ] GitHub repository (optional but recommended) — For source code transparency
[ ] Quality checks run — Tests pass, code is formatted, no linting errors
[ ] Version tagged — Follow semantic versioning (e.g., 1.0.0)

Step 1: Prepare Metadata¶

Create metadata file (metadata.json) in your project root:

{
  "title": "Productivity Power Tools",
  "description": "A comprehensive collection of productivity-enhancing Claude skills and commands. Includes document processing, data analysis, automation workflows, and more. Perfect for developers and knowledge workers looking to supercharge their Claude experience.",
  "tags": ["productivity", "automation", "development"],
  "license": "MIT",
  "publisher": {
    "name": "Jane Developer",
    "email": "jane@example.com",
    "homepage": "https://janedeveloper.com"
  },
  "homepage": "https://github.com/jane/productivity-tools",
  "repository": "https://github.com/jane/productivity-tools",
  "documentation": "https://productivity-tools.readthedocs.io",
  "price": 0
}

Required fields:

title — 5–100 characters
description — 100–5000 characters (detailed, not just a tagline)
tags — 1–10 tags from valid list (see Valid Tags)
license — SPDX identifier (MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0, BSD-3-Clause, CC0-1.0, etc.)
publisher.name — 1–100 characters
publisher.email — Valid email format

Optional fields:

publisher.homepage — Publisher's personal/company website
homepage — Project landing page or main repository
repository — GitHub repository URL
documentation — External documentation site
price — Price in cents (0 = free, >0 = paid; default: 0)

Step 2: Create a Bundle¶

Bundle one or more artifacts for release:

# Bundle specific artifacts by name
skillmeat bundle-build productivity-tools \
  --artifact skill:document-processor \
  --artifact command:convert-pdf \
  --artifact skill:email-automation \
  --output productivity-tools.skillmeat-pack

Or from a configuration file:

skillmeat bundle-build --config bundle.toml

See the CLI reference or project documentation for bundling options.

Bundle validation output:

Building bundle: productivity-tools
  Location: productivity-tools.skillmeat-pack
  Size: 2.4 MB
  Artifacts: 3
    - skill:document-processor v1.2.0
    - command:convert-pdf v1.0.0
    - skill:email-automation v1.1.0
  Hash: abc123def456...
  Signature: Signing with publisher key...

Bundle Creation

For detailed bundle authoring, see your project's .claude/ bundle configuration directory or documentation on creating composite artifacts.

Step 3: Validate (Dry Run)¶

Test publication without submitting:

skillmeat marketplace-publish productivity-tools.skillmeat-pack \
  --title "Productivity Power Tools" \
  --description "A comprehensive collection of productivity-enhancing Claude skills..." \
  --tags "productivity,automation,development" \
  --license "MIT" \
  --publisher-name "Jane Developer" \
  --publisher-email "jane@example.com" \
  --repository "https://github.com/jane/productivity-tools" \
  --dry-run

Expected output (validation-only):

Validating bundle...
  ✓ Bundle integrity (ZIP format, manifest valid)
  ✓ Metadata validation (title, description, tags, license)
  ✓ License compatibility (all artifacts MIT-compatible)
  ✓ Security scan (no secrets, safe patterns)
    - Scanned 47 files
    - No API keys detected
    - No hardcoded passwords found
  ✓ File type validation (safe extensions)
  ✓ Size check (2.4 MB < 100 MB limit)

All validation passed! Ready to publish.

If validation fails, fix the issues and re-run the dry run.

Step 4: Publish¶

Once dry run passes, publish to the marketplace:

CLIWeb UI

skillmeat marketplace-publish productivity-tools.skillmeat-pack \
  --title "Productivity Power Tools" \
  --description "A comprehensive collection of productivity-enhancing Claude skills and commands..." \
  --tags "productivity,automation,development" \
  --license "MIT" \
  --publisher-name "Jane Developer" \
  --publisher-email "jane@example.com" \
  --repository "https://github.com/jane/productivity-tools"

Publishing output:

Submitting to marketplace...

Submission received
  ID: skillmeat-productivity-42
  Status: pending
  Created: 2026-04-20 14:23:45 UTC
  Review time: Typically 1-3 business days

Track status:
  skillmeat marketplace-status skillmeat-productivity-42

Contact:
  marketplace@skillmeat.com

Navigate to Profile → My Published Bundles
Click "Publish New Bundle"
Upload bundle file (.skillmeat-pack) or use Publish from Collection
Fill metadata form:
- Title
- Description (100+ chars)
- Tags (select from list)
- License (dropdown)
- Publisher info (auto-filled from profile)
- Optional: Homepage, Repository, Documentation links
Security review: Bundle is scanned automatically
Submit for approval
Confirmation: Shows submission ID and expected review time

Step 5: Track Status & Governance¶

Publishing is irreversible

Once your bundle is approved and published, it's available to all users. Plan carefully for versioning and updates.

Track submission status:

skillmeat marketplace-status skillmeat-productivity-42

Output:

Submission: skillmeat-productivity-42
Status: in_review (under active review)
Submitted: 2026-04-20 14:23:45 UTC
Reviewer: Sarah M. (SkillMeat Team)
Progress:
  ✓ Metadata validation
  ✓ Security scan
  ✓ License check
  ⏳ Functional testing (in progress)
Expected completion: 2026-04-21 16:00:00 UTC

Next steps:
  - Reviewer may request clarifications or changes
  - You'll receive email notifications on status changes

Possible approval workflows:

Status	Meaning	What to Do
`pending`	Submitted, awaiting review queue	Wait (1–2 days typical)
`in_review`	Under active review	Wait for email or status updates
`approved`	Published to marketplace!	Available immediately to all users
`rejected`	Declined, review feedback provided	Fix issues and resubmit
`revision_requested`	Needs changes before approval	Make changes and update submission

Enterprise approval workflow:

In enterprise deployments, additional roles may be required:

Publisher submits → bundle enters pending state
Publisher approval role reviews → may request revision or approve
Compliance/governance checks (if configured) → verify security and license policies
Approved → published to marketplace

See Enterprise Governance for role definitions and approval policies.

Publisher Lifecycle¶

Version Management¶

SkillMeat uses semantic versioning: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

Release types:

Type	When to use	Example
Major	Breaking changes, incompatible API changes	`1.0.0` → `2.0.0`
Minor	New features, backward compatible	`1.2.0` → `1.3.0`
Patch	Bug fixes, maintenance	`1.2.1` → `1.2.2`
Pre-release	Beta/alpha versions	`2.0.0-beta.1`

Breaking change flag:

When publishing a major version with breaking changes, mark it explicitly:

skillmeat marketplace-publish v2.0.0.skillmeat-pack \
  --title "My Tool v2.0" \
  --breaking-change \
  --description "Version 2.0: Major rewrite with new architecture. See MIGRATION.md for upgrade path."
  # ... other args

This helps users understand the impact and plan upgrades.

Changelog Requirements¶

For each release, include a changelog entry describing changes:

Format: Keep entries in CHANGELOG.md at your project root following Changelog Conventions:

## [2.0.0] - 2026-04-20

### Added
- New feature X (breaking change)
- Improved performance by 50%

### Changed
- Renamed function Y to Z (breaking)
- Updated dependencies

### Fixed
- Bug: memory leak in processor
- Issue: race condition in sync

### Deprecated
- Function `old_func()` (use `new_func()` instead)
- Parameter `old_param` (removed in v2.1.0)

### Removed
- Support for Python 3.8 (now requires 3.9+)

Include changelog entry in bundle description:

skillmeat marketplace-publish v2.0.0.skillmeat-pack \
  --title "My Tool v2.0" \
  --description "Version 2.0: Major rewrite

## Changelog
- New feature X
- Performance improvements
- Breaking change: Function Y renamed to Z

See CHANGELOG.md for full details." \
  # ... other args

Version Channels¶

Control which versions users see:

Channel types:

latest — Newest version (default for installs)
stable — Recommended for production (typically LTS releases)
beta — Pre-release versions (opt-in)
legacy — Older major versions (for users who can't upgrade yet)

Setting channels via bundle metadata:

skillmeat marketplace-publish v2.0.0.skillmeat-pack \
  --version-channel stable \
  # ... other args

Or update existing published versions via Web UI:

Navigate to My Published Bundles → Your Bundle
Click Versions tab
Select version → Set as → Choose channel (latest, stable, beta, legacy)

User perspective:

skillmeat marketplace-install <bundle> → installs latest version
skillmeat marketplace-install <bundle> --version 1.5.0 → installs specific version
Web UI shows all available versions and indicates the current latest/stable channels

Deprecation & Sunset¶

As a publisher, you control when older versions reach end-of-life.

Deprecate a version:

skillmeat marketplace-deprecate <bundle-id> --version 1.0.0 \
  --message "Version 1.0.0 is deprecated. Please upgrade to v2.0 for bug fixes and performance improvements." \
  --sunset-date 2026-07-20

Effects:

Marked deprecated in marketplace listings
Installation warning: "This version is deprecated and will be removed on 2026-07-20"
Users are encouraged to upgrade
On sunset date, version is removed from available installs (old installs still work)

Deprecation timeline best practice:

Release new major version with migration guide
Wait 60 days for users to discover and upgrade
Mark deprecated with sunset date 30 days out (90 days total from release)
Enforce sunset — version removed from available downloads
Users with old installs can still use them; they just can't reinstall from marketplace

Usage Analytics & Insights¶

Monitor your published bundles:

skillmeat marketplace-analytics <bundle-id>

Output:

Bundle: My Productivity Tools (skillmeat-42)
Published: 2025-12-01

Downloads: 1,247
Active installs: 892
Rating: 4.3/5 (256 reviews)

Version breakdown:
  v2.0.0 (latest): 612 active
  v1.5.0 (stable): 178 active
  v1.0.0 (deprecated): 102 active

Install trend (last 30 days):
  Week 1: 145 downloads
  Week 2: 128 downloads
  Week 3: 92 downloads
  Week 4: 53 downloads

Top feedback:
  ✓ Easy to use (95% positive)
  ✓ Good documentation (87% positive)
  ⚠ Performance issues in v2.0 (12 reports)

Via Web UI:

Navigate to My Published Bundles → Your Bundle → Analytics tab to see:

Download and install trends (charts)
Active installs by version
User reviews and ratings
Common support issues
Version upgrade patterns

Governance & Permissions¶

Publisher Roles¶

Role	Permissions	When to assign
Author	Create bundles, submit for review, view own analytics	All publishers
Publisher	Also: update published bundles, set version channels, manage deprecation	Trusted authors with multiple published bundles
Marketplace Admin	Approve submissions, manage community standards, suspend/remove listings	SkillMeat team + enterprise admins

Review & Approval Process¶

SkillMeat Hosted (Community):

You submit bundle → enters pending state
SkillMeat team reviews (1–3 business days):
Validate metadata and security scan
Check for malicious patterns or license conflicts
Verify code quality and documentation
Approved → published immediately
Rejected → receive feedback and can resubmit after fixes

Enterprise Deployment:

You submit bundle → awaits approval role
Approval role (e.g., "marketplace-reviewer") reviews
If configured: compliance/governance checks run
Approved → published to enterprise marketplace
Rejected → receive feedback

See Enterprise Governance for role setup and approval policies.

Content Guidelines¶

To ensure quality and trust:

No spam or duplicates — Don't republish the same artifact multiple times
Accurate descriptions — Clearly describe what your bundle does
Safe code — No malware, obfuscation, or intentional security risks
Respect licenses — All artifacts must be properly licensed and compatible
No impersonation — Don't claim authorship of others' work
Responsive support — Reply to user questions and issues

Violations may result in bundle removal and marketplace access suspension.

Troubleshooting¶

Installation Issues¶

"Bundle not found"¶

Error: Bundle 'skillmeat-unknown-99' not found in marketplace

Solution: Verify the bundle ID using search:

skillmeat marketplace-search "keyword"

Copy the exact bundle ID from results and retry.

"Permission denied: insufficient permissions"¶

In enterprise deployments, you may lack permission to install from certain publishers.

Solution: Contact your enterprise admin to grant marketplace install permissions.

"Signature validation failed"¶

Bundle may be corrupted or tampered with.

Solution:

Retry the install (may be temporary network issue)
Clear local cache: skillmeat cache clear
Contact support if issue persists

"License conflict: GPL artifact in MIT bundle"¶

Solution: This is a warning (not an error). Understand the implications:

A GPL artifact requires your entire project to be GPL-compatible
If you need MIT-only, choose a different bundle or contact the publisher

Publishing Issues¶

"Security violation: AWS key detected"¶

Error: Potential AWS key found in skill/config.py line 42

Solution:

Remove the hardcoded key
Use environment variable instead: os.environ.get("AWS_KEY")
Verify with git-secrets or similar tool
Rerun dry-run validation

"Description too short"¶

Error: Description must be at least 100 characters (you provided 45)

Solution: Expand your description with details about features and use cases.

"Invalid license identifier"¶

Error: 'My Custom License' is not a valid SPDX identifier

Solution: Use a standard SPDX license. Common options:

MIT — Permissive, most flexible
Apache-2.0 — Permissive with patent grant
GPL-3.0-only — Copyleft, requires source disclosure
BSD-3-Clause — Permissive with attribution

Full list: SPDX License List

"Submission rejected: insufficient documentation"¶

Solution: Add clear documentation to each artifact:

README with usage examples
Comments for complex logic
Type hints (Python) or JSDoc (JavaScript)
Link to external docs if available

Resubmit after improvements.

Version Management Issues¶

"Version already exists"¶

Error: Version 1.0.0 already published (you cannot overwrite)

Solution: Versions are immutable once published (prevents breaking user installs). Create a new patch release:

# Instead of republishing 1.0.0, publish 1.0.1
skillmeat marketplace-publish v1.0.1.skillmeat-pack ...

"Can't deprecate: version has active installs"¶

Solution: You can deprecate even with active installs. This is the point — warn users to upgrade:

skillmeat marketplace-deprecate <bundle> --version 1.0.0 \
  --message "Version 1.0.0 has a critical bug. Upgrade to v1.0.1 or v2.0." \
  --sunset-date 2026-05-20

Active installs continue to work; new installs are blocked.

Governance & Approval¶

"Submission awaiting approval, takes too long"¶

SkillMeat typical review time is 1–3 business days. Enterprise may have custom workflows.

Solution: Monitor status:

skillmeat marketplace-status <submission-id>

If you don't see progress after 3 days, contact: - SkillMeat Hosted: marketplace@skillmeat.com - Enterprise: Your marketplace admin

"Revision requested: need to make changes"¶

A reviewer found issues and wants you to improve before approval.

Solution:

Check submission details: skillmeat marketplace-status <id>
Read reviewer feedback
Make requested changes
Create new bundle version
Resubmit: skillmeat marketplace-publish updated.skillmeat-pack ...

Getting Help¶

For consumers:

Marketplace issue: Open issue in the bundle's GitHub repository
Installation problem: Contact SkillMeat support

For publishers:

Publication question: marketplace@skillmeat.com
Security concern: security@skillmeat.com (preferred for sensitive issues)
Feature request: Community forum or GitHub issues

Valid Tags¶

Use one or more of these tags when publishing:

productivity       automation        development       testing
data-analysis      documentation     ai-ml             web-dev
backend            frontend          database          security
devops             cloud             api               cli
education         research          creative          business

Next Steps¶

As a consumer:

Deploying Artifacts — Make marketplace artifacts available in your projects
Collection Init & Config — Customize your collection settings
Sync & Version Control — Manage artifact versions

As a publisher:

Adding Artifacts — Prepare your artifacts for publication
Enterprise Governance — Set up approval workflows (enterprise only)
Advanced Workflows — Complex deployment and management scenarios

Summary¶

Task	CLI Command	Web UI Path
Search	`skillmeat marketplace-search <query>`	`/marketplace` + search bar
Install	`skillmeat marketplace-install <bundle-id>`	`/marketplace` → "Install"
Publish	`skillmeat marketplace-publish <file>`	`Profile → My Published Bundles`
Check status	`skillmeat marketplace-status <id>`	`Profile → My Published Bundles`
View analytics	`skillmeat marketplace-analytics <id>`	`Profile → My Published Bundles → Analytics`
Deprecate	`skillmeat marketplace-deprecate <id>`	`My Published Bundles → Versions`