This guide walks you through the complete installation of systemprompt.io in Claude Desktop. There are five steps, each taking about a minute. By the end you will have a fully connected workspace with personalized AI skills.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A systemprompt.io account — Register here if you don't have one. Registration is free and takes under a minute.
  • Claude Desktop — The desktop app from Anthropic with Cowork enabled. Download from claude.ai if you haven't already.

Step 1: Whitelist systemprompt.io

Claude Desktop restricts which domains the sandbox can access. You need to add systemprompt.io to the allowlist so Claude can communicate with the Skill Manager MCP server.

Instructions

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Go to Settings (gear icon)
  3. Select Capabilities in the left sidebar
  4. Scroll to Code execution and file creation
  5. Enable Allow network egress (toggle on)
  6. Set Domain allowlist to Package managers only
  7. Under Additional allowed domains, add the following two entries:
Domain Purpose
systemprompt.io Main API and dashboard access
*.systemprompt.io Tenant subdomains for multi-tenant cloud

Why "Package managers only"?

This is the safest option that still allows systemprompt.io to work. It restricts Claude's network access to known package managers (npm, pip, etc.) plus any domains you explicitly whitelist. You could also choose "All domains" but whitelisting is more secure.

Verification

After adding the domains, they should appear in the "Additional allowed domains" list with a delete icon next to each one.

Step 2: Add custom connector

The Skill Manager MCP server is the bridge between Claude and your systemprompt.io skills, agents, and plugins. You add it as a custom connector in Claude Desktop settings.

Instructions

  1. In Claude Desktop Settings, select Connectors in the left sidebar
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click Add custom connector
  3. Fill in the dialog:
Field Value
Name Skill manager
Remote MCP server URL https://systemprompt.io/api/v1/mcp/skill-manager/mcp
  1. Click Add

What is the Skill Manager?

The Skill Manager is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server hosted by systemprompt.io. It provides Claude with tools to:

  • List skills — See all your custom skills
  • Create skills — Build new skills through guided interviews
  • Update skills — Modify existing skills
  • Analyze skills — Get AI-powered quality feedback
  • Manage agents — Create and configure custom AI agents
  • Manage secrets — Securely store API keys and credentials for external services

Once connected, these tools appear in Claude's context panel under "Connectors > Skill manager".

Authentication

The connector uses OAuth2 authentication. The first time you use a Skill Manager tool, Claude will prompt you to log in to systemprompt.io. Use the same credentials as your dashboard account. After authenticating once, the connection persists across sessions.

Verification

After adding, "Skill manager" should appear in your Connectors list with a CUSTOM badge and a "Configure" button.

Step 3: Add global instructions

Global instructions tell Claude how to behave in all Cowork conversations. Adding the systemprompt.io instructions ensures Claude always uses the MCP server for skill management rather than trying to create files locally.

Instructions

  1. In Claude Desktop Settings, select Cowork in the left sidebar
  2. Find the Global instructions text area
  3. Paste the following text:
We use systemprompt mcp skills to manage all skills, plugins and agents. Always use the MCP server for CRUD operations to ensure complete consistency.
  1. Save settings

Why is this needed?

Without global instructions, Claude might try to create skill files locally on your machine instead of using the Skill Manager MCP server. The instructions ensure that all skill creation, updates, and deletions go through the MCP server, which keeps your dashboard and Claude in sync.

Verification

The text should appear in the global instructions field. It takes effect immediately for new Cowork conversations.

Step 4: Install the marketplace

The marketplace is your personal collection of plugins, skills, and agents. It is delivered as a git repository URL unique to your account. You install it by pasting your URL into Claude Desktop's marketplace installer.

Instructions

  1. Log in to your systemprompt.io dashboard
  2. Click the install icon (download arrow) in the top navigation
  3. Select the Cowork tab
  4. Copy your marketplace URL (it looks like https://systemprompt.io/api/public/marketplace/your-id.git)
  5. In Claude Desktop, open Cowork
  6. Go to Add marketplace by URL
  7. Paste your URL into the URL field
  8. Click Sync

What gets installed?

Your marketplace includes:

Component Description
systemprompt.io plugin The core plugin with MCP server integration
Onboarding skill Guided Socratic interview to discover your business needs
Skill Creator Create new custom skills through guided Q&A
Agent Creator Configure custom AI agents for your workflows
Secrets Creator Securely manage API keys for external services
Marketplace Consultant AI agent that guides you through the platform
Marketplace Editor AI agent that manages skills and content

Verification

After syncing, you should see the systemprompt.io plugin in your Cowork sidebar. The Context panel should show the Skill manager connector and available skills.

Step 5: Run /onboarding

With everything connected, the final step is to run the onboarding assistant. This is a guided Socratic interview that learns about your business and creates personalized AI skills.

Instructions

  1. Open Claude Desktop
  2. Switch to Cowork (use the tab bar at the top)
  3. Start a new conversation
  4. Type:
/onboarding

What happens during onboarding?

The onboarding assistant follows a structured four-phase process:

Phase 1: Business Discovery The assistant asks about your business type, customers, time-consuming tasks, tools you use, and workflows you want to automate. It asks one question at a time and builds on your previous answers.

Phase 2: Capability Mapping Based on your answers, the assistant digs deeper into your specific workflows — inputs and outputs, required expertise, quality standards, brand voice, and whether you prefer specialist or generalist AI agents.

Phase 3: Recommendation The assistant presents a concrete plan of skills, agents, and secrets to create, tailored to your business. You review and approve before anything is created.

Phase 4: Execution The assistant creates each item using the Skill Manager MCP server. Skills are created first (agents reference them), then secrets (for external API access), then agents. Each creation is confirmed before moving to the next.

No technical knowledge required

The entire process is conversational. You never see YAML, config files, or technical specifications. Just answer questions about your business and the assistant handles everything.

Verification

After onboarding, check your systemprompt.io dashboard to see the skills and agents that were created. They should appear in the visual editor where you can refine them further.

Next steps

After completing the installation:

  • Edit skills in the visual dashboard — changes sync to Claude automatically
  • Create more skills by typing /skill_creator in Cowork
  • Configure agents by typing /agent_creator in Cowork
  • Manage secrets for external services with /secrets_creator
  • Read the Account Setup guide to configure your profile and workspace

Troubleshooting

MCP connection fails

  • Verify that systemprompt.io and *.systemprompt.io are in your domain allowlist
  • Check that the connector URL is exactly: https://systemprompt.io/api/v1/mcp/skill-manager/mcp
  • Try removing and re-adding the custom connector

Marketplace sync fails

  • Ensure you are logged in to systemprompt.io when you copy the URL
  • The URL should end in .git — if it doesn't, copy it again from the install widget
  • Check your network connection and domain allowlist

/onboarding not found

  • Confirm the marketplace synced successfully (check the Cowork sidebar for the systemprompt.io plugin)
  • Try syncing the marketplace again
  • The onboarding skill is bundled with the marketplace — if the plugin is installed, the skill should be available

Authentication issues

  • The Skill Manager uses OAuth2 — when prompted, log in with the same email you used to register at systemprompt.io
  • If authentication fails, try clearing your Claude Desktop cache and reconnecting
  • Passwordless login via email is supported

Skills not syncing

  • Check that the global instructions are set correctly in Cowork settings
  • Verify the Skill manager connector shows in the Context panel
  • Try creating a skill through the dashboard and checking if it appears in Claude