The SKILL.md format is just markdown + frontmatter, so it travels across agents. Some read it with a native loader; others take the markdown body as a rules / instructions file. Here's who supports it and how.
These agents parse SKILL.md frontmatter and load skills on demand (progressive disclosure):
.cursor/skills/~/.claude/skills/ (the original SKILL.md loader)These don't have a dedicated skill loader, but they read a markdown rules or context file — so a SKILL.md's body works as a standing instruction:
.clinerules/.roo/rules/.windsurf/rules/.goosehints--read context files.openhands/microagents/.rules / Rules Library.github/copilot-instructions.mdDirectory names follow each agent's documented convention — always confirm in your agent's own docs, since these evolve. The install guide has the full target-directory table.
For most skills, no. A native loader gives you on-demand triggering (the skill loads only when the task matches its description). A rules file makes the skill always active in that project. If you install many skills as rules, keep each one tight so you don't flood the model with standing instructions. For one or two skills per project, either approach is fine.
Counting native loaders and rules-based agents together, 40+ clients can use SKILL.md skills today, and the list keeps growing as the open standard spreads. That's the whole reason a cross-agent registry exists — write a skill once, use it almost anywhere. Browse the full catalog or compare agents head-to-head: Cursor vs Cline, Hermes vs Cursor.