clear-skills

This skill should be used when the user wants to clear, remove, or clean up AI agent rules, skills, or instruction files from their coding environment. It su...

Security Scan

The skill's code, runtime instructions, and requested surface area are coherent with a local filesystem cleanup tool for AI agent rule/skill files — it does not request credentials or install remote components, but it can delete many local files so use the provided dry-run/backup safeguards before running.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (clear-skills) matches the provided files: SKILL.md documents scanning and removal of many agent rule files and scripts/clear_agent_rules.py implements that behavior. All requested resources are local filesystem paths (project/global rule locations) which are appropriate for a cleanup tool.

Instruction Scope

The SKILL.md explicitly instructs the agent to run the included Python script to scan and remove files across many project/global paths. This is in-scope for the stated purpose, but the instructions also include non-interactive flags (--yes, --no-backup, --include-self) which, if used, will cause destructive actions without further confirmation. The docs recommend --dry-run/backup; follow those safeguards before deleting.

Install Mechanism

No install spec — instruction-only with a bundled Python script. The script claims to use only the Python standard library (imports shown: argparse, os, platform, shutil, sys, datetime, pathlib). There are no downloads, external packages, or installers referenced.

Credentials

The skill declares no required environment variables, credentials, or config paths. The script reads standard local paths (HOME, Documents, USERPROFILE fallback) to find rule/config files; this is necessary for the cleanup task and is proportionate to the purpose.

Persistence & Privilege

always:false (normal). The skill can be invoked autonomously (disable-model-invocation:false), which is the platform default; combined with destructive flags (--yes, --no-backup) this increases risk of accidental deletion if the agent runs without user confirmation. The SKILL.md advocates confirming intent, but operators should be careful about allowing autonomous runs.

Assessment

This skill appears to do what it says: scanning and deleting local AI-agent rule/skill files. Before using it: (1) run python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --dry-run to see exactly what would be removed, (2) keep the default backup (don't use --no-backup), (3) avoid non-interactive --yes unless you are certain, and (4) review the script source yourself (it appears to use only Python stdlib and no network calls). If you allow autonomous invocation, be aware an agent could run it with destructive flags; consider restricting autonomous execution or running the script manually in a safe environment first.

Clear Skills Skill

Overview

Scans and removes AI agent rules/skills files from all major AI coding platforms on your machine. Supports 50+ platforms, covering both project-level and user-global scopes, running on Windows · macOS · Linux.

Core Features:

• ✅ Smart Scanning: Only removes files/directories that actually exist. Platforms not installed or without rules won't be shown or removed
• ✅ Self-Protection: By default, this skill (clear-skills) is protected and won't be cleared, allowing safe cleanup of other platforms
• ✅ Auto Backup: Automatically backs up to desktop before deletion, allowing recovery anytime
• ✅ Preview Mode: Use --dry-run to confirm which files will be deleted before actually removing them
• ✅ Flexible Control: Supports filtering by platform, scope, project directory, and more
• ✅ Pure Python: Uses only Python 3 standard library, no external dependencies required

All Supported Platforms:

Mainstream AI IDE

Cursor · Windsurf(Codeium) · Cline · Trae IDE · Amazon Q · Continue.dev

Agent Framework / CLI

Claude Code · Codex CLI · GitHub Copilot · Gemini CLI · Aider · OpenCode

Emerging AI Tools

Amp · Goose · Kilo Code · Kiro (AWS) · Neovate · OpenHands · PI · Qoder · Roo Code · Zencoder

OpenClaw Ecosystem

OpenClaw · QClaw · CoPaw · EasyClaw · ArkClaw · LobsterAI · HiClaw · AutoClaw · AntiClaw

Other AI Agents

Manus · HappyCapy · QoderWork · Droid (Factory)

WorkBuddy

WorkBuddy / CodeBuddy

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Usage

Step 1: Confirm User Intent

After receiving a cleanup request, confirm the following with the user (skip if already specified):

1. Cleanup Scope: Current project only (project), global only (global), or both (all, default)?
2. Platform Scope: All platforms, or specific platforms only?
3. Backup: Back up to desktop by default. Users can disable with --no-backup (not recommended).

Step 2: Execute Script

Call scripts/clear_agent_rules.py. This script uses pure Python 3 standard library only, no additional dependencies needed.

Quick Start Examples

# Preview mode (recommended to see what will be deleted first)
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --dry-run

# Clear current project + global, all platforms, auto backup (default behavior)
# Note: This skill is protected by default and won't be cleared
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py

Clear only specified platforms

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms cursor,claude,copilot

Clear only OpenClaw ecosystem (including QClaw, CoPaw, etc.)

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms openclaw,qclaw,copaw

Clear only QoderWork skills

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms qoderwork

Clear only current project rules

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --mode project

Clear only global rules

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --mode global

Specify project directory

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --project /path/to/myproject

No backup (dangerous, use with caution)

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --no-backup

Non-interactive execution (skip YES confirmation, suitable for scripts/CI)

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --yes

Clear all WorkBuddy skills including this one (dangerous)

python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --mode global --include-self

### Advanced Usage

```bash
# Clear only AI IDE platforms (Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, etc.)
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms cursor,windsurf,cline,trae,amazonq,continue

# Clear only CLI tools (Claude Code, Copilot, Aider, etc.)
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms claude,copilot,aider,gemini,codex

# Clear only project-level rules for specific platforms
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --mode project --platforms cursor,copilot

# Scan specific project directory
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --project /path/to/specific/project

# Export scan results without deleting (for manual review)
python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --dry-run > scan_results.txt

Note: On Windows, python command might be python3 or py, depending on your environment.

Parameter Reference

Parameter	Description	Default
--mode	project / global / all	all
--project	Project root directory path	Current working directory
--platforms	Specify platforms (comma-separated)	all
--no-backup	Disable backup	Disabled (backup by default)
--dry-run	Preview mode, don't actually delete	Disabled
--yes	Skip YES confirmation prompt	Disabled
--include-self	Don't protect this skill, will also clear clear-skills itself	Disabled (protected by default)

Available Platform Identifiers:

cursor, windsurf, cline, trae, amazonq, continue,
claude, codex, copilot, gemini, aider, opencode,
amp, goose, kilocode, kiro, neovate, openhands, pi, qoder,
roocode, zencoder, droid,
openclaw, qclaw, copaw, easyclaw, arkclaw, lobsterai,
hiclaw, autoclaw, anticlaw, manus, happycapy,
qoderwork,
workbuddy

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Platform Rule File Reference

For detailed paths, see references/platforms.md.

Project-Level Rules (relative to project root)

Category	Platform	Main Files/Directories
AI IDE	Cursor	.cursorrules, .cursor/rules/
	Windsurf	.windsurfrules, .windsurf/rules/
	Cline	.clinerules, .clinerules/
	Trae IDE	.trae/project_rules.md
	Amazon Q	.amazonq/rules/
	Continue.dev	.continuerc.json, .continue/rules/
CLI	Claude Code	CLAUDE.md
	Codex CLI	AGENTS.md
	GitHub Copilot	.github/copilot-instructions.md
	Gemini CLI	GEMINI.md
	Aider	.aider.conf.yml
	OpenCode	AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md
Emerging Tools	Amp	AGENTS.md
	Goose	.goosehints, .goose/
	Kilo Code	.kilocode/rules/
	Kiro (AWS)	.kiro/steering/, .kiro/
	Neovate	AGENTS.md
	OpenHands	config.toml, .openhands/
	PI	.pi/settings.json, .pi/
	Qoder	.qoder/rules/
	Roo Code	.roo/rules/, .roorules
	Zencoder	.zencoder/rules/
	Droid (Factory)	.droid/, AGENTS.md
Others	Antigravity	.antigravity/rules.md
	OpenClaw	.openclaw/
	QoderWork	.qoderwork/skills/
	WorkBuddy	.workbuddy/skills/

Global-Level Rules (user home directory)

Category	Platform	Path
AI IDE	Cursor	~/.cursor/rules/
	Cline	~/Documents/Cline/Rules/
	Trae IDE	~/.trae/user_rules.md
	Continue.dev	~/.continue/
CLI	Claude Code	~/.claude/
	Gemini CLI	~/.gemini/GEMINI.md
	Aider	~/.aider.conf.yml
	OpenCode	~/.config/opencode/
Emerging Tools	Amp	~/.factory/AGENTS.md
	Goose	~/.config/goose/
	Kilo Code	~/.kilocode/rules/
	Kiro (AWS)	~/.kiro/
	Neovate	~/.neovate/AGENTS.md
	OpenHands	~/.openhands/
	PI	~/.pi/agent/settings.json
	Roo Code	~/.roo/rules/
	Droid (Factory)	~/.factory/
OpenClaw Ecosystem	OpenClaw/QClaw etc.	~/.openclaw/
	CoPaw	~/.copaw/
Others	Manus	~/.manus/
	HappyCapy	~/.happycapy/
	QoderWork	~/.qoderwork/skills/
	WorkBuddy	~/.workbuddy/skills/
Note	Qoder/Zencoder	Project-level only, no global config

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Safety Mechanisms

• Default Backup: Backs up all files to desktop before deletion (~/Desktop/agent-rules-backup-timestamp/), allowing recovery anytime.
• Preview Mode: Use --dry-run to confirm which files will be deleted before actually executing.
• Confirmation Prompt: Requires manual YES confirmation by default to prevent accidental operations.
• Self-Protection (Enabled by Default):
  • When running --mode global or --mode all, this skill (clear-skills) is protected by default and won't be cleared.
  • This allows safe cleanup of other platforms' rules without worrying about deleting the tool itself.
  • If you truly need to delete this skill, use --include-self to disable self-protection.
• Smart Scanning: The script only scans and deletes files/directories that actually exist. If certain platforms are not installed on your system or their rule files don't exist, those empty targets won't be shown or deleted.

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FAQ

Q: Will this delete my project code? A: No. This tool only removes AI agent rule/skill files (e.g., .cursorrules, CLAUDE.md, .workbuddy/skills/). Your source code and other files are completely safe.

Q: Can I recover deleted files? A: Yes. All files are automatically backed up to your desktop before deletion. You can manually copy them back if needed.

Q: What if I only want to clear one platform? A: Use the --platforms parameter to specify which platforms to clean. Example: python scripts/clear_agent_rules.py --platforms cursor,copilot

Q: Why doesn't this skill get deleted when I clear global rules? A: This is an intentional self-protection feature. The skill needs to exist to be able to clear itself. Use --include-self if you really want to delete it too.

Q: Does this work on Windows/macOS/Linux? A: Yes. The script uses pure Python and handles all three operating systems automatically.

Q: Can I run this in a CI/CD pipeline? A: Yes. Use --yes --no-backup flags for non-interactive execution. Use with caution in automated environments.

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Troubleshooting

Permission Denied Errors

• If you encounter permission errors, try running the script with appropriate permissions (e.g., administrator/root)
• On Windows, some directories may require elevated privileges

Large Backup Size

• If the backup is too large, use --no-backup (not recommended) or manually manage backup location
• Consider cleaning up old backup folders from your desktop

Platform Not Found

• If a platform isn't detected, it means the platform isn't installed or has no rule files
• This is normal behavior—the script only targets existing files