> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.builddown.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install BuildDown skills

> Install the BuildDown plugin for Claude Code — a suite of planning-time skills that help you shape issues before AI-Implement turns them into pull requests.

<Warning>
  **Experimental version.**

  This is the latest in-development version of AI-Implement. Features may change without notice and behavior is not guaranteed. Switch to the [latest stable version here](/introduction).
</Warning>

**BuildDown skills** are a [Claude Code](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code) plugin that runs alongside you while you plan work. Both the marketplace and the plugin are named `builddown`, and the suite bundles the planning-time `bd-` skills.

These skills run inside your own Claude Code session at planning time. They're separate from the AI-Implement orchestrator, which is what later picks up a marked issue and opens the pull request.

<Note>
  You need [Claude Code](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code) installed and working. Everything below runs through its plugin manager.
</Note>

## Installation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add and install the plugin">
    The plugin manager accepts two command forms:

    * `claude plugin …` — works in the Claude Code app **or** a terminal.
    * `/plugin …` — the slash form, available only in the Claude Code CLI.

    The steps below use the `claude plugin …` form. Add the marketplace pinned to the in-development `testing` branch, then install the plugin from it:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude plugin marketplace add BuildDownAI/skills@testing
    claude plugin install builddown@builddown
    ```

    <Info>
      The `@testing` suffix pins the marketplace to the pre-release branch, so you get the in-development skills.

      This is the only branch that currently supports plugin installation.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reload the session">
    Restart Claude Code so it loads the newly installed plugin. The `bd-` skills aren't available until you do.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify plugin registration">
    Confirm the plugin is registered:

    ```bash theme={null}
    claude plugin list
    ```

    <Check>
      `builddown` appears in the list, and the `bd-` skills are available in your session.
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Updating

To pick up new versions, refresh the marketplace and update the plugin, then restart Claude Code:

```bash theme={null}
claude plugin marketplace update builddown
claude plugin update builddown
```

## Available skills

| Skill                 | What it does                                                                                                                               |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `bd-project-setup`    | Wires a project to its tools once — creates the tracker connection, authorizes it, and **records the settings every other skill reads**.   |
| `bd-build-up`         | Turns an objective or design into a **sequenced, dependency-aware set of tracker issues**, shown for your review before anything is filed. |
| `bd-mega-build-up`    | A deeper `bd-build-up` for larger work — pressure-tests the design first, then files issues alongside attached design and plan documents.  |
| `bd-summit-push`      | Optimizes a set of planned issues — their order, dependencies, and wording — for the best chance of one-shot success through the pipeline. |
| `bd-build-down`       | Drives open pull requests to merge: reviews each against its gap analysis, resolves what's missing, and lands the ones that are ready.     |
| `bd-super-build-down` | A faster, hands-off `bd-build-down` for many pull requests at once or unattended runs.                                                     |
| `bd-smoke-jumper`     | Smoke-tests a pull request's preview deploy, posts a verdict, and files issues for anything that fails.                                    |
| `bd-belay-on`         | Coordinates handing a task off to another tool and folding the results back in cleanly.                                                    |

## Next step

With the skills installed, set up your project so the `bd-` skills know where your issues and repo live.

<Card title="Project setup" icon="folder-gear" href="/latest/skills/project-setup">
  Point the BuildDown skills at your tracker and repository.
</Card>