How to Check an AI Skill Before You Trust It

A skill runs inside your AI assistant — with your assistant's permissions. That is what makes skills powerful, and it is exactly why a five-minute safety check is worth it before you install one.

The 5-minute check

1. Permissions: does it ask for only what it needs? A calendar skill needs your calendar. It does not need your files, your inbox, or your browsing history. Broad or unexplained permissions are the biggest red flag there is.
2. Code: can you read it? Open-source skills let you inspect SKILL.md and any scripts before installing. You do not need to understand every line — look for network calls to strange domains and anything that reads files unrelated to the task.
3. Author: who made this? A named author with a public repo, a website, or a track record beats an anonymous upload. Check how long they have been around.
4. Reviews: what do users say? Look for specific, detailed feedback — not just star counts. Complaints about unexpected behavior matter more than praise.
5. Verification: did anyone independent check it? A verification badge means a human ran a standardized checklist against that exact version. On Skill Harbor, verification is free and earned through review — it cannot be bought, which is precisely what makes it worth something.

Red flags

• Asks for permissions unrelated to its job.
• No author information at all.
• Obfuscated code or downloads from unlisted URLs.
• Promises that sound too good ("completely free premium API access!").
• Pressure tactics — countdowns, "only 3 left" — on a digital download.

What Skill Harbor's verification actually means

Every listing carries a badge on two axes: the listing itself (from "auto-scan" up to "verified" for a specific version) and the seller (from new to recognized). Verification is a human running a public checklist — you can read the checklist yourself — and any code update drops the listing back to pending until it is re-verified. The badge is pinned to the exact version, not to the author forever.

Frequently asked questions

Are AI skills safe to install?

Most are. But a skill runs with your assistant's permissions, so check permissions, code, author, and verification status first.

What permissions should an AI skill ask for?

Only what its job requires. Broad or unexplained permissions are a red flag.

What does a verification badge mean?

A human reviewer ran a standardized checklist against that exact version of the skill. On Skill Harbor it is free and earned, never bought.

Can I inspect a skill's code myself?

For open-source skills, yes. For closed-source ones, rely on reputation, reviews, and verification badges.

Browse verified skills