From 8595b07f6da433f04f75fc2f8616c45b89e63899 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: nirali <124287834+Niralisj@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:36:44 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix(cli): show helpful guidance when no skills are available
 (#23785)

---
 packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.test.tsx | 6 +++---
 packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.tsx      | 9 ++++++++-
 packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts                         | 4 ++++
 3 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.test.tsx
index e6c85cc94d..6724c4e9f9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.test.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { render } from '../../../test-utils/render.js';
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { SkillsList } from './SkillsList.js';
 import { type SkillDefinition } from '@google/gemini-cli-core';
+import { SKILLS_DOCS_URL } from '../../constants.js';
 
 describe('SkillsList Component', () => {
   const mockSkills: SkillDefinition[] = [
@@ -74,9 +75,8 @@ describe('SkillsList Component', () => {
       <SkillsList skills={[]} showDescriptions={true} />,
     );
     const output = lastFrame();
-
-    expect(output).toContain('No skills available');
-
+    expect(output).toContain('No skills available.');
+    expect(output).toContain(`Learn how to add skills: ${SKILLS_DOCS_URL}`);
     unmount();
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.tsx
index 64e2d3efd7..d6b681a94e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/views/SkillsList.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type React from 'react';
 import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
 import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
 import { type SkillDefinition } from '../../types.js';
+import { SKILLS_DOCS_URL } from '../../constants.js';
 
 interface SkillsListProps {
   skills: readonly SkillDefinition[];
@@ -86,7 +87,13 @@ export const SkillsList: React.FC<SkillsListProps> = ({
       )}
 
       {skills.length === 0 && (
-        <Text color={theme.text.primary}> No skills available</Text>
+        <Box flexDirection="column">
+          <Text color={theme.text.primary}>No skills available.</Text>
+          <Box flexDirection="row">
+            <Text color={theme.text.primary}>Learn how to add skills: </Text>
+            <Text color={theme.text.link}>{SKILLS_DOCS_URL}</Text>
+          </Box>
+        </Box>
       )}
     </Box>
   );
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts
index db52be1105..943f180134 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/constants.ts
@@ -58,3 +58,7 @@ export const MIN_TERMINAL_WIDTH_FOR_FULL_LABEL = 100;
 
 /** Default context usage fraction at which to trigger compression */
 export const DEFAULT_COMPRESSION_THRESHOLD = 0.5;
+
+/** Documentation URL for skills setup and configuration */
+export const SKILLS_DOCS_URL =
+  'https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/blob/main/docs/cli/skills.md';