golang-spf13-cobra Skill for Claude: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes Claude build Go command-line tools with spf13/cobra: command trees, flags, completions and tests.

Installs: 37.9K; on skills.sh
Stars: 3.7K; on GitHub
Files: 6; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

This skill covers spf13/cobra. Claude designs the user-facing command surface first, then puts behavior in the right hook, such as RunE instead of Run and PersistentPreRunE for shared setup.

It covers argument validators, persistent and local flags, command groups, shell completion, help templates, man-page and markdown docs, and testing with SetArgs, SetOut and SetErr. It loads when your code imports github.com/spf13/cobra.

Good for

Go developers building a command-line tool
Teams adding subcommands, flags and shell completion
Anyone testing cobra commands without running the binary

Install golang-spf13-cobra

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the golang-spf13-cobra skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/samber/cc-skills-golang --skill golang-spf13-cobra

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js.

From its listing on skills.sh. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Golang CLI command tree library using spf13/cobra — cobra.Command, RunE vs Run, PersistentPreRunE hook chain, Args validators (NoArgs, ExactArgs, MatchAll, custom), persistent vs local flags, command groups, ValidArgsFunction, RegisterFlagCompletionFunc, ShellCompDirective, usage/help template customization, man-page and markdown doc generation, and testing with SetArgs/SetOut/SetErr. Apply when using or adopting spf13/cobra, or when the codebase imports `github.com/spf13/cobra`. For configuration layering alongside cobra, see the `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-spf13-viper` skill. For general CLI architecture (project layout, exit codes, signal handling, I/O patterns), see `samber/cc-skills-golang@golang-cli`.

Sections in SKILL.md

Cobra vs. viper
Command tree
The Run\ family
Args validators
Flags primer
Completions primer
Testing commands
Best Practices
Common Mistakes
Further Reading
Cross-References

Key facts

Author: samber
License: MIT
Installs on skills.sh: 37,923 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 3,749 for the whole samber/cc-skills-golang repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Nov 1, 2026
What it includes: 7 files including SKILL.md: 5 reference guides and an evals/evals.json file
Needs: A Go project and the go command (SKILL.md lists go as a required binary). The skill tells Claude to install cobra with go get
Skill version: 1.1.2
Library version covered: 1.10.2
Starts: Loads on its own when your Go code uses the library (its description says so). Also a slash command, since it is marked user-invocable
Works in: Claude Code, Codex or similar tools per the SKILL.md compatibility line. The README also names Gemini, Copilot, Antigravity and Cursor

What it includes

Three ways SKILL.md works on a CLI
Build creates a CLI from scratch. Extend adds subcommands, flags or completions after reading the current command tree. Review audits an existing CLI against the Common Mistakes table.
Write · Build, Extend and Review modes
Where command parsing ends and config begins
Cobra owns the command tree, flags, argument checks and completions. Viper handles configuration values. The skill points to the viper skill for the combined setup.
Try: “Add a deploy subcommand with a required --env flag to this cobra CLI.”
Read · Cobra vs viper
Root, subcommands and command groups
Designs the command hierarchy and the help users see.
Write · Command tree
RunE vs Run and the PersistentPreRunE chain
Covers RunE versus Run and the hook chain that runs before a command.
Write · The Run family
NoArgs, ExactArgs, MatchAll and custom
Checks positional arguments before your code runs.
Write · Args validators
Persistent vs local flags
Reference guide in references/flags.md.
Write · Flags
ValidArgsFunction and RegisterFlagCompletionFunc
Shell completion, with a reference guide in references/completions.md.
Write · Completions
Man pages and markdown docs
Man pages, markdown, YAML and RST docs, plus the cobra-cli scaffolder. Details are in references/generators.md.
Write · Docs generation
SetArgs, SetOut and SetErr
Runs commands in-process and checks output. Reference guide in references/testing.md.
Write · Testing commands

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It lists git and shell commands as allowed tools
The allowed-tools line covers any go, golangci-lint and git command (git:*), not just read ones. Keep Claude Code's permission prompts on for git commands that change history. github.com
It may fetch web pages or query Context7
It lists WebFetch and the Context7 tools as allowed. Library names and questions can leave your machine. Do not put secrets in prompts about this code. github.com
It adds cobra to your go.mod
The skill's install step runs go get for the cobra module. Check go.mod and go.sum in the diff. github.com
The scaffolder installs a tool and writes files
references/generators.md shows go get -tool github.com/spf13/cobra-cli@latest, then go tool cobra-cli init and add. These change go.mod and create files. Review the diff before committing. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 2, 2026.

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only mode in SKILL.md. Use version control.
Talks to	WebFetch is listed as an allowed tool. Library lookups go to Context7 if the Context7 MCP server is installed (the skill uses it as a fallback). Installing the library with go get downloads the module
Sign-in and keys	SKILL.md does not mention any account or key.
Scopes	Reads and edits files in your Go project SKILL.md lists these as allowed tools: go, golangci-lint, git, godig and gopls commands Changes go.mod and go.sum when it installs the library references/generators.md shows go get -tool for cobra-cli and go tool cobra-cli init and add, which write command files into your project

Questions

What does the golang-spf13-cobra skill do?

It teaches Claude to build command-line tools in Go with cobra. That covers the command tree, flags, argument validation, shell completion, docs and tests.

How do I install golang-spf13-cobra?

Use the install box at the top of this page. It is a text skill with reference guides, so there is nothing to compile. Start a new session so it loads, then work in a Go project.

cobra skill vs viper and CLI skills?

This skill is about cobra itself. The description sends you to golang-spf13-viper for configuration layering and to golang-cli for general CLI architecture such as project layout, exit codes and signal handling.

Does it need other skills from the same repo?

SKILL.md does not list any other skill as required. SKILL.md points to related skills in samber/cc-skills-golang for side topics, and the README says installing only a subset gives a partial and possibly inconsistent view of the guidelines. For best results it recommends installing the general-purpose Go skills together.

Is golang-spf13-cobra safe?

Mostly, for your own Go projects. It is instructions plus reference files, and it lets Claude edit files and run go and git commands. Review diffs, keep the project under version control and avoid secrets in prompts.

Does golang-spf13-cobra work in Codex, Cursor or the Claude app?

It is designed for Claude Code, Codex or a similar tool, and the README says the skills are built for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Copilot, Antigravity and Cursor. Because it works on your Go files and uses the go command, use a coding tool rather than the Claude app.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: samber/cc-skills-golang
Folder: skills/golang-spf13-cobra

samber/cc-skills-golang skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 3

golang-spf13-cobra SKILL.md · github.com
cc-skills-golang README · github.com
golang-spf13-cobra generators.md · github.com