What OpenZeppelin Skills are
OpenZeppelin Skills are agent-callable knowledge packs that teach AI coding assistants the correct patterns for ERC20, ERC721, ERC1155, Governor, upgradeable proxies, and more. They encode years of audit findings into structured instructions — inheritance order, required overrides, security footguns — so generated code matches what OpenZeppelin's documentation and auditors recommend.
- Skills are not contracts — they are markdown instruction files the agent reads before writing code
- They cover token standards, access control, governance, and upgradeable patterns
- They complement — not replace — reading OpenZeppelin's official docs and audit reports
- Ethereum Toolset emits the same patterns the Skills teach, so the two tools reinforce each other
Install via the Skills CLI
Run the install command from your project root. The CLI downloads the skill pack into your agent's skills directory so Claude Code (or compatible agents) can load them automatically when you ask about Solidity.
- Requires Node.js 18+ and network access for the initial download
- Re-run after OpenZeppelin publishes skill updates to pick up new patterns
- Skills install per-project or globally depending on your agent configuration
- Verify installation by asking your agent to scaffold an ERC20 with Votes and checking imports
npx skills add OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-skillsPair Skills with Ethereum Toolset
Use Ethereum Toolset for the deterministic first draft — deployed, verified bytecode from audited templates — and OpenZeppelin Skills in your editor for iteration. The workflow is: generate on the site, export or copy the source, open in your IDE with Skills enabled, and refine business logic.
- Token Creator → copy generated Solidity → extend with custom logic in Claude Code
- Contract templates → deploy baseline → Skills help write proposal calldata or integrations
- NFT Creator → metadata on Irys → Skills help build reveal scripts or marketplace hooks
- Skills excel at explaining why an override is needed — use them as a tutor, not just a generator
Recommended workflows by task
Match the tool to the job. Ethereum Toolset handles deploy-and-verify pipelines; Skills handle open-ended Solidity engineering in your repo.
- New ERC20 with standard extensions — Ethereum Toolset Token Creator (fastest path to verified deploy)
- Custom DeFi logic around an OZ core — Skills in IDE + local Foundry/Hardhat tests
- Governor DAO setup — Ethereum Toolset Governor + Timelock templates, Skills for custom proposal actions
- Upgradeable proxy migration — Skills for UUPS/Transparent patterns, never skip storage layout review
- Security review before mainnet — Skills flag common issues; pair with Slither and manual audit
Security practices with AI-assisted Solidity
AI plus Skills accelerates development but does not replace discipline. Keep these guardrails on every project.
- Compile with solc version pinned in foundry.toml or hardhat.config — no floating versions
- Run Slither or Aderyn on every AI-edited file before merge
- Never disable ReentrancyGuard or remove onlyOwner because the agent suggested it
- Require human review for any function that moves ETH or changes ownership
- Keep deploy keys separate from development — use a multisig for mainnet owner
Stay current
OpenZeppelin Contracts evolves — new major versions change constructor patterns (Ownable(initialOwner) in v5), rename interfaces, and deprecate modules. Update both your npm dependencies and the Skills pack regularly.
- Watch OpenZeppelin Contracts release notes for breaking changes
- Re-run npx skills add after major OZ releases
- Ethereum Toolset tracks current OZ versions in generated templates — redeploy if you upgrade deps locally
- Join the OpenZeppelin forum for governance on standards changes affecting your contracts
Quick reference
Install Skills once, generate on Ethereum Toolset, refine locally, verify on Etherscan, and ship. That loop keeps you on audited patterns while moving at AI speed.
- Install: npx skills add OpenZeppelin/openzeppelin-skills
- Generate: Ethereum Toolset Token Creator, NFT Creator, or contract templates
- Refine: Claude Code with Skills in your IDE
- Test: Foundry or Hardhat on Sepolia
- Verify: automatic via Ethereum Toolset or manual per the verification guide