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Ralph skills can be installed globally to use across all your projects or added per-project. They work with both Amp and Claude Code.

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Prerequisites

1

Install an AI Coding Tool

Choose and install one of these tools:Amp CLI (Recommended)
# Visit https://ampcode.com for installation instructions
Claude Code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
2

Authenticate

Follow the tool’s authentication process:
# For Amp
amp auth

# For Claude Code  
claude-code auth
3

Verify Installation

Test that the tool works:
# For Amp
amp --version

# For Claude Code
claude-code --version

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Installation Methods

Choose the method that best fits your workflow:

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Method 1: Claude Code Marketplace (Easiest)

This method only works for Claude Code. For Amp, use Method 2 or 3.
Install skills directly from the Ralph marketplace:
1

Add Ralph Marketplace

/plugin marketplace add snarktank/ralph
2

Install Skills

/plugin install ralph-skills@ralph-marketplace
3

Verify Installation

List installed skills:
/plugin list
You should see:
  • /prd - Generate Product Requirements Documents
  • /ralph - Convert PRDs to prd.json format

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Method 2: Global Installation (Manual)

Install skills globally to use across all projects: 
# Clone the Ralph repository
git clone https://github.com/snarktank/ralph.git
cd ralph

# Copy skills to Amp config directory
cp -r skills/prd ~/.config/amp/skills/
cp -r skills/ralph ~/.config/amp/skills/

# Verify installation
ls ~/.config/amp/skills/
Skills installed globally are available in all projects. The AI tool automatically discovers them.

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Method 3: Per-Project Installation

Install skills for a specific project only:
1

Copy Ralph Files

# From your project root
mkdir -p scripts/ralph
cp /path/to/ralph/ralph.sh scripts/ralph/
chmod +x scripts/ralph/ralph.sh
2

Copy Prompt Template

Choose the template for your AI tool:
# Copy Amp prompt template
cp /path/to/ralph/prompt.md scripts/ralph/prompt.md
3

Copy Skills (Optional)

If you want project-specific skills:
mkdir -p .amp/skills  # or .claude/skills
cp -r /path/to/ralph/skills/prd .amp/skills/
cp -r /path/to/ralph/skills/ralph .amp/skills/

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Verify Skills Work

Test that skills are properly installed:
1

Start Your AI Tool

amp
2

Test PRD Skill

Type this command:
Load the prd skill and create a PRD for a simple counter feature
If the skill is installed correctly, it will ask clarifying questions.
3

Test Ralph Skill

After generating a PRD, test the converter:
Load the ralph skill and convert the PRD to prd.json
This should create a prd.json file in your project.

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Configuration

Enable automatic context handoff for large stories:
1

Open Amp Settings

Edit ~/.config/amp/settings.json
2

Add Auto-Handoff Config

{
  "amp.experimental.autoHandoff": { "context": 90 }
}
This triggers handoff when context reaches 90% capacity.
3

Save and Restart

Save the file and restart Amp:
amp
Auto-handoff allows Ralph to handle large stories that exceed a single context window by seamlessly continuing work in a fresh context.

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Customizing Skills

You can customize skills for your specific needs:

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Customize PRD Template

Edit the PRD skill to match your team’s format: 
# Edit global skill
code ~/.config/amp/skills/prd/SKILL.md
Common customizations:
  • Add company-specific sections
  • Change acceptance criteria format
  • Adjust story sizing guidelines
  • Add required technical considerations

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Customize Ralph Converter

Edit the converter skill for project-specific needs: 
code ~/.config/amp/skills/ralph/SKILL.md
Common customizations:
  • Adjust story size thresholds
  • Add project-specific validation rules
  • Change branch naming conventions
  • Add custom acceptance criteria

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File Locations

Key configuration directories:
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Amp Config
directory
default:"~/.config/amp/"
Amp configuration and globally installed skills
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Amp Skills
directory
default:"~/.config/amp/skills/"
Global skills available in all Amp projects
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Claude Config
directory
default:"~/.claude/"
Claude Code configuration and globally installed skills
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Claude Skills
directory
default:"~/.claude/skills/"
Global skills available in all Claude Code projects
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Project Skills (Amp)
directory
default:".amp/skills/"
Project-specific Amp skills (optional)
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Project Skills (Claude)
directory
default:".claude/skills/"
Project-specific Claude Code skills (optional)

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Troubleshooting

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Skills Not Found

If the AI tool doesn’t recognize skills:
  1. Check installation path 
    # For Amp
ls ~/.config/amp/skills/

# For Claude Code
ls ~/.claude/skills/
  2. Verify SKILL.md exists 
    # Check PRD skill
cat ~/.config/amp/skills/prd/SKILL.md

# Check Ralph skill
cat ~/.config/amp/skills/ralph/SKILL.md
  3. Restart the AI tool 
    # Exit and restart
exit
amp  # or claude-code

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Skills Not Auto-Invoking

If skills don’t trigger automatically:
  1. Check trigger phrases - Use exact phrases from the skill description:
    • PRD: “create a prd”, “write prd for”, “plan this feature”
    • Ralph: “convert this prd”, “turn into ralph format”
  2. Explicitly load skills 
    Load the prd skill and [your request]
  3. Verify skill metadata - Check that SKILL.md has proper frontmatter: 
    ---
name: prd
description: "Generate a Product Requirements Document..."
user-invocable: true
---

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Permission Issues

If you get permission errors: 
# Fix permissions on Amp config
chmod -R 755 ~/.config/amp/

# Fix permissions on Claude config  
chmod -R 755 ~/.claude/

# Make ralph.sh executable
chmod +x scripts/ralph/ralph.sh

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Next Steps

Now that skills are installed:
  1. Learn the workflow - Read the Skills Overview
  2. Generate a PRD - See the PRD Generator guide
  3. Convert to JSON - See the Ralph Converter guide
  4. Run Ralph - Check the main Ralph documentation

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Uninstalling

To remove Ralph skills: 
# Remove global skills
rm -rf ~/.config/amp/skills/prd
rm -rf ~/.config/amp/skills/ralph

# Remove project files
rm -rf scripts/ralph/