Superpowers: Agentic Skills Framework for Claude Code
Superpowers by obra is an open-source skills library that adds brainstorming, planning, TDD, systematic debugging and review workflows to Claude Code.
By Claudekit Team Published 1 min read
- Category
- Workflow
- Source
- github.com
- Repository
- github.com
- GitHub stars
- 304,312
- License
- MIT
Install
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-officialSuperpowers is an open-source agentic skills framework and development methodology by Jesse Vincent (obra). Rather than a single skill, it is a library of skills that together change how Claude approaches building software: ask first, plan clearly, test first, verify before claiming success.
What it does
The workflow, as the README describes it:
- Brainstorming: Claude asks what you are really trying to build and presents the spec in digestible chunks.
- Writing plans: a step-by-step implementation plan emphasizing red/green TDD, YAGNI and DRY.
- Subagent-driven development: subagents work through tasks while Claude inspects and reviews their output.
Skills in the repo include brainstorming, writing-plans, executing-plans, test-driven-development, systematic-debugging, verification-before-completion, subagent-driven-development, dispatching-parallel-agents, using-git-worktrees, requesting-code-review, receiving-code-review, finishing-a-development-branch and writing-skills.
Install
From Anthropic’s official marketplace:
/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-officialOr from the project’s own marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace
/plugin install superpowers@superpowers-marketplaceLearn how plugin installs work in the plugins guide.
Example usage
I want to add CSV export to the reports page
The nightly job fails intermittently. Find the root cause before changing anything
Execute the plan in docs/plans/export.md task by taskThe first prompt should trigger brainstorming rather than immediate code.
Tips and limits
- It is opinionated. If you prefer quick one-shot edits, the brainstorming gate can feel slow on small tasks.
- Every installed skill adds its description to context; disable the plugin in sessions where you do not need it.
- Pairs naturally with subagents and with Anthropic’s skill-creator if you want to write your own additions.
- Comparing ready-made workflow kits? See what a Claude kit is.
Frequently asked questions
Is Superpowers free?
Yes. It is open source under the MIT license. Its authors offer commercial support for enterprises, but the skills themselves are free.
Do I have to invoke the skills manually?
No. The skills are designed to trigger automatically when Claude sees you building something, starting with brainstorming before any code is written.
Does Superpowers work outside Claude Code?
Yes. Its README documents installs for several other coding agents, including Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI and OpenCode.