# Alchemy Agent Skills

> Give your AI coding agent full knowledge of every Alchemy API with a single command. Once installed, your agent knows every endpoint, authentication method, pagination pattern, and error handling strategy without any manual prompting.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/docs/llms.txt).

Skills work with [Claude Code](https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code), [Codex](https://openai.com/index/codex/), [Cursor](https://cursor.com), [VS Code Copilot](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview), and any AI tool that supports the [Agent Skills specification](https://agentskills.io).

## Install the skills

```bash
npx skills add alchemyplatform/skills --yes
```

This installs two skills:

| Skill | Auth method | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| `alchemy-api` | API key | You have an [Alchemy API key](https://dashboard.alchemy.com/) and you're building a server or dApp |
| `agentic-gateway` | Wallet + x402 | Your agent needs to access Alchemy without an API key |

After installation, your agent will ask which path you want before making any API requests.

## What's included

Both skills cover the full Alchemy API surface:

* **Node RPC:** EVM JSON-RPC methods (`eth_*`) and Alchemy-enhanced methods across Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, BNB, and more
* **Token API:** `alchemy_getTokenBalances`, `alchemy_getTokenMetadata`, allowances
* **NFT API:** Ownership lookups, metadata, contract data, spam filtering
* **Transfers API:** `alchemy_getAssetTransfers` with filtering and pagination
* **Prices API:** Spot prices by symbol/address, historical price data
* **Portfolio API:** Multi-chain token balances and NFT data
* **Simulation API:** `alchemy_simulateAssetChanges` for transaction previews
* **Webhooks:** Address activity monitoring, webhook creation and signature verification
* **Solana:** RPC, DAS API (`getAssetsByOwner`), and gRPC streams

Each skill includes endpoint URLs, authentication patterns, code examples, pagination limits, error handling guidance, and network naming conventions.

## Use the `alchemy-api` skill

The `alchemy-api` skill is for developers who have an [Alchemy API key](https://dashboard.alchemy.com/). Set `ALCHEMY_API_KEY` as an environment variable, and your agent handles the rest: it knows every endpoint URL, authentication pattern, and request format across all Alchemy APIs.

If you don't have an API key, create one for free at the [Alchemy Dashboard](https://dashboard.alchemy.com/).

## Use the `agentic-gateway` skill

The `agentic-gateway` skill activates when `$ALCHEMY_API_KEY` isn't set. It teaches your agent how to access Alchemy APIs autonomously using a crypto wallet and the [x402 payment protocol](https://www.x402.org/).

Your agent will walk you through wallet setup and handle the rest:

* **Create or import a wallet:** your agent can set up an EVM wallet (pays USDC on Base) or a Solana wallet (pays USDC on Solana)
* **Authenticate:** your agent generates a signed token using [SIWE](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4361) (EVM) or SIWS (Solana) and includes it in API requests
* **Purchase credits:** your agent buys 1 USDC worth of credits from your wallet. When credits run out, your agent purchases another 1 USDC of credits automatically

Your wallet type only determines authentication and payment. Either wallet type can query any chain across [all networks Alchemy supports](docs/reference/node-supported-chains).

For a full walkthrough of the authentication and payment flow, see [Agent Authentication and Payment](docs/alchemy-for-agents).

## How skills work

Agent Skills follow an open specification. A skill is a Markdown file (`SKILL.md`) that contains structured knowledge (API docs, code examples, decision trees, and rules) that an AI agent reads and follows.

When you run `npx skills add`, the skill files are added to your project. Your AI agent reads these files and uses them as context when writing code or making API requests.

Skills are different from MCP servers:

| | Agent Skills | MCP Server |
|---|---|---|
| **What it does** | Teaches the agent *how* to use APIs | Gives the agent *tools* to call APIs directly |
| **When it's used** | When the agent writes code that uses Alchemy APIs | When the agent needs to query live blockchain data |
| **Output** | The agent writes code using Alchemy APIs | The agent gets blockchain data back in the conversation |

You can use both together: Skills for API knowledge and MCP for live data queries.

## Next steps

* [GitHub: alchemyplatform/skills](https://github.com/alchemyplatform/skills)
* [Alchemy Dashboard](https://dashboard.alchemy.com/)
* [Alchemy MCP Server](docs/alchemy-mcp-server)
* [Alchemy CLI](docs/alchemy-cli)
* [Agent Authentication and Payment](docs/alchemy-for-agents)