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If an external coding assistant still shows old APX skill instructions, first identify which skill catalog it reads. APX’s runtime skills and the bundled skills distributed to external tools are separate; editing one does not refresh the other. For an external global copy from a linked development checkout, a contributor article recommends apx skills sync, but verify that the command exists in your checkout before relying on it.
Find which APX skill catalog is stale
Start with the consumer that is showing old instructions: APX’s own runtime or an external coding assistant. The APX contributor article distinguishes two source locations: src/core/runtime-skills/ for APX’s runtime and skills/ for the bundled catalog supplied to external tools. If you edited the wrong catalog, copying or syncing another one will not fix the underlying mismatch. Source: APX contributor article, September 11, 2026.
An edit to a source Markdown file also does not guarantee that an already installed copy used by an external assistant has changed. Identify the source file and the destination the consumer reads before choosing an operation.
Choose the operation for the job
| Operation | Documented or recommended purpose | Scope and caution |
|---|---|---|
apx skills sync |
A contributor article recommends it to refresh external tools’ global skill directories from a linked checkout. | Confirm the command in the current checkout. The official CLI reference cited here does not document this subcommand. Contributor guidance; CLI reference. |
apx skill install |
The official CLI reference documents installing Markdown skill references, MCP configuration, and hooks. | Supports project or global installation and a custom path. It is an install operation, not evidence that an existing copy has been refreshed. CLI reference. |
apx update |
The contributor article describes this as upgrading a published package. | The article warns it can replace a global link to a development checkout with a published package. It is not the cited skill-copy refresh operation. Contributor article. |
apx upgrade |
The official CLI reference lists this as the self-update command. | This updates APX itself; it is distinct from installing or refreshing skill files. CLI reference. |
Refresh an external global copy from a linked checkout
- Confirm you edited the external-tools catalog in
skills/, rather than the runtime catalog insrc/core/runtime-skills/. - Check the current checkout’s instructions or command help for
apx skills sync. The contributor article recommends this command for refreshing external tools’ global skill directories, but the official CLI reference cited here does not list it. - If the command is available in your checkout, use its documented invocation to sync the changed skills. Do not assume a particular argument or target path unless that checkout specifies it.
- Reopen or reload the external assistant only if its own documentation says that is necessary; a universal reload step is not established by the cited material.
Install skills to a project or custom path
Use the documented apx skill install operation when the task is to install skill files, MCP configuration, and hooks, rather than refresh an existing global copy from a development checkout. The CLI reference provides --global and --path options. It gives .agents/skills/apx as an example custom path for Codex; choose the scope and path that match the consumer you are configuring. Official APX CLI reference.
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Why a package update can break a linked development setup
A linked development install points at your checkout, so edits there can be used without replacing the installation. The contributor article warns that apx update may install a published package in place of that global link. Avoid using it as a shortcut for copying edited Markdown: it changes the package installation, not merely the external skill files. The official CLI reference separately names apx upgrade as APX’s self-update command, which is likewise not a documented skill-refresh operation. Contributor article; CLI reference.
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