Proofread

A portable Agent Skill for conservative proofreading and copy-editing. It keeps meaning and voice fixed, uses Harper CLI as an optional English lint baseline, checks protected spans, and shows a diff before changing files.

The skill is self-contained and follows the open Agent Skills folder format. It does not require the Claude plugins used by its original private version.

What it does

• Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word-choice correction;
• Optional clarity, concision, and flow improvements;
• Optional Harper CLI lint before and after editing;
• Checks for changes to code, URLs, paths, numbers, citations, and quotations;
• Audits suspicious invisible Unicode without removing it blindly;
• Reviews translated text for fluency and, when the source is supplied, accuracy, omissions, terminology, structure, and register;
• Optionally composes with compatible style and translation-review skills when the current agent already exposes them;
• Approval-gated writes for existing files;
• Shared installation for Codex, Claude Code, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, OpenCode, Windsurf, and Devin.
• Desktop distributions for Claude Skills, native Claude Code/Cowork plugins, ChatGPT/Codex plugins, and Gemini Gems.

It does not fact-check, translate by default, invent missing details, or claim that edited prose proves human authorship or bypasses AI detectors.

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or newer
• Git
• Harper CLI 2.x, optional but recommended for English text

There are no npm runtime dependencies. Do not run npm install merely to use the skill.

Install

Clone the repository, then install discovery links for the agents you use:

git clone https://github.com/kikearciniegas/proofread.git
cd proofread
npm run install:agents -- --scope user

For a repository-local installation:

npm run install:agents -- --scope project

The installer preflights all targets and refuses to overwrite existing skills. Use --copy where symbolic links are unsuitable, or --agents codex,claude to install only a subset.

Native Claude plugin

Claude Code users can install the native plugin from this repository:

/plugin marketplace add kikearciniegas/proofread
/plugin install proofread@proofread

Use /proofread:proofread to invoke its packaged skill. Cowork users can add https://github.com/kikearciniegas/proofread under Customize → Plugins or upload proofread-claude-plugin.zip from the latest release. See Claude plugin distribution for validation, runtime limitations, and submission instructions.

Optional companion skills

Proofread remains fully functional by itself. When the user requests a specialized pass and the current agent exposes it, Proofread can compose with stop-slop, humanizer, watermarks-remover:clean-user-facing-text, or translation-quality. It never installs or assumes those companions. Proofread's meaning, voice, protected-content, and approval rules always win.

See Optional interoperability for activation rules, safe ordering, translation-review requirements, and platform limitations.

Desktop apps

Use the hosted version directly: Open Proofread as a shared Gemini Gem.

Download the current packages from GitHub Releases, or build all desktop distributions locally with:

npm run package:desktop

This creates:

• dist/proofread-claude-desktop.zip for Claude's Customize → Skills upload;
• dist/proofread-claude-plugin.zip for Claude Code and Cowork plugin install;
• dist/proofread-chatgpt-plugin.zip for ChatGPT/Codex plugin testing and skills-only plugin submission;
• dist/proofread-gemini-instructions.md for a Gemini Gem.

See Desktop application support for capabilities and installation steps. See Claude plugin distribution for the marketplace, direct-upload, validation, and submission paths. Public directory availability requires vendor review; building a ZIP does not bypass that process.

The release also includes manifest.json with a SHA-256 checksum for every artifact. Generated files under dist/ are disposable and are not committed.

Use

Ask your agent to proofread pasted text or a file. Examples:

Proofread this paragraph for grammar only.
Polish README.md, preserve my tone, and show me the diff before applying it.
Copy-edit docs/guide.md using UK spelling and apply the approved changes.
Review translated.md against source.md and separate accuracy fixes from style edits.

The bundled helper can also be inspected directly:

npm run doctor
node skills/proofread/scripts/proofread.mjs --help

Documentation

• Getting started
• Workflow and guarantees
• CLI reference
• Agent compatibility
• Optional interoperability
• Desktop application support
• Gemini Gem publication
• Distribution formats and verification
• ChatGPT plugin submission
• Security and privacy
• Development

License

MIT. See LICENSE, NOTICE.md, and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md.