Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Cloud Architect agent skill: setup and examples
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Cloud Architect skill is a set of instructions and reference notes that tells a Claude agent how to approach cloud infrastructure design across AWS, Azure and GCP. It covers architecture design, migration planning, cost optimisation and disaster recovery. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with natural requests, and what to check before you act on its output.
Cloud ArchitectJeffallan/claude-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the cloud-architect skill ZIP from the page where you found this guide.
- 2Unzip the folder. Extract the archive so the cloud-architect folder contains SKILL.md and the references folder.
- 3Place it in the skills folder. Move the folder to ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or to a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project.
- 4Or upload it in the Claude apps. Alternatively, upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- 5Make a natural request. Describe your architecture, migration, cost or disaster recovery problem with your provider and constraints.
- 6Review the output. Check the design, IAM, networking and autoscaling code with a qualified engineer before running anything.
What is an agent skill and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file and optional reference files. When installed, the agent can load these instructions when a request matches the skill's description. The Cloud Architect skill is described as designing cloud architectures, creating migration plans, generating cost optimisation recommendations and producing disaster recovery strategies across AWS, Azure and GCP.
Once installed, the agent follows a structured process: it assesses requirements and constraints, proposes services and topology, checks for single points of failure, and lays out security, cost, migration and monitoring considerations. It can draft example Terraform or CLI commands for each provider and loads separate reference notes on AWS, Azure, GCP, cost optimisation and multi-cloud portability when relevant.
- Discovery, design, security, cost model, migration and operations are the six stages of its core workflow.
- It includes validation checkpoints, such as confirming VPC peering is active before a migration cutover.
- It is guidance for designing systems. It does not change your cloud account by itself.
Install the Cloud Architect skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP for the cloud-architect skill from the page where you found this guide. Unzip it so the cloud-architect folder contains SKILL.md and the references folder.
For a personal install, place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/cloud-architect/
- Project install: .claude/skills/cloud-architect/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
What you need before you start
You can read the guidance without any cloud tools. The skill's commands assume certain tools if you want to run them yourself.
The skill's examples use the AWS CLI for AWS commands and the Azure CLI for Azure commands. Infrastructure-as-code examples use Terraform or CloudFormation. You only need cloud account credentials if you choose to run commands against real environments.
- AWS CLI, for the AWS commands shown
- Azure CLI, for the Azure commands shown
- Terraform or CloudFormation, for infrastructure-as-code examples
- Cloud account credentials, only if you run commands against real environments
How to trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need special syntax. Describe the job in plain language and mention the cloud provider or goal. The skill description names these topics: Well-Architected Framework, cost optimisation, disaster recovery, landing zones, security architecture and serverless design.
Be specific about your constraints, such as availability targets, data location, budget or existing systems. The skill asks for requirements and constraints as part of its discovery stage, so a richer request gives a more useful design.
- Design a highly available web app on AWS with a managed database and tell me the single points of failure.
- Plan a migration of our on-premises VMs to Azure in waves, and check connectivity before cutover.
- Review our GCP setup for cost optimisation and suggest reserved or committed-use options.
- Draft a disaster recovery plan with RTO and RPO targets for our order system on AWS.
- Outline a landing zone and security architecture for a multi-account Azure estate.
Example: a validation checkpoint from the skill
Before a migration cutover, the skill suggests confirming that VPC peering or connectivity is fully established. For AWS it checks that the peering connection is active. For Azure it checks VNet peering state. Run these only in an environment you are authorised to query, and read the output before you proceed.
# AWS: confirm peering connection is Active before proceeding
aws ec2 describe-vpc-peering-connections \
--filters "Name=status-code,Values=active"
# Azure: confirm VNet peering state
az network vnet peering list \
--resource-group myRG --vnet-name myVNet \
--query "[].{Name:name,State:peeringState}"Safety notes before you run anything
The skill's examples include IAM, networking and autoscaling code. Mistakes in these can expose data or cost money, so have a qualified engineer review any code before you use it. The skill does not provide compliance certification or legal advice, even though it tells the agent to consider compliance needs.
The skill's listed requirements state that it does not run scripts and does not use the network. Any commands it produces only run if you execute them yourself with your own credentials.
- Review IAM, networking and autoscaling code before use.
- Never store credentials in code or public repositories, as the skill's own constraints say.
- Do not treat its output as compliance advice for regulated workloads.
Tips for getting useful output
Ask for the output format you need. The skill's templates cover an architecture diagram with services and data flow, service selection rationale, security architecture, cost estimation and a deployment approach with a rollback plan.
For disaster recovery, ask for defined RTO and RPO values and a plan to test them. The skill expects you to document actual recovery times after a DR test.
- Name your provider(s) so the agent loads the matching reference notes.
- Give your availability target; the skill's guidance assumes 99.9% or higher.
- Ask for a rollback plan alongside any migration or deployment design.
What people use it for
- Reviewing a new AWS, Azure or GCP architecture for single points of failure and security gaps.
- Planning a cloud migration in waves, with connectivity checks and a 6Rs-style plan.
- Setting RTO and RPO targets for a disaster recovery plan and listing what to test.
- Looking for cost optimisation options such as right-sizing, reserved capacity and auto-scaling.
- Drafting example Terraform or CLI snippets to discuss with your engineering team.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cloud Architect skill free to use?
The skill is licensed under MIT. The source does not list prices for the skill itself, so check the licence terms on the source page. Your cloud provider charges still apply if you run anything in a real account.
What do I need installed to use the cloud-architect skill?
You can read the guidance with no cloud tools. The example commands use the AWS CLI and Azure CLI, infrastructure examples use Terraform or CloudFormation, and you need cloud credentials only if you run commands against real environments.
Where do I put the cloud-architect skill folder?
Place it in ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to use it only in that project. In the Claude apps, you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the skill run scripts or access the internet?
The listed requirements say it runs no scripts and uses no network. It produces guidance and code drafts; it does not change your cloud account by itself.
Is this skill a replacement for a cloud architect?
No. The skill is for designing systems and reviewing options, and its examples should be checked by a qualified engineer. It does not provide compliance certification or legal guidance, so regulated workloads need expert review.
How does it compare to a managed cloud design service?
The skill gives advice and code drafts, not a deployed environment. If you want a fully managed service that builds and runs infrastructure for you, this skill is not that tool.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you are an engineer or architect planning an AWS, Azure or GCP design, migration or disaster recovery review and want a checklist-driven process with draft code. Pick a different option if you need a deployed, fully managed environment, or certified compliance advice for a regulated workload.
Download the skill