How to use the electronics-sourcing parts-mcp agent skill

What does the electronics-sourcing skill make the agent do?

An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent instructions for a specific job. This one covers electronic component sourcing. Once it is installed, the agent follows a fixed sequence of steps instead of improvising each time.

The skill does not contain parts data. All part searches, prices, stock levels and datasheets come from the parts-mcp server, which the skill calls through its tools.

• Chooses between search_parts and search_by_parameters based on how specific your request is
• Follows a search, details, price, availability, alternative sequence and does not skip price and stock checks
• Processes BOM files: uploads them, polls until processing finishes, resolves unmatched parts and calculates cost
• Reads datasheets in targeted chunks instead of loading whole documents
• Requests DFM analysis, fabrication quotes and combined assembly quotes

How do you install the electronics-sourcing skill?

Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. The skill is delivered as a folder containing SKILL.md, so after unzipping, the folder should contain that file.

For a personal install, place the unzipped electronics-sourcing folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in the project's .claude/skills/ folder so it applies only to that project.

In the Claude apps you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/electronics-sourcing/
• Project install: .claude/skills/electronics-sourcing/ inside your project folder
• App install: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP

What do you need before the skill works?

The skill itself is only instructions. It needs the parts-mcp MCP server with its tools (such as search_parts, check_bom_status, read_datasheet and quote_assembly) to be available to the agent. Without that server, the tools named in the skill do not exist and the instructions cannot be followed.

KiCad needs to be installed only if you want to extract a BOM from a KiCad project. The skill names a minimum KiCad version in its requirements, so check the skill's SKILL.md before you start. The skill does not describe supplier accounts or API credentials; those would be configured for the parts-mcp server itself.

• parts-mcp MCP server with its tools available to the agent
• KiCad installed, only for KiCad project BOM extraction (see the minimum version in SKILL.md)
• Supplier accounts or API credentials: not specified in the skill; these belong to the parts-mcp server setup

How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?

You do not need special syntax. Describe the part, parameters, BOM or manufacturing job in plain language. The skill guides the agent toward the right tool based on what you give it. If you give three or more specific parameters, the agent uses parameter search. For a part number or general keywords, it uses keyword search.

Asking for a sourcing result, rather than just a list of matches, matters. When you say 'source' or 'find' a part, the skill expects pricing and availability in the answer.

• 'Find me a 100nF capacitor'
• 'Look up STM32F411'
• 'I need a 50V 100nF X7R 0402 cap'
• 'Here is my BOM file, tell me the total cost and what is unmatched'
• 'Read the absolute maximum ratings in this part's datasheet'
• 'Get me a per-unit assembly quote from this KiCad project'

How does the skill handle BOMs, datasheets and manufacturing quotes?

BOM processing is asynchronous. The agent uploads the file, receives a job ID, and checks status until it reads complete. Parts that do not match are searched again by value and footprint. If they still do not match, the agent lists them for you instead of dropping them from the total.

For datasheets, the agent first reads the section list, then searches for specific keywords. The skill says an unfiltered read of a long datasheet uses too much context, so the agent is expected to ask for only the matching parts.

Manufacturing work runs DFM analysis before a fabrication quote. Use quote_assembly when you want a combined per-unit cost covering PCB fabrication and component assembly.

• BOM: upload, poll status, review matched and unknown parts, search unmatched parts, then calculate cost
• Datasheets: list sections, then read with keywords such as 'maximum input voltage absolute ratings'
• Manufacturing: DFM first, then fabrication or assembly quote

What are the safety notes for running this skill?

The skill runs no scripts of its own. It does use the network, because its tools query the parts-mcp server and suppliers' data through that server. Your data leaves your machine only in the sense that those tools send requests when you ask for them.

All KiCad tools work only in local mode (stdio transport). They are not available in hosted or HTTP mode. The skill also does not describe checking datasheet claims, so do not rely on agent summaries for safety-critical or regulated designs without an engineer checking the source document.

• No scripts are run by the skill itself
• Network use is required for search, pricing and quote tools
• KiCad tools need local mode (stdio transport)
• Verify datasheet information yourself for safety-critical or regulated work

What tips help you get better results?

Give the agent as many specific parameters as you can. Specific technical terms in datasheet questions produce more useful chunks. If a part is expensive or out of stock, ask for alternatives and compare them, because the skill expects the agent to present replacements and let you choose.

When you want cost breaks, ask for prices at several quantities. The skill suggests comparing 1, 10, 100 and 1000 units. If your team has preferred suppliers, say so, since the cost calculation tool can favor them.

• Ask for quantity price breaks at 1, 10, 100 and 1000 units
• Name preferred suppliers so cost calculations favor them
• Ask for alternatives when stock is short or price is high
• Ask for specific datasheet topics rather than the whole document