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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Local File Conversion agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The file-conversion skill lets an AI agent convert files between common image, audio, video, document and data formats on your own computer. It is for people who want conversions done locally rather than through an online converter. After this guide you will know what a skill is, how to install this one, how to ask for a conversion in plain language, and what to check before trusting the output.

Local File Conversionwshobson/agents · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Download and place the skill. Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. Alternatively upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
  2. 2Install the conversion tools you need. Install FFmpeg with FFprobe, ImageMagick, Pandoc, LibreOffice or Python 3 depending on the formats you convert. The skill uses only tools already present on your machine.
  3. 3Confirm the tools are found. Run command -v on each tool name in a POSIX shell, or Get-Command in PowerShell, to see whether it is available.
  4. 4Ask for the conversion. Name the local file with its absolute path, the target format and any quality or layout needs, such as keeping transparency.
  5. 5Review the agent's checks. Read the validation summary the agent returns, including the output path and any quality loss it reports.
  6. 6Open the result yourself. Preview the image, play a sample of the audio or video, or open the document to confirm it looks right before relying on it.

What the file-conversion skill makes the agent do

When you ask the agent to convert a file, the skill tells it to check the file's actual format rather than trusting the extension. It then looks for conversion tools already installed on your machine, chooses the smallest suitable one, and runs it locally. The skill's own description is that it is for converting a local file between common image, audio, video, document or data formats, selecting installed tools, preserving originals and verifying the output.

The skill states that files and their URLs are never sent to conversion APIs, conversion MCP services or upload endpoints. Your original file is kept, and the result is written to a fresh folder.

  • Media: FFmpeg and FFprobe for audio and video container or codec changes
  • Images: ImageMagick (magick) for image format changes
  • Structured text: Pandoc for Markdown, HTML, DOCX and similar formats
  • Office to PDF: LibreOffice (soffice)
  • CSV to JSON: Python 3 standard library

Install the file-conversion skill

A skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions the agent reads when a task matches. This skill's files list is SKILL.md only. You can install it in one of two ways.

Option one is a manual install. Download the ZIP from the skill's page on this directory, then unzip it into your personal skills folder ~/.claude/skills/ or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want it limited to one project.

Option two is to upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project
  • Apps install: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP

Check that the required tools are installed

The skill does not bundle conversion software. It uses what is already on your computer, so install the tools for the conversions you need. The agent checks for them with command -v on POSIX shells or Get-Command in PowerShell. If a required tool is missing, the agent reports it, and it follows your session's existing permission policy before installing anything.

You need a POSIX shell or PowerShell, and Python 3. The other tools are needed only for the matching conversion: FFmpeg with FFprobe for audio and video, ImageMagick for images, Pandoc for structured text, and LibreOffice for Office-to-PDF.

  • FFmpeg and FFprobe
  • ImageMagick (magick command)
  • Pandoc
  • LibreOffice (soffice command)
  • Python 3
command -v ffmpeg ffprobe magick pandoc soffice python3

Ask for a conversion in plain language

You do not need a special command. Describe the file, the format you want and the location of the file on your computer, and the skill should be picked up because its description covers local conversions between common formats. Give an absolute path if you can, since the skill is written to use quoted absolute paths.

If you have a file on the web, the skill says the agent should first save a local copy through an already-authorized retrieval method, then convert that copy. If no such retrieval is available, the agent reports the access gap rather than converting from the remote URL.

  • Video to MP3: Convert /home/you/videos/talk.mp4 to MP3.
  • Image: Convert this PNG to JPEG and keep the original.
  • Document: Convert notes.md to a Word document.
  • Data: Convert sales.csv to JSON with one object per row.

Verify the output and find your files

The skill writes results to a new directory it creates for each attempt, and it never overwrites the input or an existing result. The agent checks the exit status, requires a nonempty output, and reopens the file with a reader for the target format. A new file extension alone is not treated as proof.

The agent reports the absolute output path, the source and target formats, the validation it did, and any quality loss or properties it could not check. Look at those details before relying on the file.

  • Images: dimensions, frame count, orientation and transparency are checked
  • Audio and video: stream selection and duration are compared with the source
  • Documents: text, tables, fonts and page order are inspected, and page counts compared where pagination matters
  • Data: row counts, field names and sample values, including leading zeros and Unicode, are compared
magick identify "/absolute/path/to/output.jpg"

Safety notes: scripts, network and originals

The skill runs local scripts and command-line tools, so it is not a read-only action. It is marked as using no network, and it instructs the agent not to upload files to online conversion services. The skill still says the agent could make mistakes, so do not treat it as a guarantee for sensitive files.

Some inputs are refused on purpose. If the agent cannot rule out external links or macros in a document, it converts only with network access blocked and macros disabled, or it stops. Scanned PDFs need local OCR tooling before text extraction, and encrypted or damaged files have no promised route.

  • Keep your originals: conversions write to new folders
  • Expect lossy steps to be stated, for example MP3 encoding and JPEG quality
  • PDF to editable Word is not a general lossless conversion

What people use it for

  • Converting a screen recording to an MP3 audio file for transcription, keeping the original video.
  • Turning a PNG into a JPEG with a white background for a form that rejects transparency.
  • Converting a Markdown draft into a DOCX file for an editor.
  • Converting a CSV export into JSON with one object per row, keeping values such as leading zeros as text.
  • Converting an Office document to PDF with LibreOffice, then checking page count and layout.

Frequently asked questions

Is the file-conversion skill free?

The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on this page. The conversion tools it calls, such as FFmpeg, ImageMagick, Pandoc, LibreOffice and Python 3, are separate pieces of software with their own licences that you install yourself.

What do I need to install before using it?

You need a POSIX shell or PowerShell and Python 3, plus the conversion tools for the formats you use: FFmpeg with FFprobe, ImageMagick, Pandoc or LibreOffice. The agent checks which tools exist and reports any that are missing.

Does the skill upload my files to the internet?

The skill is written not to send files or their URLs to conversion APIs, conversion services or upload endpoints, and it is marked as using no network. It runs local command-line tools, so the work happens on your machine.

Why did the agent refuse to convert my PDF?

Scanned PDFs need local OCR tooling before text can be extracted, and encrypted or damaged files may have no supported route. The skill tells the agent to explain the limit and stop rather than guessing or using a hosted service.

Will converting a file overwrite my original?

No. The skill uses a fresh output directory for each attempt and never overwrites the input or an existing result. It also keeps an input-to-output mapping for batches.

How is this different from an online converter?

Online converters receive your file on their servers. This skill is designed to run conversions with software already on your computer and to avoid uploading the file anywhere, though it still depends on those local tools being installed and working.

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Our verdict

Use this skill if you want an agent to convert media, images, documents or CSV and JSON files on your own computer, and you already have or are willing to install the matching tools. Pick something else if you need to convert scanned PDFs or damaged or encrypted files, expect lossless PDF-to-editable-Word output, or need guarantees for highly sensitive files beyond the skill's instructions.

Download the skill