Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Prometheus Configuration agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The prometheus-configuration skill is a set of instructions that teaches an AI agent how to help you set up Prometheus, the open-source system that collects and stores metrics from servers and applications. It is useful if you are setting up Prometheus for the first time, or if you are writing scrape configs and alert rules. This guide covers what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, what it needs, and where to be careful.
Prometheus Configurationwshobson/agents · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the skill ZIP file from this page.
- 2Unzip the skill. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ in your project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. Go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 4Confirm Prometheus is reachable. Make sure your Prometheus server is running at localhost:9090.
- 5Describe your task. Ask in plain language, for example to set up a scrape job or write an alert rule.
- 6Check the result. Run the curl commands to confirm targets and the configuration are healthy.
What is an agent skill?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions, plus optional reference files. When the skill is installed, the agent can read these instructions and use them when your request matches the skill's description.
What does the Prometheus Configuration skill make the agent do?
Once installed, the agent can walk you through configuring Prometheus. The skill covers setting up scrape targets, service discovery, recording rules, alert rules, and general best practices such as naming conventions, scrape intervals, and high availability.
The skill also suggests simple curl commands to check whether targets and the configuration are healthy. Its guidance is patterns and examples, so treat its output as a starting point to review and validate.
- Scrape target and service discovery configuration
- Recording rules for expensive queries
- Alert rule design
- Best practices: metric naming (prefix_name_unit), scrape intervals (15-60s typical), retention, relabeling, and high availability
How do you install the Prometheus Configuration skill?
Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page. Then choose one of the two options below.
For a personal install, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project: unzip into .claude/skills/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need a special command. Describe what you are trying to do in plain language, and the agent will use the skill when your request matches its description, which covers implementing metrics collection, setting up monitoring infrastructure, or configuring alerting systems.
Mention Prometheus, scrape configs, recording rules, or alert rules so the match is clear.
- Set up Prometheus to scrape my web app's /metrics endpoint
- Write a recording rule that precomputes request rate per service
- Design alert rules for high error rates and check my scrape targets
What does the skill need to run?
The skill assumes a running Prometheus server reachable at localhost:9090. Its troubleshooting commands use curl, so curl must be installed. The skill does not run scripts, but it does use the network when you run the curl commands against your server.
The reference file references/details.md includes installation examples for Kubernetes with Helm and Docker Compose. Use these as background, and check any command against your own environment before running it.
- A Prometheus server reachable at localhost:9090
- curl for the troubleshooting commands
- No scripts are run by the skill
curl http://localhost:9090/api/v1/targetsWhat are the safety notes?
The skill gives guidance and patterns, not a finished, tested production configuration. A wrong config can silently stop metrics or alerts, so review and validate every change before deploying it.
The troubleshooting commands make network requests to your Prometheus server. Run them only against servers you manage.
- Validate all generated scrape and alert configs before deployment
- Confirm that alerts still fire after changes
- The skill uses the network for curl checks
What tips help you get the most from it?
Ask for one piece at a time, such as a single scrape job or a single alert rule, so you can review each change. Check the targets and query endpoints after each change to confirm the setup works.
The skill also points to related skills for dashboards, SLO monitoring, and distributed tracing: grafana-dashboards, slo-implementation, and distributed-tracing.
- Start with one scrape job and confirm it appears as a target
- Test a simple query such as up to confirm data is arriving
- Use the related skills grafana-dashboards, slo-implementation, and distributed-tracing for follow-up work
curl 'http://localhost:9090/api/v1/query?query=up'What people use it for
- Setting up a first scrape job for an application that exposes a /metrics endpoint
- Writing recording rules to precompute expensive queries
- Designing alert rules for error rates and other conditions
- Reviewing a metrics pipeline for naming, scrape intervals, and high availability
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Prometheus Configuration agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project. You can also upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to use this skill?
You need a Prometheus server reachable at localhost:9090 and curl for the troubleshooting commands. The skill does not run scripts.
Is the Prometheus Configuration skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence. This page does not state pricing, so check the source repository for any licence details.
Can the skill write a production-ready Prometheus config?
No. It gives guidance and patterns, so you should review and validate any config before deployment. A wrong config can silently stop metrics or alerts.
Why is my scrape target not showing up?
Use the troubleshooting command curl http://localhost:9090/api/v1/targets to list targets and their status. Also check that your Prometheus server is reachable at localhost:9090.
What are alternatives to this skill?
The related skills grafana-dashboards, slo-implementation, and distributed-tracing cover visualization, SLO monitoring, and request tracing. For Prometheus setup itself, the official Prometheus documentation is another option.
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Our verdict
This skill suits engineers setting up Prometheus for the first time, SRE or platform teams planning a metrics pipeline, and developers who need help with scrape configs or alert rules. It is not suited to anyone who needs a finished, tested production config, or to teams that do not run Prometheus, since it assumes a server at localhost:9090.
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