Vhs CLI Demos
Generate deterministic screenshots and demo GIFs of command-line and terminal (TUI) applications using Charm VHS. Use this skill whenever the user wants to capture, record, screenshot, or make a GIF/video of a CLI or terminal app — for a README, docs site, marketing page, changelog, release notes, or visual regression tests. Trigger on phrases like "record a gif of my CLI", "demo gif for the README", "screenshot my terminal app", "capture the TUI", "make a terminal recording", "VHS tape", "charm vhs", "asciinema but as a gif", or any request to show a terminal program in motion or as a still — even when the user doesn't name VHS. Also use when a captured GIF is too large and needs to be shrunk for the web, or when setting up a repeatable capture pipeline for many scenes. Covers install, authoring tapes, determinism, motion-GIF storytelling, and the lossless size-optimization that makes GIFs web-viable.
From the source SKILL.md
[VHS](https://github.com/charmbracelet/vhs) (by Charm) drives a real PTY through a headless terminal and records exactly what a user would see — so captures are pixel-accurate, scriptable, and reproducible in CI. It's the right tool for README GIFs, docs/marketing stills, release demos, and terminal visual-regression tests. This skill is the methodology; it transfers to any CLI or TUI regardless of language (Go, Rust, Python, Node, a shell script — VHS only sees the terminal).
What this skill does
Vhs CLI Demos is a community-contributed Claude Code skill in the cli-builders sub-category. It ships as a SKILL.md file that Claude Code auto-discovers under ~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos/ and loads when your prompt matches the skill's trigger.
When to invoke it: use when a captured GIF is too large and needs to be shrunk for the web, or when setting up a repeatable capture pipeline for many scenes. Covers install, authoring tapes, determinism, motion-GIF storytelling, and the lossless size-optimization that makes GIFs web-viable.
Who uses this skill
The Vhs CLI Demos Claude Code skill is built for developers, power users, and teams automating repetitive workflows and improving developer experience. It's part of ClaudSkills (also referred to as Claude Skills or Claude Code Skills) — the open community-curated registry of 116,000+ SKILL.md files for Anthropic's Claude Code agent and the wider Claude ecosystem (Claude API, Claude Agent SDK).
How to install
Free
Manual install (2 steps)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos
curl -L https://claudskills.com/skills/vhs-cli-demos/SKILL.md \
-o ~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos/SKILL.md
Or just download SKILL.md directly and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos/. Claude Code auto-discovers it on next session.
Skills live at ~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos/SKILL.md on macOS/Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\vhs-cli-demos\SKILL.md on Windows. See the full install guide for step-by-step instructions.
Telegram
📱 Install from your phone or desktop Telegram
Open @claudskills_bot on Telegram, tap Open Desktop App, and the desktop app installs this skill for you. Or share the bot link with a colleague — they get the same one-tap install. Learn more →
Pro
One-click install via the desktop app
The ClaudSkills desktop app installs any skill directly into ~/.claude/skills/ with one click — no terminal required. Pro starts at $9/mo or $149 lifetime.
Pro
For the full experience including quality scoring and one-click install features for each skill — upgrade to Pro.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Vhs CLI Demos Claude Code skill?
Install via the ClaudSkills desktop app (one click) or copy
SKILL.md from the source repository to
~/.claude/skills/vhs-cli-demos/SKILL.md and restart Claude Code. Both flows are detailed at
claudskills.com/install/.
What does the Vhs CLI Demos skill do?
Generate deterministic screenshots and demo GIFs of command-line and terminal (TUI) applications using Charm VHS. Use this skill whenever the user wants to capture, record, screenshot, or make a GIF/video of a CLI or terminal app — for a README, docs site, marketing page, changelog, release notes, or visual regression tests. Trigger on phrases like "record a gif of my CLI", "demo gif for the README", "screenshot my terminal app", "capture the TUI", "make a terminal recording", "VHS tape", "charm vhs", "asciinema but as a gif", or any request to show a terminal program in motion or as a still — even when the user doesn't name VHS. Also use when a captured GIF is too large and needs to be shrunk for the web, or when setting up a repeatable capture pipeline for many scenes. Covers install, authoring tapes, determinism, motion-GIF storytelling, and the lossless size-optimization that makes GIFs web-viable.
Is this skill free to install?
Yes. ClaudSkills is an open registry — every skill keeps its source repository's license, and manual install via copy is free. ClaudSkills Pro ($9/mo, $79/yr, or $149 one-time) adds one-click install via the desktop app and a multi-signal Quality Score.
When should I use the Vhs CLI Demos skill?
Use Vhs CLI Demos when your Claude Code task falls under the Dev Tools category — specifically in the cli builders area. Claude Code auto-discovers installed skills and invokes the right one based on the task description, so you can also ask Claude directly (e.g. "use Vhs CLI Demos" or describe the task and let Claude pick). Browse related skills at
/category/tools/.
What is a Claude Code skill and how does the Vhs CLI Demos skill fit in?
A Claude Code skill is a
SKILL.md file that lives under
~/.claude/skills/<name>/ and tells the Claude Code CLI agent how to perform a specific task (instructions, prompts, allowed tools). Skills are auto-discovered at session start. Vhs CLI Demos is one of 67,000+ skills indexed in the open ClaudSkills catalog, classified under the Dev Tools category. Learn more at
/learn/what-is-a-claude-skill/.
Attribution & license
Cite this skill
If you reference this skill in a blog post, paper, or documentation, you can cite it as:
APA
gfargo. (2026). Vhs CLI Demos [Claude Code skill]. ClaudSkills. https://claudskills.com/skills/vhs-cli-demos/
BibTeX
@misc{vhs-cli-demos-2026,
author = {gfargo},
title = {Vhs CLI Demos [Claude Code skill]},
year = {2026},
publisher = {ClaudSkills},
url = {https://claudskills.com/skills/vhs-cli-demos/}
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