How to Install and Use Superpowers with Claude Code

Mar 18, 2026

Purpose

This post shows how to install and use Superpowers workflow system for Claude Code. The key point is that after a simple installation, your AI assistant automatically follows a disciplined development workflow.

The Problem

When I first started using AI coding assistants, I noticed a pattern. The AI would jump straight to implementation without asking clarifying questions. It would write code without tests. When debugging, it would propose fixes before understanding the root cause.

Here’s a typical interaction:

User: "Add a login feature"

Claude: "Here's the login code:
[immediately writes implementation without tests]"

This approach caused problems:

Code that didn’t match requirements
Missing test coverage
Bugs introduced by surface-level fixes
No planning before complex features

I wanted an AI that would:

Ask clarifying questions before coding
Write tests before implementation
Debug systematically instead of guessing
Review code for quality and spec compliance

The Solution

Superpowers is a plugin that transforms how your AI coding assistant works. After installation, the AI automatically follows disciplined workflows:

Brainstorm before coding: Ask clarifying questions first
Write plans: Create detailed task breakdowns
Follow TDD: Write failing tests, then implement
Debug systematically: Investigate root causes before proposing fixes
Review code: Check for spec compliance and quality

Supported Platforms

Superpowers works on multiple AI coding platforms:

Platform	Subagent Support	Notes
Claude Code	Yes	Best experience with full subagent support
Cursor	Yes	Full skill support
Codex	Limited	Uses executing-plans instead of subagent-driven-development
Gemini CLI	Limited	Skills activate via activate_skill tool
OpenCode	Yes	Full skill support

Installation by Platform

Claude Code (Official Marketplace)

The simplest method uses the official plugin marketplace:

/plugin install superpowers@claude-plugins-official

After running this command, Superpowers installs automatically with all skills enabled.

Claude Code (Alternative Marketplace)

If you prefer an alternative marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add obra/superpowers-marketplace

Then install:

/plugin install superpowers@superpowers-marketplace

Cursor

In Cursor, I have two options:

Option 1: Agent chat command

/add-plugin superpowers

Option 2: Plugin marketplace

Open the plugin marketplace (Cmd+Shift+X or Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for “superpowers”
Click Install

Codex

For Codex, I tell it to fetch and follow the installation instructions:

Fetch and follow instructions from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/obra/superpowers/refs/heads/main/.codex/INSTALL.md

Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI uses a different installation method:

gemini extensions install https://github.com/obra/superpowers

Verify Installation

After installation, I verify that Superpowers is working by triggering a skill. I start a new session and use specific phrases:

Test 1: Brainstorming skill

User: "Help me plan this feature"

Claude: "I'm using the brainstorming skill to explore this feature idea.
Let me ask some clarifying questions first..."

Test 2: Debugging skill

User: "Let's debug this issue"

Claude: "I'm using the systematic-debugging skill to investigate.
First, let me understand the root cause..."

If I see the skill announcement (“I’m using the [skill-name] skill…”), the installation succeeded.

The Workflow You Get

After installation, Superpowers changes how the AI approaches tasks:

Before Superpowers

User: "Add user authentication"

Claude: [Immediately writes code without tests]

After Superpowers

User: "Add user authentication"

Claude: "I'm using the brainstorming skill to plan this feature.
Let me ask some clarifying questions:

1. What authentication method? (OAuth, JWT, session-based)
2. Do you need password reset functionality?
3. Should I support social login providers?
4. What's your existing user model structure?

After we clarify, I'll create a plan before implementing."

The AI now:

Plans first: Creates detailed breakdowns before coding
Tests first: Writes failing tests, then implements to pass them
Debugs systematically: Investigates root causes, not just symptoms
Reviews code: Checks against requirements and coding standards

Automatic Skill Activation

Superpowers activates skills based on context. I don’t need to manually invoke them.

┌─────────────────────┐
│   User Request      │
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │
           ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  Skill Detection    │ ← Superpowers analyzes request
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │
           ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  Skill Activation   │ ← Appropriate skill triggers
└──────────┬──────────┘
           │
           ▼
┌─────────────────────┐
│  Disciplined Work   │ ← AI follows workflow
└─────────────────────┘

Common triggers:

“Plan this feature” → brainstorming skill
“Debug this issue” → systematic-debugging skill
“Implement this” → TDD workflow
“Review the code” → code review skill

Platform Differences

Not all platforms support the same features. Here’s what I found:

Claude Code (Best Experience)

Claude Code has full subagent support. This means:

Skills can spawn sub-agents for specialized tasks
Parallel execution of analysis tasks
Best performance for complex workflows

Cursor

Cursor also supports full skills. The experience matches Claude Code.

Codex

Codex has limited support. It uses executing-plans instead of subagent-driven-development. Skills still work, but with reduced capability for parallel task execution.

Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI uses the activate_skill tool to trigger skills. The workflow is similar but requires explicit tool calls for some features.

Updating

Superpowers updates through the plugin system:

/plugin update superpowers

The plugin checks for updates and installs the latest version. I run this periodically to get new skills and bug fixes.

Current version as of this writing:

{
  "name": "superpowers",
  "version": "5.0.4",
  "type": "module"
}

Common Issues

Issue 1: Skills Not Activating

Sometimes I don’t see the skill announcement. This usually means:

The request didn’t match a skill trigger
Installation didn’t complete successfully

I verify installation:

/plugin list

I should see superpowers in the list. If not, I reinstall.

Issue 2: Partial Skill Execution

On Codex or Gemini CLI, some skills may not execute fully. This is expected due to platform limitations. I work around this by being more explicit:

User: "Use the brainstorming skill to plan this feature"

Issue 3: Conflicting Plugins

If I have other workflow plugins, they may conflict with Superpowers. I check for conflicts:

/plugin list | grep -i workflow

I disable conflicting plugins:

/plugin disable <conflicting-plugin-name>

DO and DON’T

DO

Verify installation after setup

# Check that the plugin is listed
/plugin list | grep superpowers

Test with skill-triggering phrases

Help me plan this feature

Keep the plugin updated

/plugin update superpowers

DON’T

Don’t skip verification

Installation may appear successful but fail silently. Always test with a triggering phrase.

Don’t expect identical behavior on all platforms

Claude Code and Cursor have full support. Codex and Gemini CLI have limitations.

Don’t manually invoke skills unless necessary

Skills activate automatically based on context. Manual invocation is only needed on limited platforms.

Summary

In this post, I showed how to install and use Superpowers with Claude Code. The key points are:

Install from your platform’s plugin marketplace
Verify with skill-triggering phrases
Skills activate automatically based on context
Platform support varies (Claude Code and Cursor are best)
Keep the plugin updated for new features

Superpowers transforms an AI coding assistant from an agreeable implementation machine into a disciplined development partner. It asks clarifying questions, plans before coding, writes tests first, and debugs systematically.

Next steps:

Install Superpowers on your preferred platform
Test with a planning request to verify skill activation
Notice the difference in how the AI approaches tasks
Keep the plugin updated for new skills and improvements

Final Words + More Resources

My intention with this article was to help others share my knowledge and experience. If you want to contact me, you can contact by email: Email me

Here are also the most important links from this article along with some further resources that will help you in this scope:

Oh, and if you found these resources useful, don’t forget to support me by starring the repo on GitHub!

How to Install and Use Superpowers with Claude Code

Purpose

The Problem

The Solution

Supported Platforms

Installation by Platform

Claude Code (Official Marketplace)

Claude Code (Alternative Marketplace)

Cursor

Codex

Gemini CLI

Verify Installation

The Workflow You Get

Before Superpowers

After Superpowers

Automatic Skill Activation

Platform Differences

Claude Code (Best Experience)

Cursor

Codex

Gemini CLI

Updating

Common Issues

Issue 1: Skills Not Activating

Issue 2: Partial Skill Execution

Issue 3: Conflicting Plugins

DO and DON’T

DO

DON’T

Summary

Final Words + More Resources

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