diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 19f95197..0251ba34 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ This repo ships AI agent skills via [vercel-labs/skills](https://github.com/verc
 npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes
 ```
 
+**Always invoke the relevant HyperFrames skill before writing or modifying compositions.**
+If skills are not available, stop and ask the user to run `npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes` before composition work continues.
+
 ## Build & Test
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/templates/_shared/AGENTS.md b/packages/cli/src/templates/_shared/AGENTS.md
index 9374d67c..06b76fdd 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/templates/_shared/AGENTS.md
+++ b/packages/cli/src/templates/_shared/AGENTS.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # HyperFrames Composition Project
 
-## Skills
+## Skills — Use These First
 
 This project uses AI agent skills for framework-specific patterns. Install them if not already present:
 
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ This project uses AI agent skills for framework-specific patterns. Install them
 npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes
 ```
 
-Skills encode patterns like `window.__timelines` registration, `data-*` attribute semantics, and shader-compatible CSS rules that are not in generic web docs. Using them produces correct compositions from the start.
+**Always invoke the relevant HyperFrames skill before writing or modifying compositions.** Skills encode patterns like `window.__timelines` registration, `data-*` attribute semantics, and shader-compatible CSS rules that are not in generic web docs. Skipping them produces broken compositions.
+
+**Skills not available?** Stop and ask the user to run `npx hyperframes skills` and restart their agent session, or install manually with `npx skills add heygen-com/hyperframes`.
 
 ## Commands