How to install claude-to-deerflow
npx skills add https://github.com/bytedance/deer-flow --skill claude-to-deerflowFull instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from bytedance/deer-flow.
name: claude-to-deerflow description: "Interact with DeerFlow AI agent platform via its HTTP API. Use this skill when the user wants to send messages or questions to DeerFlow for research/analysis, start a DeerFlow conversation thread, check DeerFlow status or health, list available models/skills/agents in DeerFlow, manage DeerFlow memory, upload files to DeerFlow threads, or delegate complex research tasks to DeerFlow. Also use when the user mentions deerflow, deer flow, or wants to run a deep research task that DeerFlow can handle."
DeerFlow Skill
Communicate with a running DeerFlow instance via its HTTP API. DeerFlow is an AI agent platform built on LangGraph that orchestrates sub-agents for research, code execution, web browsing, and more.
Architecture
DeerFlow exposes two API surfaces behind an Nginx reverse proxy:
| Service | Direct Port | Via Proxy | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gateway API | 8001 | $DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL | REST endpoints and embedded agent runtime |
| LangGraph-compatible API | 8001 | $DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL | Agent threads, runs, streaming |
Environment Variables
All URLs are configurable via environment variables. Read these env vars before making any request.
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
DEERFLOW_URL | http://localhost:2026 | Unified proxy base URL |
DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL | ${DEERFLOW_URL} | Gateway API base (models, skills, memory, uploads) |
DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL | ${DEERFLOW_URL}/api/langgraph | LangGraph API base (threads, runs) |
When making curl calls, always resolve the URL like this:
# Resolve base URLs from env (do this FIRST before any API call)
DEERFLOW_URL="${DEERFLOW_URL:-http://localhost:2026}"
DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL="${DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL:-$DEERFLOW_URL}"
DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL="${DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL:-$DEERFLOW_URL/api/langgraph}"
Available Operations
1. Health Check
Verify DeerFlow is running:
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/health"
2. Send a Message (Streaming)
This is the primary operation. It creates a thread and streams the agent's response.
Step 1: Create a thread
curl -s -X POST "$DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL/threads" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{}'
Response: {"thread_id": "<uuid>", ...}
Step 2: Stream a run
curl -s -N -X POST "$DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL/threads/<thread_id>/runs/stream" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"assistant_id": "lead_agent",
"input": {
"messages": [
{
"type": "human",
"content": [{"type": "text", "text": "YOUR MESSAGE HERE"}]
}
]
},
"stream_mode": ["values", "messages-tuple"],
"stream_subgraphs": true,
"config": {
"recursion_limit": 1000
},
"context": {
"thinking_enabled": true,
"is_plan_mode": true,
"subagent_enabled": true,
"thread_id": "<thread_id>"
}
}'
The response is an SSE stream. Each event has the format:
event: <event_type>
data: <json_data>
Key event types:
metadata— run metadata includingrun_idvalues— full state snapshot withmessagesarraymessages-tuple— incremental message updates (AI text chunks, tool calls, tool results)end— stream is complete
Context modes (set via context):
- Flash mode:
thinking_enabled: false, is_plan_mode: false, subagent_enabled: false - Standard mode:
thinking_enabled: true, is_plan_mode: false, subagent_enabled: false - Pro mode:
thinking_enabled: true, is_plan_mode: true, subagent_enabled: false - Ultra mode:
thinking_enabled: true, is_plan_mode: true, subagent_enabled: true
3. Continue a Conversation
To send follow-up messages, reuse the same thread_id from step 2 and POST another run
with the new message.
4. List Models
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/models"
Returns: {"models": [{"name": "...", "provider": "...", ...}, ...]}
5. List Skills
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/skills"
Returns: {"skills": [{"name": "...", "enabled": true, ...}, ...]}
6. Enable/Disable a Skill
curl -s -X PUT "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/skills/<skill_name>" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"enabled": true}'
7. List Agents
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/agents"
Returns: {"agents": [{"name": "...", ...}, ...]}
8. Get Memory
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/memory"
Returns user context, facts, and conversation history summaries.
9. Upload Files to a Thread
curl -s -X POST "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/threads/<thread_id>/uploads" \
-F "files=@/path/to/file.pdf"
Supports PDF, PPTX, XLSX, DOCX — automatically converts to Markdown.
10. List Uploaded Files
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_GATEWAY_URL/api/threads/<thread_id>/uploads/list"
11. Get Thread History
curl -s "$DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL/threads/<thread_id>/history"
12. List Threads
curl -s -X POST "$DEERFLOW_LANGGRAPH_URL/threads/search" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"limit": 20, "sort_by": "updated_at", "sort_order": "desc"}'
Usage Script
For sending messages and collecting the full response, use the helper script:
bash /path/to/skills/claude-to-deerflow/scripts/chat.sh "Your question here"
See scripts/chat.sh for the implementation. The script:
- Checks health
- Creates a thread
- Streams the run and collects the final AI response
- Prints the result
Parsing SSE Output
The stream returns SSE events. To extract the final AI response from a values event:
- Look for the last
event: valuesblock - Parse its
dataJSON - The
messagesarray contains all messages; the last one withtype: "ai"is the response - The
contentfield of that message is the AI's text reply
Error Handling
- If health check fails, DeerFlow is not running. Inform the user they need to start it.
- If the stream returns an error event, extract and display the error message.
- Common issues: port not open, services still starting up, config errors.
Tips
- For quick questions, use flash mode (fastest, no planning).
- For research tasks, use pro or ultra mode (enables planning and sub-agents).
- You can upload files first, then reference them in your message.
- Thread IDs persist — you can return to a conversation later.
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