add-icon

Add a Font Awesome icon to the user’s project. This skill handles icon name resolution, project detection, and code generation for every Font Awesome integration method.

Scripts referenced from suggest-icon are relative to plugins/icons/skills/suggest-icon/. Scripts referenced from add-icon are relative to plugins/icons/skills/add-icon/. Run them from their respective directories.

Tool selection

At the start, run command -v fa to check whether the fa CLI is available on PATH.

The fa kit subcommand requires fa version 0.8.0 or newer. If the fa kit subcommand is needed, recommend the user upgrade fa, using instructions here: https://docs.fontawesome.com/web/use-with/fa-cli

• If fa is found: use it for icon lookups and kit fetching (it returns structured JSON). For kit operations (fa kits and fa kit), check auth first: run fa whoami to see if the user is logged in. If logged in, these will work directly. If not logged in but FA_API_TOKEN is set, they will also work. If neither, tell the user: “You need to be logged in to the Font Awesome CLI for kit operations. Run fa login in a separate terminal, then come back here and try again.” If they cannot log in, fall back to fetch-kit.py. When the project uses a Kit, fa kit icon --kit-token <TOKEN> <icon> tells you whether a specific icon is in the Kit’s subset and which family styles it’s available in — use it to avoid adding an icon the Kit doesn’t include (see step 3).
• If fa is not found: fall back to the Python scripts described below.
• Use latest-version.py to get the latest version.

Steps

1. Resolve the icon name

First, determine whether the project uses a Kit for integrating Font Awesome. If the project has a .font-awesome.md file, read it to determine whether a Kit is in use.

If project uses a Kit

If the project uses a Kit, then verify that the icon exists in the particular Kit’s subset. This can only be done with the fa CLI. If the user is not logged in, prompt them to run fa login in a separate terminal first.

If the fa CLI is not available, tell the user that you cannot verify whether the icon is in their Kit’s subset. Suggest they install the fa CLI, login with fa login, then re-run this skill.

To verify the icon exists in the kit, run fa kit icon --kit-token <TOKEN> <icon>.

If the icon does not exist, invoke the /suggest-icon skill internally with the user’s icon argument as the use-case. Auto-accept the top recommendation without prompting the user to confirm, if there are any recommendations.

If /suggest-icon offers no recommendations, it may be because the Kit’s subset does not include any icons similar to the user’s query. In that case, search all of Font Awesome (not just the Kit) for similar icons using fa search --version <version> --query <icon>. Let the user know that the icon they requested is not in their Kit’s subset, but they could add it to their Kit at https://fontawesome.com/kits.

If project does not use a Kit

If the project does not use a Kit, then to verify the icon exists:

Determine the version of Font Awesome in use. First, try to discover it from .font-awesome.md; otherwise, use latest-version.py to get the latest version. Use this version as <version> in the following commands.

• fa CLI: Run fa icons --version <version> --name <icon>. The icon exists if data.release.icon is non-null. The familyStylesByLicense field shows the free/pro breakdown.
• Fallback: Run ./scripts/icon-exists.py --version <version> --icon-name <icon>. Exit code 0 means the icon exists; exit code 1 means it does not.

If the icon does not exist, invoke the /suggest-icon skill internally with the user’s icon argument as the use-case. Auto-accept the top recommendation and continue with that icon name. Do not ask the user to confirm — a working icon is better than a broken one.

2. Determine the integration method

Check for a .font-awesome.md file in the project root.

If .font-awesome.md exists

Read it and use the configuration it describes. Skip discovery and proceed to step 3. However, keep the file’s contents in mind — if any later step reveals information that is missing or incomplete in the file (e.g., a new import pattern, a family not listed, a wrapper component not documented), you will update it at the end (see step 6).

If .font-awesome.md does not exist

Run a discovery process to figure out how the project uses Font Awesome. Use a subagent (via the Agent tool with subagent_type: "Explore") to perform this discovery. The subagent should search for the following sources (in order of specificity) and return a structured summary of what it found:

1. package.json / lock files — look for Font Awesome packages:
   • @fortawesome/react-fontawesome → React component integration
   • @fortawesome/vue-fontawesome → Vue component integration
   • @fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core → SVG core (used by React/Vue)
   • @fortawesome/fontawesome-free or @fortawesome/fontawesome-pro → general SVG+JS or web font
   • @fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons, @fortawesome/pro-solid-svg-icons, etc. → individual icon packages (note the style and license)
2. HTML files / templates — look for:
   • Font Awesome Kit script tags: <script src="https://kit.fontawesome.com/XXXXXX.js"...> → Kit (SVG+JS). Extract the kit ID (the token before .js).
   • CDN links in <link> tags: cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/ or use.fontawesome.com → Web Fonts+CSS via CDN
   • <i class="fa-solid fa-..."> or <i class="fas fa-..."> usage patterns → class-based (Web Fonts+CSS or SVG+JS)
3. Import statements in source files — scan for:
   • import { FontAwesomeIcon } → React component
   • import { library } from @fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core → library approach
   • Individual icon imports like import { faCoffee } → individual import approach

4. SVG sprite sheets — look for <use href="...sprites/..."> patterns or sprite SVG files.

5. Web Components — look for <fa-icon> custom elements.

6. Other frameworks — look for Angular (angular.json, FontAwesomeModule), Svelte, etc.

The subagent should return: which Font Awesome packages are installed (with versions), any kit IDs found, CDN URLs, the framework integration method, import patterns observed in source files, the license (free vs pro), and any project conventions (wrapper components, default sizing, etc.).

After the subagent returns, if a kit ID was found, fetch the kit details:

• fa CLI: Run fa kit show --kit-token <id>. Returns JSON with the kit’s version, license, technology, and available families. Requires the user to be logged in (fa whoami returns success) or FA_API_TOKEN to be set. If neither, prompt the user to run fa login in a separate terminal first.
• Fallback: Run ./scripts/fetch-kit.py --kit-id <id> (in the add-icon skill directory) to get the kit’s version, license, method, and available families.

After discovery, determine:

• Integration method — the primary way icons are rendered
• Kit ID / CDN URL — if using a kit or CDN
• License — free or pro. Detect from: kit config (via fetch-kit.py), npm package names (fontawesome-free vs fontawesome-pro, free-*-svg-icons vs pro-*-svg-icons), or CDN URL patterns.
• Default style — the most commonly used style in the project (solid, regular, light, thin, duotone). If unclear, default to solid.
• Default family — the most commonly used family (classic, duotone, sharp, sharp-duotone, chisel, etch, graphite, jelly, jelly-duo, jelly-fill, notdog, notdog-duo, slab, slab-press, thumbprint, utility, utility-duo, utility-fill, whiteboard). If unclear, default to classic.
• Available families — the set of families the project has access to. For kits, use the output of fetch-kit.py. For npm, infer from installed packages. For free users, only classic is available.
• Import pattern — for JS frameworks: individual imports per-file vs. library registration
• Version — the Font Awesome version in use
• Project conventions — any wrapper components, standard sizing, or patterns observed

Write the results to .font-awesome.md in the project root. Read font-awesome-md-format.md (in this skill’s directory, plugins/icons/skills/add-icon/) for the template and format to use.

Tell the user: “I’ve written .font-awesome.md with your project’s Font Awesome configuration. You should commit this file so the team benefits and future icon additions are faster.”

Do not proceed to the next step until .font-awesome.md has been written. The remaining steps depend on this file. If discovery fails to produce enough information to write a meaningful .font-awesome.md, stop and ask the user to clarify their Font Awesome setup before continuing.

3. Determine the icon style and family

Style — use this precedence:

1. If the user passed a style argument, use that.
2. Otherwise, use the default style from .font-awesome.md.
3. If neither, default to solid.

Family — use this precedence:

1. If the user explicitly requested a family, use that.
2. Otherwise, use the default family from .font-awesome.md.
3. If neither, default to classic.

If .font-awesome.md records a Kit ID (kit token), the project’s icons come from a Kit, and a Kit contains only a subset of all Font Awesome icons. Do not add an icon the Kit does not include — it will not render.

Verify the icon is available in the chosen style and family, based on whether the project uses a Kit:

If the project uses a Kit

Re-use the output of fa kit icon --kit-token <TOKEN> <icon> from Step 1: “Resolve the icon name”. There it was used to resolve the icon name. The same output can be used here to check whether the icon is available in the chosen family-style.

If your chosen family-style for the icon isn’t included but another is, tell the user, and ask if they’d prefer to use another family-style that is available, or else tell them to add the missing one to the kit’s subset.

If the icon is not in the Kit at all, stop before generating code. Tell the user the icon isn’t part of their Kit’s subset, and offer two paths: (a) add the icon to the Kit at https://fontawesome.com/kits and re-run, or (b) pick a kit-available alternative — you can run /suggest-icon (which is Kit-aware) to find one. Do not silently add an icon the Kit lacks.

To list what the Kit does contain, fa kit family-styles --kit-token <TOKEN> shows the available family-styles and fa kit icons --kit-token <TOKEN> lists the available icon variants, which are the icons in specific family-styles. Both are paginated queries.

If the project does not use a Kit

Run icon-exists.py. Its output shows available families and styles. If the icon is not available in the requested style or family, tell the user and suggest available alternatives. Also check that the chosen family is in the project’s available families list — if not, warn the user.

4. Generate the code

Based on the integration method from .font-awesome.md, generate the correct code. Below are the patterns for each method. Match the conventions observed in the project — don’t introduce a new pattern if the project already has an established one.

React (@fortawesome/react-fontawesome)

Individual imports (preferred when project uses this pattern):

import { faCartShopping } from '@fortawesome/pro-solid-svg-icons'
// or @fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons for free icons

<FontAwesomeIcon icon={faCartShopping} />

The import name is the icon name in camelCase prefixed with fa. For example: cart-shopping → faCartShopping.

The package name follows the pattern: @fortawesome/{free|pro}-{style}-svg-icons. For example:

• @fortawesome/free-solid-svg-icons
• @fortawesome/pro-regular-svg-icons
• @fortawesome/pro-duotone-svg-icons
• @fortawesome/sharp-solid-svg-icons
• @fortawesome/sharp-duotone-solid-svg-icons

Library approach (when project registers icons globally):

// In the library setup file:
import { library } from '@fortawesome/fontawesome-svg-core'
import { faCartShopping } from '@fortawesome/pro-solid-svg-icons'
library.add(faCartShopping)

// In components — use string reference:
<FontAwesomeIcon icon="cart-shopping" />
// or with explicit prefix for non-solid styles:
<FontAwesomeIcon icon={['far', 'cart-shopping']} />

Style prefixes: fas (solid), far (regular), fal (light), fat (thin), fad (duotone), fass (sharp solid), fasr (sharp regular), fasl (sharp light), fast (sharp thin), fasd (sharp duotone).

Vue (@fortawesome/vue-fontawesome)

Similar to React but with Vue component syntax:

<font-awesome-icon :icon="['fas', 'cart-shopping']" />

Imports follow the same package/naming conventions as React.

SVG+JS Kit (<script src="https://kit.fontawesome.com/...">)

<i class="fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>

Class pattern depends on the family:

• classic (default, no family prefix needed): fa-{style} fa-{icon-name}
  • <i class="fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>
• sharp: fa-sharp fa-{style} fa-{icon-name}
  • <i class="fa-sharp fa-regular fa-cart-shopping"></i>
• sharp-duotone: fa-sharp-duotone fa-{style} fa-{icon-name}
  • <i class="fa-sharp-duotone fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>
• duotone: fa-duotone fa-{style} fa-{icon-name}
  • <i class="fa-duotone fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>
• Other FA7 families (chisel, etch, graphite, jelly, jelly-duo, jelly-fill, notdog, notdog-duo, slab, slab-press, thumbprint, utility, utility-duo, utility-fill, whiteboard): fa-{family} fa-{style} fa-{icon-name}
  • <i class="fa-slab fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>
  • <i class="fa-jelly fa-regular fa-cart-shopping"></i>

No imports needed — the kit handles loading.

Web Fonts+CSS (CDN or npm)

Same class syntax as SVG+JS Kit:

<i class="fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></i>

Family prefixes work the same way (e.g., fa-sharp fa-solid fa-cart-shopping). Ensure the appropriate CSS file is loaded (all.css or individual style sheets).

SVG Sprites

<svg class="icon">
  <use href="/path/to/sprites/solid.svg#cart-shopping"></use>
</svg>

Match the sprite path used elsewhere in the project.

Angular

<fa-icon [icon]="faCartShopping"></fa-icon>

With the corresponding import in the component’s TypeScript file.

Web Components (<fa-icon>)

<fa-icon class="fa-solid fa-cart-shopping"></fa-icon>

Important: bare SVG markup

Never generate Font Awesome SVG markup (raw <svg> elements) from your own knowledge or training data. If a user needs bare SVG output — for instance, to inline an icon as an <svg> element — you must fetch it from the Font Awesome API using the fa CLI:

fa icons --version <version> --name <icon> --svg-format html

The --svg-format flag accepts html, data, or icon-definition. This requires the user to be logged in (fa whoami) or FA_API_TOKEN to be set. If neither, prompt the user to run fa login in a separate terminal first.

Do not approximate, reconstruct, or guess SVG path data. The authoritative source is always the Font Awesome API.

5. Insert or display

If the user provided a location argument:

Find the specified location in the code. Insert the icon code there, including any necessary import statements at the top of the file. Follow the project’s existing patterns for formatting and placement.

If no location was provided:

Present the code snippet in a fenced code block with the appropriate language tag. If imports are needed, show them separately so the user knows what goes where.

Example output:

Add this import (if not already present):

import { faCartShopping } from '@fortawesome/pro-solid-svg-icons'

Then use the component:

<FontAwesomeIcon icon={faCartShopping} />

6. Pro icon notice

If the icon is Pro-only and the project is using the free tier (based on .font-awesome.md license field or discovered packages), warn the user:

Note: cart-shopping requires a Font Awesome Pro subscription. Your project appears to be using Font Awesome Free.

7. Update .font-awesome.md if needed

Review whether any information discovered during this run is missing from .font-awesome.md. Examples of things that might be incomplete:

• A new import pattern was used that isn’t documented under Import Pattern
• A family or style was encountered that isn’t listed under Families
• A wrapper component or project convention was observed that isn’t in Conventions
• The version, license, or integration method has changed

If anything is missing or outdated, update .font-awesome.md with the new information — keep the same format, just fill in the gaps. Do not rewrite sections that are already accurate. Let the user know what was updated so they can commit the change.