diff --git a/.changeset/required-skills.md b/.changeset/required-skills.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21227a7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/required-skills.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"clerk": patch
+---
+
+Install the full Clerk core and feature skill sets by default during `clerk init`. Agents now get context for `clerk-custom-ui`, `clerk-backend-api`, `clerk-orgs`, `clerk-testing`, and `clerk-webhooks` in addition to the previous defaults, plus a framework-specific skill when one matches. Pass `--no-skills` to opt out.
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/README.md b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/README.md
index 55676090..e4ec809a 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/README.md
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/README.md
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Use `--prompt` to output a setup prompt for an AI agent without running init.
 14. Prints a summary of created, modified, and skipped files with recommendations
 15. **Authenticated mode**: pulls development instance API keys via `clerk env pull`
 16. **Unauthenticated mode**: prints instructions for development without API keys and how to connect a Clerk account later
-17. Optionally installs framework-specific Clerk agent skills via the project's package runner (see [Agent skills install](#agent-skills-install))
+17. Optionally installs Clerk agent skills (core + features, plus a framework-specific skill) via the project's package runner (see [Agent skills install](#agent-skills-install))
 
 ## Framework Detection
 
@@ -197,9 +197,14 @@ At install time, [`skills.ts`](./skills.ts) stages the bundled content into a fr
 
 The `skills` CLI writes the installed files into each agent's skill directory (`.claude/skills/clerk/`, `.cursor/skills/clerk/`, etc.) and records the entry in the project's `skills-lock.json` with `sourceType: "local"`, which correctly excludes it from `skills update` (the skill can only change when the CLI itself is upgraded).
 
-### 2. The upstream framework-pattern skills
+### 2. The upstream skills
 
-The base skills `clerk` and `clerk-setup` are always included from [`clerk/skills`](https://github.com/clerk/skills). The detected framework dependency adds a matching skill:
+A fixed default set is always installed from [`clerk/skills`](https://github.com/clerk/skills), covering the `core/` and `features/` directories:
+
+- **Core**: `clerk-setup`, `clerk-custom-ui`, `clerk-backend-api`
+- **Features**: `clerk-orgs`, `clerk-testing`, `clerk-webhooks`
+
+The detected framework dependency adds one more skill on top:
 
 | Framework dep           | Added skill                   |
 | ----------------------- | ----------------------------- |
@@ -211,8 +216,8 @@ The base skills `clerk` and `clerk-setup` are always included from [`clerk/skill
 | `astro`                 | `clerk-astro-patterns`        |
 | `@tanstack/react-start` | `clerk-tanstack-patterns`     |
 | `expo`                  | `clerk-expo-patterns`         |
-| `express`               | `clerk-backend-api`           |
-| `fastify`               | `clerk-backend-api`           |
+
+Express and Fastify projects don't get a framework-specific skill — `clerk-backend-api` (now a default) already covers their needs.
 
 These skills version independently of the CLI, so no pin is applied.
 
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.test.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e7155eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { test, expect, describe } from "bun:test";
+import { formatSkillsPromptMessage, resolveUpstreamSkills } from "./skills.ts";
+
+const DEFAULTS = [
+  "clerk-setup",
+  "clerk-custom-ui",
+  "clerk-backend-api",
+  "clerk-orgs",
+  "clerk-testing",
+  "clerk-webhooks",
+];
+
+describe("resolveUpstreamSkills", () => {
+  test("returns the 6 defaults when no framework is detected", () => {
+    expect(resolveUpstreamSkills(undefined)).toEqual(DEFAULTS);
+  });
+
+  test("appends the framework skill for a known dep", () => {
+    expect(resolveUpstreamSkills("next")).toEqual([...DEFAULTS, "clerk-nextjs-patterns"]);
+  });
+
+  test("returns just the defaults for express (clerk-backend-api is already a default)", () => {
+    expect(resolveUpstreamSkills("express")).toEqual(DEFAULTS);
+  });
+
+  test("returns just the defaults for fastify (clerk-backend-api is already a default)", () => {
+    expect(resolveUpstreamSkills("fastify")).toEqual(DEFAULTS);
+  });
+
+  test("returns just the defaults for an unknown framework dep", () => {
+    expect(resolveUpstreamSkills("svelte")).toEqual(DEFAULTS);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("formatSkillsPromptMessage", () => {
+  test("summarizes without a framework skill", () => {
+    expect(formatSkillsPromptMessage(undefined)).toBe(
+      "Install agent skills? (clerk core + features)",
+    );
+  });
+
+  test("strips the clerk- prefix from the framework skill", () => {
+    expect(formatSkillsPromptMessage("clerk-nextjs-patterns")).toBe(
+      "Install agent skills? (clerk core + features + nextjs-patterns)",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.ts b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.ts
index 47de35ae..d113da78 100644
--- a/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-core/src/commands/init/skills.ts
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
  *     imports). Delegated to the `clerk skill install` core helpers in
  *     `commands/skill/install.ts`.
  *
- *  2. The framework-pattern skills (`clerk-setup`,
- *     `clerk-<framework>-patterns`) ship from the upstream `clerk/skills`
- *     repo and version independently of the CLI.
+ *  2. The upstream skills (`clerk-setup`, `clerk-custom-ui`,
+ *     `clerk-backend-api`, `clerk-orgs`, `clerk-testing`, `clerk-webhooks`,
+ *     plus a framework-specific skill when one matches) ship from the
+ *     upstream `clerk/skills` repo and version independently of the CLI.
  *
  * The skills CLI itself handles agent auto-detection and scope selection:
  * in interactive mode we hand off entirely (no `--agent` / `-y`), so the
@@ -23,10 +24,19 @@ import { confirm } from "../../lib/prompts.js";
 import type { ProjectContext } from "./frameworks/types.js";
 import { installClerkSkillCore, resolveSkillsRunner, runSkillsAdd } from "../skill/install.js";
 
-/** Upstream skills installed regardless of framework. */
-const BASE_SKILLS = ["clerk-setup"];
+/** Upstream skills from clerk/skills — installed on every project (excludes the bundled clerk skill). */
+const DEFAULT_UPSTREAM_SKILLS = [
+  // core/
+  "clerk-setup",
+  "clerk-custom-ui",
+  "clerk-backend-api",
+  // features/
+  "clerk-orgs",
+  "clerk-testing",
+  "clerk-webhooks",
+];
 
-/** Maps framework dep (from package.json) to the upstream skill name. */
+// Express/Fastify have no entry — their skill is clerk-backend-api, which is a default.
 const FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
   next: "clerk-nextjs-patterns",
   react: "clerk-react-patterns",
@@ -36,19 +46,39 @@ const FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP: Record<string, string> = {
   astro: "clerk-astro-patterns",
   "@tanstack/react-start": "clerk-tanstack-patterns",
   expo: "clerk-expo-patterns",
-  express: "clerk-backend-api",
-  fastify: "clerk-backend-api",
 };
 
+// Guard against accidental overlap: Set.add() silently deduplicates, masking dead entries.
+for (const [dep, skill] of Object.entries(FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP)) {
+  if (DEFAULT_UPSTREAM_SKILLS.includes(skill)) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP['${dep}'] maps to '${skill}', which is already in DEFAULT_UPSTREAM_SKILLS. Remove it from the map.`,
+    );
+  }
+}
+
 /** Source for upstream framework-pattern skills. */
 const UPSTREAM_SKILLS_SOURCE = "clerk/skills";
 
-function resolveUpstreamSkills(frameworkDep: string | undefined): string[] {
-  const skills = [...BASE_SKILLS];
+export function resolveUpstreamSkills(frameworkDep: string | undefined): string[] {
+  const skills = new Set(DEFAULT_UPSTREAM_SKILLS);
   if (frameworkDep && FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP[frameworkDep]) {
-    skills.push(FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP[frameworkDep]);
+    skills.add(FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP[frameworkDep]);
   }
-  return skills;
+  return [...skills];
+}
+
+export function getFrameworkSkill(frameworkDep: string | undefined): string | undefined {
+  return frameworkDep ? FRAMEWORK_SKILL_MAP[frameworkDep] : undefined;
+}
+
+function formatSkillsSummary(frameworkSkill: string | undefined): string {
+  const framework = frameworkSkill ? ` + ${frameworkSkill.replace(/^clerk-/, "")}` : "";
+  return `clerk core + features${framework}`;
+}
+
+export function formatSkillsPromptMessage(frameworkSkill: string | undefined): string {
+  return `Install agent skills? (${formatSkillsSummary(frameworkSkill)})`;
 }
 
 export async function installSkills(
@@ -58,11 +88,11 @@ export async function installSkills(
   skipPrompt: boolean,
 ): Promise<void> {
   const upstreamSkills = resolveUpstreamSkills(frameworkDep);
-  const skillList = ["clerk", ...upstreamSkills].join(", ");
+  const frameworkSkill = getFrameworkSkill(frameworkDep);
 
   if (isHuman() && !skipPrompt) {
     const install = await confirm({
-      message: `Install agent skills? (${skillList})`,
+      message: formatSkillsPromptMessage(frameworkSkill),
       default: true,
     });
     if (!install) return;
@@ -79,6 +109,7 @@ export async function installSkills(
   // problem with one source doesn't block the other.
   const cliSkillOk = await installClerkSkillCore(runner, cwd, interactive);
 
+  log.debug(`skills: upstream install — ${upstreamSkills.join(", ")}`);
   const upstreamOk = await runSkillsAdd(
     runner,
     cwd,
@@ -86,7 +117,7 @@ export async function installSkills(
     upstreamSkills,
     interactive,
     false,
-    upstreamSkills.join(", "),
+    formatSkillsSummary(frameworkSkill),
   );
 
   if (cliSkillOk && upstreamOk) {