diff --git a/.changeset/lean-intent-skill-guidance.md b/.changeset/lean-intent-skill-guidance.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a79ec152
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/lean-intent-skill-guidance.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+'@tanstack/create': patch
+---
+
+Wire TanStack Intent up in on-demand discovery mode instead of writing the full
+skill-to-task mapping table into `AGENTS.md`. Generated projects previously got
+an `install --map` block listing every skill for every installed package — 99
+lines in a default app, growing with each add-on — which every agent re-read on
+every invocation. Plain `install` emits a 10-line pointer telling the agent to
+run `intent list` and `intent load <package>#<skill>` when a task actually calls
+for one. The "next steps" output now shows those two commands, rendered for the
+project's package manager.
diff --git a/packages/create/src/create-app.ts b/packages/create/src/create-app.ts
index acb4f970..7d841202 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/create-app.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/create-app.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { formatCommand } from './utils.js'
 import { writeConfigFileToEnvironment } from './config-file.js'
 import {
   getPackageManagerScriptCommand,
+  intentCommand,
   packageManagerInstall,
   translateExecuteCommand,
 } from './package-manager.js'
@@ -414,7 +415,7 @@ function buildNextSteps(options: Options): string {
   }
   if (options.intent) {
     sections.push(
-      `Working with an AI agent? Your agent config (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md) was wired up by TanStack Intent\nwith explicit skill mappings for the libraries you installed. Try asking your agent:\n  • "migrate this Next.js page to TanStack Start"\n  • "add a protected /dashboard route"\n  • "show me how to use TanStack Router search params"`,
+      `Working with an AI agent? Your agent config (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md) was wired up by TanStack Intent\nso your agent can discover skills for the libraries you installed, on demand:\n  • ${intentCommand(options.packageManager, ['list'])}\n  • ${intentCommand(options.packageManager, ['load', '<package>#<skill>'])}\nTry asking your agent:\n  • "migrate this Next.js page to TanStack Start"\n  • "add a protected /dashboard route"\n  • "show me how to use TanStack Router search params"`,
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/create/src/edge-create-app.ts b/packages/create/src/edge-create-app.ts
index 624ccdfd..3f58b864 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/edge-create-app.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/edge-create-app.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import { basenamePath, joinPaths, normalizePath } from './edge-path.js'
 import { resolvePackageJSONLatest } from './npm-resolver.js'
 import { writeConfigFileToEnvironment } from './edge-config-file.js'
 import {
+  INTENT_PACKAGE,
   getPackageManagerExecuteCommand,
   getPackageManagerScriptCommand,
+  intentCommand,
   packageManagerInstall,
   translateExecuteCommand,
 } from './package-manager.js'
@@ -258,13 +260,13 @@ async function setupIntent(
   environment.startStep({
     id: 'setup-intent',
     type: 'command',
-    message: 'Setting up TanStack Intent skill mappings...',
+    message: 'Setting up TanStack Intent skill discovery...',
   })
 
   const { command, args } = getPackageManagerExecuteCommand(
     options.packageManager,
-    '@tanstack/intent',
-    ['install', '--map'],
+    INTENT_PACKAGE,
+    ['install'],
   )
   await environment.execute(command, args, normalizePath(targetDir))
   environment.finishStep('setup-intent', 'TanStack Intent configured')
@@ -532,7 +534,7 @@ function buildNextSteps(options: Options): string {
   }
   if (options.intent) {
     sections.push(
-      `Working with an AI agent? Your agent config (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md) was wired up by TanStack Intent\nwith explicit skill mappings for the libraries you installed. Try asking your agent:\n  - "migrate this Next.js page to TanStack Start"\n  - "add a protected /dashboard route"\n  - "show me how to use TanStack Router search params"`,
+      `Working with an AI agent? Your agent config (AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md) was wired up by TanStack Intent\nso your agent can discover skills for the libraries you installed, on demand:\n  - ${intentCommand(options.packageManager, ['list'])}\n  - ${intentCommand(options.packageManager, ['load', '<package>#<skill>'])}\nTry asking your agent:\n  - "migrate this Next.js page to TanStack Start"\n  - "add a protected /dashboard route"\n  - "show me how to use TanStack Router search params"`,
     )
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/create/src/integrations/intent.ts b/packages/create/src/integrations/intent.ts
index 0dd6212f..373af44d 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/integrations/intent.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/integrations/intent.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { resolve } from 'node:path'
 
-import { packageManagerExecute } from '../package-manager.js'
+import {
+  INTENT_PACKAGE,
+  intentCommand,
+  packageManagerExecute,
+} from '../package-manager.js'
 
 import type { Environment, Options } from '../types.js'
 
@@ -14,11 +18,11 @@ export async function setupIntent(
   }
 
   const s = environment.spinner()
-  s.start('Setting up TanStack Intent skill mappings...')
+  s.start('Setting up TanStack Intent skill discovery...')
   environment.startStep({
     id: 'setup-intent',
     type: 'command',
-    message: 'Setting up TanStack Intent skill mappings...',
+    message: 'Setting up TanStack Intent skill discovery...',
   })
 
   try {
@@ -26,8 +30,8 @@ export async function setupIntent(
       environment,
       resolve(targetDir),
       options.packageManager,
-      '@tanstack/intent',
-      ['install', '--map'],
+      INTENT_PACKAGE,
+      ['install'],
     )
     environment.finishStep('setup-intent', 'TanStack Intent configured')
     s.stop('TanStack Intent configured')
@@ -41,7 +45,7 @@ export async function setupIntent(
     s.stop('TanStack Intent setup skipped')
     environment.warn(
       'TanStack Intent setup failed',
-      `Continuing without it. You can run it later with: npx @tanstack/intent install\n\n${message}`,
+      `Continuing without it. You can run it later with: ${intentCommand(options.packageManager, ['install'])}\n\n${message}`,
     )
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/create/src/package-manager.ts b/packages/create/src/package-manager.ts
index 59739e7a..01d3af8f 100644
--- a/packages/create/src/package-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/create/src/package-manager.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,20 @@ export function getPackageManagerExecuteCommand(
   }
 }
 
+export const INTENT_PACKAGE = '@tanstack/intent'
+
+export function intentCommand(
+  packageManager: PackageManager,
+  args: Array<string>,
+) {
+  const { command, args: commandArgs } = getPackageManagerExecuteCommand(
+    packageManager,
+    INTENT_PACKAGE,
+    args,
+  )
+  return [command, ...commandArgs].join(' ')
+}
+
 export function getPackageManagerInstallCommand(
   packagerManager: PackageManager,
   pkg?: string,