Vibe coding · skills
Claude skills: teach Claude your way of working
Claude skills are saved instructions that Claude loads when a task calls for them. Each skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file inside. You write the steps once. After that, Claude follows them without you typing the same prompt again.
What a skill gives you
If you paste the same instructions into Claude every week, that is a skill waiting to be written.
Write it once
Your steps, your rules and your checks, saved in one file. No more copy and paste.
Loaded only when needed
Claude reads the short description first. The full skill loads only when a task matches it.
The same result each time
A skill follows the same steps every run. That makes the work easier to trust.
Easy to share
Put a skill in your project folder and everyone on the project gets it.
How Claude skills work
This is how Anthropic's docs describe it, as at 10 November 2026.
- 01
You write a SKILL.md
A text file with a name, a description and your instructions in plain Markdown.
- 02
Claude sees the description
At the start of a session Claude loads each skill's name and description, not the whole file.
- 03
A task matches
When your request fits a description, Claude loads that skill and follows it.
- 04
Or you call it yourself
In Claude Code you can run a skill by typing a slash and its name.
Claude Code skills: where they live
Claude Code skills are just folders on your computer. Where you put the folder decides who can use the skill.
Personal skills
Saved in the .claude/skills folder in your home folder. They work in every project on your machine.
Project skills
Saved in .claude/skills inside one project. Commit the folder and your whole team gets them.
Plugin skills
Bundled inside a plugin, so you can install a set of skills in one go.
What goes in a SKILL.md file
A name
Lower case letters, numbers and hyphens. Anthropic's limit is 64 characters.
A description
Say what the skill does and when to use it. This is what Claude matches your request against.
The steps
Plain instructions, in order. Write them the way you would brief a new team member.
Extra files, if needed
Templates, examples or scripts can sit in the same folder. Claude opens them only when the skill points to them.
Make your first skill in ten minutes
- 01
Pick a repeat job
Choose something you ask for often, like writing a commit message or checking a page before launch.
- 02
Make the folder
Create a folder named after the job inside .claude/skills, and add a file called SKILL.md.
- 03
Write the description first
One or two lines on what it does and when to use it. A vague description means the skill never loads.
- 04
Test and tighten
Ask Claude for that job in plain words. If the skill does not load, sharpen the description.
★ Keep learning
More from the vibe coding hub
Vibe coding hub
Every guide in one place: tools, models, method and where to get help.
Go to the hub →MCP servers
Skills tell Claude how to do a job. MCP connects Claude to the tools for it.
Connect your tools →Cursor vs Claude Code
New to Claude Code? See how it compares with Cursor before you set up skills.
Pick your tool →Questions, answered
What are Claude skills?
Claude skills are folders of instructions that Claude loads when a task needs them. Each one has a SKILL.md file with a name, a description and steps. Anthropic calls them reusable resources that give Claude expertise in one area.
Where can I use Claude skills?
Anthropic's docs list Claude Code, the Claude apps and the Claude API. In Claude Code a skill is a folder on your computer. In the Claude apps you upload a custom skill as a zip file on a paid plan. Custom skills do not sync between the three.
What is the difference between Claude skills and Claude Code skills?
They are the same idea. Claude Code skills are skills saved as folders that Claude Code reads from your computer or your project. Claude Code also lets you run one by typing a slash and its name.
Are skills the same as slash commands?
In Claude Code, custom slash commands have been merged into skills. Old command files still work. A skill adds a folder for extra files and lets Claude load it by itself when the task fits.
What is the difference between a skill and an MCP server?
A skill is a set of instructions: how to do a job. An MCP server is a connection: it lets Claude reach a tool or data source. Many good setups use both together.
Should I put it in a skill or in my project rules file?
Use the rules file for short facts Claude needs every session. Use a skill for a longer procedure. Anthropic's docs note that a skill's body loads only when it is used, so long steps cost almost nothing until you need them.
Are Claude skills safe to download?
Only use skills you wrote yourself or got from a source you trust. Anthropic warns that a bad skill can direct Claude to run tools or code in ways that do not match what the skill says it does. Read a skill before you install it.
★ Where to next
Two ways to keep going
Learn with others for free, or learn 1 on 1 with a coach beside you.
See the skills other builders use
Join the free Skool community. Swap skills, ask how others set theirs up, and learn as the tools change.