Claude skillsHow to add a skill
Add a skill to Claude
Pick where you use Claude. Each guide plays through the clicks, and you can pick any step to jump to it.
First, what you're looking at
What's in a skill
A skill is a folder with a file called SKILL.md in it. That's what you download, upload or install. Whatever the repo or website looks like, find the folder with the SKILL.md.
- A name and a description. Claude reads these first, and opens the rest only when your request matches.
- Instructions. Plain words, like a checklist you'd hand a new teammate.
- Extras, sometimes. Templates, examples or scripts the skill can use.
The folder
grilling/ ├── SKILL.md the instructions └── LICENSE extras are optional
SKILL.md
---
name: grilling
description: Interview the user relentlessly about a plan
or design. Use when the user wants to stress-test a
plan before building.
---
Interview me relentlessly about every aspect of this
plan until we reach a shared understanding...
Web and desktop
In the Claude app
For a .zip from our Skills page, from a teammate, or one you made from GitHub.
First time? In Settings > Capabilities, turn on Code execution and file creation. On a Team or Enterprise plan, an owner turns on Skills first, in Organization settings > Plugins & skills.
Public repos
From GitHub
Lots of good skills live in public GitHub repos, like the ones we like. Here's how to turn one into a .zip for the Claude app.
Some repos offer a ready-made .zip under Releases. If you see one, use it and skip to the last step. Skills you upload this way also work in the Code tab of the Claude desktop app.
Desktop app
In Claude Code
In the Code tab of the Claude desktop app, skills usually come in plugins: bundles you install in a couple of clicks. Matt Pocock's skills and Skill creator are both in Anthropic's plugin directory.
Got a single skill as a .zip, like unslop? Upload it under Customize > Skills in the same app, and it works in your Code sessions too. In a terminal, add a repo with /plugin marketplace add cursor/plugins, then /plugin install pstack@cursor-plugins.
Good to know
The upload didn't work
Check that the .zip holds one folder, with SKILL.md inside it, and that the folder has the same name as the name: line at the top of SKILL.md. The usual mistake is zipping the files without their folder.
Is it safe to add a skill from GitHub?
Read the SKILL.md first. It's plain text, so you can see exactly what it asks Claude to do. Some skills include scripts Claude can run, so only add those from people you trust. Skip any skill that asks for passwords or sends your data somewhere you don't recognize.
Claude isn't using the skill
Check that it's turned on in Customize > Skills, then start a new chat. Describe the job the way the skill's description does, or name it: "Use the grilling skill on this plan." In Claude Code, type / and pick it.
I use Claude at work
On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner turns on Skills and code execution in Organization settings > Plugins & skills first. Skills you upload stay yours until you share them.
Do skills from the Claude app work in Claude Code?
Yes. In the desktop app, skills you turn on under Customize > Skills work in Code sessions too. In a terminal, they show up when you sign in with the same Claude account; run /skills to see them.
Where do I find more?
Start with the public skills we like, then browse Anthropic's skills, Matt Pocock's and pstack. Or make your own with Skill creator.
Learn skills with peers
The Hiring Engineer Community trades skills for frontline hiring and builds new ones together in live sessions. It's free.