The Claude Skills guide: what a skill is, how to install one, and where to find them

5 min read

A regular prompt is a one-off instruction. A Skill is a folder of instructions Claude reads on its own and remembers how to perform a task properly every time, without you re-explaining.

The difference is like explaining to a new employee every morning what to do, versus a long-standing employee who already knows exactly how you like things. You teach a skill once, and it repeats the same quality again and again: writing articles in your voice, designing emails in HTML (the language web pages are built in), building landing pages, preparing quotes and more. All of it the way you defined.

And the nice part: you don't have to build a skill from scratch. You can use skills other people have already created, install them, and get the same result immediately. In this guide we'll show exactly what a skill is, what you can do with one, how to install one step by step, and how to check that it's safe. All in plain terms, including for anyone who has only just started with Claude.

A glowing skill folder with capability blocks emerging from it
A skill is one folder Claude reads on its own, remembering how to perform a task properly every time.

What actually is a Skill, and what does it look like?

A skill is simply a folder with one instruction file called SKILL.md. That file states two things: when to trigger the skill, and exactly how to perform the task. Claude works out for itself when it's relevant, reads the instructions in the background, and does the job.

That's the most convenient part: you don't need to ask for it explicitly or remember to switch anything on. The moment the task matches what's written in the skill, Claude simply uses it automatically, exactly like an employee who knows when to pull the right procedure out of the drawer.

What does it look like in practice? A real example

Here's a concrete example. We asked Claude for a client quote, and it used TodoAI's quotes skill. The result below was produced in about two minutes, systematically: the same design, the same colors, the same logo and the same signature, every single time. With no manual design and no re-entering all the details.

A real quote Claude produced in about 2 minutes with the todoai-proposal skill. Click for the full view.

That is exactly the power of a skill: you don't need to explain to Claude again what your quote looks like, it already knows. The same idea works for emails, decks, landing pages and any recurring document with a fixed format.

What can you do with skills?

The rule is simple: any recurring task that has a right way of your own is a candidate to become a skill. Here are a few common examples:

Several glowing icons for different skills: a camera, an interface, an envelope and a document
  • A skill for generating photoreal images in one consistent style.
  • A skill for interface design (UI/UX) that helps developers build clean screens.
  • A skill for writing content, designing emails, preparing quotes and more.

A large list of ready-made examples can be found in the Israeli skills repository. Each skill there teaches Claude to do one thing, well.

How do you install a skill? (step by step)

The best way to understand a skill is to watch one go into action: install a ready-made skill, ask Claude for a task that suits it, and get a result matching the skill's definitions. The install itself takes under a minute, through the claude.ai interface. Here's how it looks:

Clicking Customize in the claude.ai side menu
Step 1In the claude.ai side menu, click Customize.
Choosing Skills and clicking the plus button
Step 2Choose Skills, then click the plus (+) at the top.
Choosing Create skill then Upload a skill from the menu
Step 3Choose Create skill, then Upload a skill.
Dragging the skill file into the upload window
Step 4Drag or upload the SKILL.md file (or the zip file) you downloaded.

From that moment the skill is active. You simply ask Claude for the task in ordinary language, and it uses the skill by itself. Worth remembering: once you've seen one skill work end to end, the idea starts to click.

How do you check that a skill is safe?

A glowing shield with a magnifying glass scanning a file, symbolizing a skill safety check

A skill is ultimately an instruction file that Claude runs. So before installing a skill from an outside source you don't know, it's worth making sure it contains no malicious instructions (for example a hidden instruction to send information out). It's exactly like checking a file before you open it.

Snyk, a well-known software security company, built a free tool that scans a skill and flags problems. You upload the file to Snyk's skill scanner and get a report. It's a short step that buys peace of mind, especially when downloading skills off the internet.

Where do you find ready-made skills?

There are already plenty of free skills ready to download. Two good places to start:

Pick one skill that matches a recurring task of yours, install it, and ask Claude to run it. That's the fastest way to feel the difference between a one-off prompt and a Claude that already knows how you like things.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a prompt and a skill?
Answer: a prompt is a one-off instruction you rewrite each time. A skill is a fixed package of instructions you teach once, and Claude triggers it by itself every time the task fits.

Do you need to know how to code to use a skill?
Answer: no. To use a ready-made skill you just download a file and upload it to Claude through claude.ai. Claude does the rest by itself, and you ask it in ordinary language.

Where do you install the skill in Claude?
Answer: in the claude.ai side menu click Customize, choose Skills, click the plus, choose Upload a skill, and drag in the SKILL.md or zip file.

Is a skill from an outside source safe?
Answer: in most cases yes, but it pays to be careful. Before installing from a source you don't know, scan the file with Snyk's free tool to make sure it contains no malicious instructions.

Good luck,
TodoAI

Avihai and Eitan Elnekave, hands-on help adopting AI and automation in your business

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