What is a Claude skill?
A skill is the simplest way to customize Claude: you teach it to do a specific task your way and it applies it automatically when you need it. Here's what it is, how it works and when it's worth creating one.
The idea in one sentence
A skill is a small package of instructions that extends what Claude can do. Instead of explaining the same thing over and over in every conversation, you save that guidance once. When Claude detects a matching situation, it uses the skill without you asking.
What does a skill look like inside?
Technically, a skill is a folder with a file called SKILL.md. That file has two parts:
- The header (between
---lines): contains thenameand thedescription(when it should be used). It's what Claude reads first to decide whether the skill fits. - The body: plain-text (Markdown) instructions explaining how to do the task, with steps, rules and examples.
--- name: email-writer description: Use this skill when the user asks to write or improve professional emails. --- # Email writer You help write clear, well-structured emails. ## Instructions 1. Ask the purpose and the recipient. 2. Write with subject, greeting, body and sign-off.
What is it for? Real examples
- Work: write emails, summarize meetings, review contracts with your criteria.
- Data: analyze spreadsheets or CSVs always in the same report format.
- Coding: review code following your team's rules.
- Content: write copy for your site with your tone and keywords.
If you find yourself repeating the same instructions to Claude, that repetition is the perfect signal to turn it into a skill.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Even though the result is a technical file, you don't have to write it by hand. With the SkillCreator wizard you fill in a few blocks and we generate the file in the correct format.