Skills are how you teach Claude your way of doing things once, instead of explaining it in every chat. A good Skill turns a process that lives in one person's head into something the whole team gets right every time. Here is how to write one that works.
What a Skill is
A Skill is a small package of instructions, and optionally templates, examples and scripts, that Claude loads when a task calls for it. At its centre is a single instructions file with a short name and description, followed by the steps Claude should follow.12
Claude reads the descriptions of the Skills available to it and uses the right one when it is relevant. That means people do not need to remember to switch anything on: ask for a proposal and the proposal Skill is used.2
Pick the right process first
The best first Skills are processes that are frequent, follow a recognisable pattern and currently vary depending on who does them. Good candidates:
- Proposals and quotes in your structure and tone
- Monthly client or board reports
- Reviewing contracts or documents against your checklist
- Turning meeting notes into actions in your format
- Writing job adverts, policies or onboarding packs
Write the description carefully
The description is the most important line in the Skill, because it is how Claude decides when to use it. Say what the Skill does and when it applies, in plain words your team would actually use.3
Write the instructions
- State the goal and who the output is for.
- List the steps in order, the way your best person does them.
- Spell out the structure of the output, with headings if it has them.
- Include your rules: tone, terms to use or avoid, what must always be checked.
- Add one or two real examples of excellent finished work.
- Say what Claude should ask for if information is missing, rather than guessing.
Keep it focused. One Skill per process works better than one giant Skill for everything. If a Skill needs a long reference, such as a price list or a style guide, put it in a separate file inside the Skill and point to it from the instructions.3
Test, share and maintain it
Test the Skill on five or six real tasks, including awkward ones. Compare the results with what your best person would produce, then tighten the instructions where it drifts.
Once it works, share it with the teams that need it and name an owner who keeps it current when prices, templates or rules change. A Skill that nobody maintains slowly turns into a Skill that produces outdated work.
Sources
Links checked
- 1Claude Help Center. What are Skills?support.claude.com ↗
- 2Claude Docs. Agent Skills overviewplatform.claude.com ↗
- 3Claude Docs. Skill authoring best practicesplatform.claude.com ↗
Want help with this?
Claude Projects and Skills, done properly.
Teach Claude how your business works: Projects loaded with your knowledge and custom Skills for your processes, so results stop depending on who asks.
Claude is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. Plans and features change over time, so check Anthropic's current documentation for the latest details. This guide is general information, not legal advice.