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Skills are directories containing instructions, scripts, and resources that Claude dynamically loads to handle specific tasks. Each skill has a SKILL.md file that defines when it should be activated and what instructions Claude should follow.

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Availability

Skills are available for users on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans. The Skills feature requires code execution to be enabled.

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How skills work

Skills use progressive disclosure to manage context efficiently:
  1. Metadata loading: Claude reads skill names and descriptions at startup (~100 tokens each)
  2. Activation: When a task matches a skill’s description, Claude loads the full SKILL.md content
  3. Resource loading: Additional files (scripts, references) are loaded only when needed
This approach prevents context window overload while providing specialized capabilities on demand.

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Types of skills

  • Anthropic skills: Pre-built skills for document creation (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF) that activate automatically when relevant.
  • Partner skills: Skills from partners like Notion, Figma, and Atlassian designed for seamless MCP connector integration.
  • Organization-provisioned skills: Skills deployed organization-wide by Team and Enterprise administrators.
  • Custom skills: Skills you create for specialized workflows—generating emails, applying brand guidelines, integrating with tools like JIRA or Linear, and more!

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Skills vs. other features

FeaturePurpose
SkillsTask-specific procedures that load dynamically
ProjectsStatic background knowledge always loaded in specific chats
MCPConnects Claude to external services
Custom InstructionsBroad preferences applied to all conversations

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Open standard

Skills follow the Agent Skills specification, a platform-agnostic standard. Skills you create can work across any platform adopting the standard. See Creating custom skills to learn how to build your own!