Install Skills in Claude Code
Filesystem-based Skills that live with your code. Install globally or per-project, and share with your team via git.
Installation Steps
Create the skills directory
Choose where to install your Skill based on the scope you need:
Travel with your codebase and stay in sync across your team via git.
mkdir -p .claude/skills/my-skill
Available across all projects on your machine.
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/my-skill
Create SKILL.md
Every Skill needs a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter. The name and description fields are required.
--- name: code-review description: Review code for best practices and security issues. Use when asked to review or audit code. --- # Code Review Skill When reviewing code, analyze for: 1. Security vulnerabilities 2. Performance issues 3. Code style consistency 4. Maintainability Provide structured feedback with severity levels.
Add resources (optional)
Skills can include additional files and scripts. Code is executed by Claude; only the output enters the context.
my-skill/
├── SKILL.md # Required
├── reference.md # Additional docs
└── scripts/
└── validate.py # ExecutableVerify installation
Skills are loaded at startup. Restart Claude Code and run the doctor command to verify your installation:
claude doctor
Expected output: You should see your skill listed under "Loaded Skills" with a green checkmark.
Via Plugins
Plugins are distribution containers that can bundle Skills alongside slash commands, agents, and MCP servers. This is the recommended approach for team sharing.
1. Add a plugin marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add owner/repo
2. Install a Skill from the marketplace:
/plugin install skill-name@marketplace-name
Marketplace sources: GitHub repos, GitLab URLs, local paths, or HTTP URLs to marketplace.json files.
Team Sharing
Project Skills in .claude/skills/ can be committed to version control:
git add .claude/skills/ git commit -m "Add team code review skill" git push
Team members get the Skills when they pull. Best for project-specific skills.
For Skills used across multiple projects, distribute via a team plugin marketplace:
# In .claude/settings.json
{
"extraKnownMarketplaces": {
"team-tools": {
"source": {
"source": "github",
"repo": "your-org/claude-plugins"
}
}
},
"enabledPlugins": {
"code-review@team-tools": true
}
}Provides versioning, easy updates, and works across all team projects.
Enterprise: Admins can restrict allowed marketplaces using strictKnownMarketplaces in managed settings.
Platform Comparison
| Feature | Claude Code | Claude.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Filesystem | ZIP upload |
| Version control | Yes | No |
| Team sharing | Git + Marketplace | Individual |
| Plugin ecosystem | Yes | No |
| Network access | Full | Limited |
Troubleshooting
Skill not loading?
- Check the file path matches expected locations
- Verify SKILL.md has valid YAML frontmatter
- Ensure name uses only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens
- Restart Claude Code after making changes
Claude not using the Skill?
- Make the description more specific about when to use it
- Include trigger phrases like "when user asks to..."
- Try explicitly mentioning the Skill's purpose in your prompt
Ready to explore pre-built Skills?