How do I create a new skill for my project?

Create a directory in `.claude/skills/` containing a `SKILL.md` file with a description in the frontmatter and detailed instructions in the body.

Where does Claude look for available skills?

Claude discovers skills in three locations: the global user directory (~/.claude/skills/), the local project directory (.claude/skills/), and within installed plugins.

What is a Claude Agent Skill?

An Agent Skill is a specialized capability that extends Claude's behavior. Unlike commands, skills are model-invoked, meaning Claude autonomously decides to use them based on the task context.

What is the difference between a skill and a command?

Commands are user-invoked (explicitly called with a slash), while skills are model-invoked (Claude selects them automatically when it detects a matching need).

What are the required fields for a SKILL.md file?

A SKILL.md file must include a YAML frontmatter section with a 'description' field that briefly summarizes the skill's purpose for the model.

Claude Agent Skills Guide

Name: Claude Agent Skills Guide
Author: constellos

byconstellos

•

Learning & Documentation

Empowers Claude to understand, create, and manage specialized Agent Skills for autonomous, context-aware task execution.

About

This skill provides Claude with the foundational framework for implementing Agent Skills—specialized capabilities that the model invokes autonomously based on task context. It standardizes the creation of SKILL.md files, defines directory structures for project and plugin-level skills, and clarifies the distinction between model-invoked skills and user-invoked commands. By following these patterns, developers can extend Claude's core intelligence with domain-specific knowledge, custom process workflows, and tool integrations that activate automatically when relevant.

Key Features

3 GitHub stars
Enables automatic skill discovery across user, project, and plugin directories
Establishes best practices for clear descriptions and model-invoked triggers
Defines patterns for Knowledge, Process, and Tool-based agent skills
Standardizes SKILL.md structure including mandatory frontmatter and metadata
Provides templates for directory layout and naming conventions

Use Cases

Creating project-specific coding standards that Claude applies autonomously
Structuring documentation for new Claude plugins to enable model-invoked capabilities
Building reusable workflow procedures for CI/CD and pull request management

About

Key Features

3 GitHub stars
Enables automatic skill discovery across user, project, and plugin directories
Establishes best practices for clear descriptions and model-invoked triggers
Defines patterns for Knowledge, Process, and Tool-based agent skills
Standardizes SKILL.md structure including mandatory frontmatter and metadata
Provides templates for directory layout and naming conventions

Use Cases

Creating project-specific coding standards that Claude applies autonomously
Structuring documentation for new Claude plugins to enable model-invoked capabilities
Building reusable workflow procedures for CI/CD and pull request management