Claude Skills — Packaged workflows that make Claude truly work-ready

October 17, 2025 · 6 min read

Chief of the v0id

Claude Skills are reusable, versionable “capsules” of task-specific instructions plus optional files and scripts that Claude can load on demand across Claude.ai, Claude Code, the API, and the Claude Agent SDK. They’re built as simple folders (with a SKILL.md manifest) that encode your team’s procedures and resources so Claude can act consistently in your real workflows. Skills are rolling out for paid plans (Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise) and can be enabled by admins for org-wide use.

What is a Skill?

A Skill packages the context Claude needs to do a job “the way your org does it”: instructions, checklists, templates, scripts, and reference artifacts. Instead of cramming everything into a giant system prompt, you keep a tidy folder that Claude selectively loads when relevant. Anthropic positions this as a step toward practical, company-aware agents, not just general chat.

Why this matters

Consistency at scale: Everyone invokes the same procedure; fewer “hallucinated” steps or off-brand outputs.
Speed & cost: Claude routes to the right Skill and loads only the resources needed, reducing token bloat vs. giant prompts.
Portability: The same Skill works in Claude.ai, Claude Code (local dev), and via API/Agent SDK.

Where Skills run

Claude.ai (web): Toggle Skills in Settings. Team/Enterprise admins can enable Skills org-wide.
Claude Code: Install Skills from the anthropics/skills marketplace or drop folders into ~/.claude/skills; they auto-load when relevant. Share via version control.
API & Agent SDK: Same Skills model for building custom agents; initial Anthropic-managed Skills include office docs (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) and PDF handling.

Note: Several early partners (e.g., Box) are announcing Skills support and agentic document creation workflows that tap your enterprise files.

Skills vs. “just a system prompt”

Capability	System Prompt	Claude Skill
Structure	One big string	Folder with `SKILL.md` + assets
Modularity	Low	High (compose, version, reuse)
Routing	Manual	Automatic relevance loading
Files & scripts	Ad-hoc links	Co-located artifacts
Multi-surface	Manual copy/paste	Claude.ai, Claude Code, API/SDK

Independent commentators highlight that Skills shift best practice from mega-prompts to structured, maintainable capsules.

Core concepts

SKILL.md — human-readable manifest: intent, instructions, guardrails, inputs/outputs, and references.
Resources — templates, brand guides, spreadsheets, scripts, and sample data stored alongside the manifest.
Relevance & loading — Claude identifies when a Skill applies and loads it progressively, keeping context lean.

Getting started (fast path)

Enable Skills in Claude.ai settings (admins can flip this org-wide for Team/Enterprise).
In Claude Code, create a new Skill or install from the marketplace; you can also drop a folder into ~/.claude/skills.
For API/Agent SDK, include your Skills in the agent config and route tasks through Anthropic’s Skills runtime (see release notes).

Example: Brand-safe Instagram copy Skill

Folder layout

brand-safe-instagram/
├─ SKILL.md
├─ brand-voice.md
├─ banned-phrases.txt
├─ legal/claims-policy.md
└─ templates/
   ├─ caption.mst
   └─ hashtag-list.csv

SKILL.md (excerpt)

# Brand-Safe Instagram Copy
## Purpose
Generate short Instagram captions that match our brand voice, comply with claims policy, and include approved hashtags.

## Inputs
- Product name, key benefits, target persona, mood.

## Procedure
1. Read `brand-voice.md`; follow tone and style.
2. Never use phrases listed in `banned-phrases.txt`.
3. If a benefit implies a regulated claim, consult `legal/claims-policy.md` and rewrite to compliant alternatives.
4. Produce 3 caption options using `templates/caption.mst` and include 8–12 tags limited to `templates/hashtag-list.csv`.

## Output
- `captions`: array of 3 strings + rationale for choices.

This encapsulates instructions, guardrails, and templates that Claude can reliably load in chat, in Claude Code, or via your agent.

Built-in & ecosystem Skills

Anthropic is shipping managed Skills for common office docs—PowerPoint, Excel, Word, PDF—as part of the first API/SDK release, with wider marketplace distribution for Claude Code. Expect partner Skills from content and storage platforms (e.g., Box AI) to follow.

Pricing & availability

Skills are rolling out on paid tiers (Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise). Admins must enable Skills for org-wide use on Team/Enterprise. Check Anthropic’s announcement & release notes for the most current plan details.

How Skills interact with your stack

Microsoft 365 & MCP: Anthropic is expanding enterprise integrations, with Microsoft embracing Model Context Protocol (MCP) so agents (including Claude) can securely reach into Outlook, Teams, Word, SharePoint, and OneDrive—prime territory for Skills to orchestrate structured work.
Enterprise search: New connectors help Claude fetch the right context from your knowledge bases; Skills then apply your procedures on top.

Governance & safety

Skills make it easier to codify approvals and compliance (e.g., “Claims must cite doc X,” “Use only templates in folder Y”). Centralizing these rules in a Skill cuts drift and helps reviewers audit what the agent was instructed to do. This aligns with Anthropic’s pitch for real-world procedural agents over raw LLM power.

FAQ

How are Skills different from MCP tools or function calling?
MCP and function calling expose capabilities (APIs, tools). A Skill packages procedures + resources—what to do and how—then lets Claude selectively load that context wherever you use it. Many teams will use Skills and MCP together.

Do Skills work offline in Claude Code?
Claude Code installs Skills locally (e.g., ~/.claude/skills) and will auto-load relevant ones; behavior still depends on the model session for generation and any external calls your scripts trigger.

Can I share Skills with my team?
Yes—version control a folder repo, or publish to the marketplace for Claude Code. Admins can enable Skills org-wide in Claude.ai.

Any examples of real companies?
Partners like Box have announced agentic document creation and forthcoming Skills support; media coverage notes other early adopters exploring workplace workflows.

Authoring checklist

Define the job-to-be-done and outcome.
Write clear, stepwise procedure in SKILL.md.
Attach templates, style guides, banned lists, and example inputs/outputs.
Add guardrails and escalation points (“ask legal if …”).
Version your Skill; ship via repo / marketplace; enable telemetry & review.

What is a Skill?​

Why this matters​

Where Skills run​

Skills vs. “just a system prompt”​

Core concepts​

Getting started (fast path)​

Example: Brand-safe Instagram copy Skill​

Built-in & ecosystem Skills​

Pricing & availability​

How Skills interact with your stack​

Governance & safety​

FAQ​

Authoring checklist​

Further reading​