Creating Claude Skills
Creates custom skills for Claude using the Agent Skills format. Transforms workflows and expertise into reusable, shareable instruction packages. Use when building organizational capabilities or automating specialized tasks.
Create a basic skill in 3 steps:
Markdown--- name: your-skill-name description: What it does and when to use it --- # Instructions Your step-by-step workflow here.
Input: [example input] Output: [example output]
Step 1: Plan Your Skill
- Identify the specific task or workflow
- Define clear trigger phrases (when Claude should use it)
- Choose a gerund-form name (verb-ing format)
Step 2: Structure the Content
- Write YAML frontmatter with name and description
- Create clear instructions in Markdown
- Add concrete examples with input/output pairs
- Include best practices and common pitfalls
Step 3: Test and Refine
- Upload to Claude and test with sample scenarios
- Refine instructions based on performance
- Add executable scripts if needed for advanced functionality
Progress:
- Define skill purpose and triggers
- Write YAML frontmatter
- Create step-by-step instructions
- Add examples and best practices
- Test and iterate
Example 1: Data Analysis Skill Input: Quarterly sales data analysis request Output: Skill that standardizes data cleaning, visualization creation, and executive summary generation
Example 2: Brand Guidelines Skill Input: Company document creation needs Output: Skill that applies consistent formatting, tone, and visual elements across all materials
Example 3: Meeting Notes Skill Input: Post-meeting documentation workflow Output: Skill that structures notes with action items, decisions, and next steps in company format
Naming Convention
- Use gerund form:
analyzing-financial-data,creating-presentations - Kebab-case only (lowercase, hyphens)
- Be specific about the task
Description Writing
- Use third person: "Analyzes..." not "I analyze..."
- Include both what it does AND when to use it
- Mention specific trigger phrases
Instruction Clarity
- Start with immediate action, no preamble
- Use numbered steps for complex workflows
- Provide specific examples, not abstract descriptions
- Include default values and recommended approaches
Content Organization
- Keep skills focused on one primary task
- Split complex workflows into multiple skills
- Use checklists for multi-step processes
- Include executable scripts only when necessary
Avoid These Mistakes:
- Creating overly broad skills that try to do everything
- Using vague descriptions without clear triggers
- Writing in first or second person ("I do..." or "You can...")
- Including too many options instead of recommended defaults
- Making skills too long (aim for ~500 lines max)
- Forgetting to test with real scenarios before deployment
Technical Issues:
- Not enabling code execution when skills require it
- Using incorrect YAML frontmatter format
- Missing concrete examples in instructions
- Creating skills that duplicate existing Anthropic capabilities