Skill Creation Guide

structure.md

Technical specifications and file organization

• Directory structure patterns
• SKILL.md format and YAML frontmatter
• REFERENCE.md for supplemental content
• Resources and scripts organization
• Progressive disclosure architecture

api-usage.md

Programmatic access and team integration

• Messages API integration
• /v1/skills endpoint usage
• Team sharing strategies
• Version management
• Enterprise deployment

examples.md

Real-world use cases and implementations

• Official Anthropic skills repository examples
• Document processing (PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Brand guidelines enforcement
• Workflow automation
• Community examples

best-practices.md

Performance optimization and efficiency

• Token usage optimization
• Description writing guidelines
• Context management
• When to split content into multiple files
• Security considerations

troubleshooting.md

Common issues and solutions

• Installation problems
• Skill not activating
• Testing and debugging
• Performance issues
• Reloading skills

Quick Reference

Installation Locations:

• Personal Skills: ~/.claude/skills/ (all projects)
• Project Skills: .claude/skills/ (team shared)

Activation:

• Automatic based on description match
• No manual invocation required
• Up to 8 skills per request (API)

Reload Skills:

/reload-skills

Official Resources:

• GitHub: https://github.com/anthropics/skills
• Docs: https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills
• API: https://docs.claude.com/en/api/skills-guide

Minimum Requirements

A skill requires only:

1. A directory with your skill name
2. A SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter:

---