SuanSupply
The short version
- Claude skills are folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads only when a task needs them. Each skill has a SKILL.md file with a name, a description and step-by-step instructions.
- Anthropic launched them as Agent Skills on October 16, 2025. They work in the Claude apps, Claude Code and the Claude API.
- Claude ships with built-in skills for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files. You can also upload your own as a ZIP file.
- Skills need the Code execution and file creation setting turned on. Only install skills from sources you trust.
- Below are three free skills for small sellers you can download: a pricing check, a supplier quote request and an invoice payment reminder.
What are Claude skills?
A Claude skill is a folder that teaches Claude how to do one kind of task the same way every time. Anthropic's help center describes skills as "folders of instructions, scripts, and resources", which Claude loads dynamically to do specialized tasks better and more consistently. A skill can be as small as one text file of instructions, or it can bundle templates, reference files and code.
The key idea is that Claude does not read every skill all the time. It reads a short summary of each one, and opens the full instructions only when your request matches. That is why you can have many skills installed without filling up the conversation.
How do Claude skills work?
Anthropic's documentation calls this progressive disclosure: a skill loads in three levels, and each level loads only when it is needed.
| Level | What loads | When | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Metadata | The skill's name and description | Always, at the start | About 100 tokens per skill |
| 2. Instructions | The body of SKILL.md | When your request matches the description | Under 5,000 tokens |
| 3. Resources | Extra files and scripts in the folder | Only if the instructions call for them | Scripts run; only their output enters the chat |
Source: Anthropic, Agent Skills overview (platform.claude.com docs), read October 18, 2026.
Our own count from those limits: with 20 skills installed, the always-loaded part is roughly 20 × 100 = 2,000 tokens. A single 5,000-token skill body loads only in the conversations that use it. Skills you do not use cost very little.
What goes in a SKILL.md file?
Every skill needs a file called SKILL.md. It starts with a short header (YAML frontmatter) with two required fields, then plain instructions in Markdown.
| Field | Required | Rules |
|---|---|---|
name | Yes | Up to 64 characters: lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only. Cannot contain "anthropic" or "claude". |
description | Yes | Up to 1,024 characters. Say what the skill does and when to use it: Claude uses this text to decide when to load the skill. |
Source: Anthropic, Agent Skills overview, read October 18, 2026.
Here is a simple example for a small online shop. It is a teaching example to show the format, not an official Anthropic skill.
--- name: product-description-writer description: Writes product descriptions for an online shop in the shop's house style. Use when the user asks for a product description, listing text or a product page. --- # Product description writer 1. Ask for the product name, materials, size and who it is for, if missing. 2. Open with one sentence that says what the product is and who it helps. 3. List 3 to 5 benefits as short bullets. No claims the shop cannot prove. 4. End with size, materials and care in a plain list. 5. Keep it under 150 words. Use US English.
To share it, put SKILL.md in a folder with the same name as the skill (here, product-description-writer) and zip the folder.
How do you add a skill in Claude?
- Turn on code executionSkills need the Code execution and file creation setting. On Enterprise plans, an owner first enables code execution, file creation and Skills in Admin settings > Capabilities.
- Open the skills settingsIn the Claude app, go to Customize > Skills. Some help articles still show the older path, Settings > Capabilities > Skills. Menus move, so use whichever your app shows.
- Add a skillBrowse the skills on offer, or choose Upload skill and select your ZIP file. The folder name should match the skill's
name. - Use itJust ask for the task. Claude loads the skill when your request matches its description. You can switch a skill off at any time in the same menu.
In Claude Code, skills live as folders in ~/.claude/skills/ (yours) or .claude/skills/ (one project), or come with plugins. Developers can also manage skills through the Claude API. Anthropic notes that custom skills do not sync between the apps, Claude Code and the API: add them in each place you use them.
Free Claude skills for small sellers
Here are three skills you can download and upload today. Each one is a single SKILL.md file in a ZIP, ready for Customize > Skills > Upload skill. Read them first, as you should with any skill: they are short, plain instructions with no scripts and no outside links.
| Skill | What it does | Pairs with | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| pricing-check | Checks whether a price covers your costs, fees and a fair margin, shows the math, and suggests break-even, 30%, 50% and 60% margin prices. | Profit margin calculator | pricing-check.zip |
| supplier-quote-request | Writes a short, clear email to a factory asking for unit prices at each quantity, MOQ, lead time, samples and payment terms. | Supplier message templates | supplier-quote-request.zip |
| invoice-payment-reminder | Drafts a polite reminder for an unpaid invoice at the right stage: friendly nudge, firm reminder or final notice. It never threatens legal action unless you ask. | Invoice Generator | invoice-payment-reminder.zip |
Free to use and adapt. Not made or endorsed by Anthropic. Versiones en español: revision-de-precios, solicitud-presupuesto-proveedor y recordatorio-pago-factura.
After uploading, test a skill with a real case, for example "Is $24 a good price? Materials $6, packaging $1.50, Etsy fees about $2.40, shipping paid by the buyer." If Claude does not pick the skill up, mention it by name once.
Which Claude plans have skills?
As of October 18, 2026, Anthropic's help center lists skills for the Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and its "What are skills?" article and pricing page also list the Free plan. Uploading your own skills is described for paid plans. Sharing skills across a whole organization is a Team and Enterprise feature. If you do not see Skills in your menu, check your plan and the code execution setting.
What skills come with Claude?
Anthropic includes skills for creating and editing Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, PowerPoint decks and PDFs. Claude uses them automatically when a task needs one, so you do not install anything. Anthropic's launch post also describes a skill-creator skill that helps you build your own.
Anthropic publishes example skills on GitHub at github.com/anthropics/skills. The examples are open source under Apache 2.0; the document skills are source-available. In December 2025 Anthropic also published Agent Skills as an open standard at agentskills.io. The standard's site lists other AI tools that read the same format.
What is the difference between skills, MCP, Projects and custom instructions?
| Feature | What it gives Claude | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Skills | Know-how: how to do a task, step by step | Only when a task matches |
| MCP connectors | Access to outside tools and data (your email, CRM, files) | When Claude needs to read or act in that tool |
| Projects | Background knowledge and files for one project | Always, inside that project |
| Custom instructions | General preferences about how Claude answers | In every conversation |
Based on Anthropic's help article "What are skills?", read October 18, 2026.
They work together. A connector can pull your sales data from a tool, and a skill can tell Claude how you like that data turned into a weekly report.
Are Claude skills safe to download?
A skill can contain code and instructions that Claude follows. Anthropic advises installing skills only from trusted sources, and reading the SKILL.md file, any scripts and any images first. Be careful with skills that tell Claude to connect to outside websites: the main risks are prompt injection and data leaks.
A large folder of thousands of downloaded skills is mostly a risk, not a feature. A few skills you have read, that match how you actually work, do more.
Running a small business?
Our free guides cover the numbers behind the work: profit margin, markup and how to start a small business. And if you want to know what Claude itself costs a business, read Claude for Small Business explained.
Frequently asked questions
What are Claude skills?
Folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads only when a task needs them. Each one has a SKILL.md file with a name, a description and instructions. Anthropic launched them as Agent Skills on October 16, 2025.
Are Claude skills free?
Skills are a feature of Claude, not a separate purchase. As of October 2026 Anthropic's help center lists them for Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, and some of its pages also list the Free plan. They need the Code execution and file creation setting turned on.
How do I create my own Claude skill?
Write a SKILL.md file with a name (up to 64 lowercase characters) and a description of what it does and when to use it, then the instructions. Put it in a folder with the same name, zip the folder and upload it under Customize > Skills. Claude also has a skill-creator skill that can help.
What is the difference between Claude skills and MCP?
MCP connectors give Claude access to outside tools and data. Skills give Claude know-how: the steps for doing a task. You can use both together.
Do Claude skills work in Claude Code?
Yes. Put skill folders in ~/.claude/skills/ for all your projects or .claude/skills/ for one project, or install them with plugins. Custom skills do not sync between the Claude apps, Claude Code and the API.
Where can I get free Claude skills for my business?
Anthropic publishes example skills on GitHub (github.com/anthropics/skills), and the Claude app lets you browse skills under Customize > Skills. This page also has three free skills for small sellers: pricing-check, supplier-quote-request and invoice-payment-reminder. Read any skill before you install it.
Do skills use up my Claude usage?
Very little until they are used. Only each skill's name and description, about 100 tokens, load at the start. The full instructions load only when a task calls for the skill.
General information as of October 18, 2026, from Anthropic's help center and documentation. Menus and plan details change; check Anthropic's help center for the current version. SuanSupply is not affiliated with Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic.