Question 1

What exactly is a skill?

Accepted Answer

A folder containing a SKILL.md file of instructions, plus any scripts or reference files the task needs. An agent reads the instructions when the task calls for it and runs the scripts as part of the work, so the result follows your method rather than the model's guess.

Question 2

What are Claude skills?

Accepted Answer

Claude skills, which Anthropic calls Agent Skills, use this same folder format, with a SKILL.md file holding a name, a description and instructions, plus optional files. Anthropic published the format as an open standard, so a skill written for Claude also works with other agents that read it.

Question 3

Can I use these skills as Claude Code skills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Claude Code reads skills from a skills folder in your project or home directory. Install skills from the registry or your workspace there, and Claude Code uses them just like any skill you wrote yourself, alongside the agents on the platform.

Question 4

Do skills work outside the platform?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Skills use the open agent skills format, which Claude Code, Codex and other agents also read. You are never locked in, because a skill you write here can be copied into a repository and used anywhere the format is supported.

Question 5

Can I keep skills private?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Skills you write stay in your workspace unless you choose to publish them. Your team and the agents you allow can use them, and nothing reaches the public registry without a deliberate decision on your side.

Question 6

How do I write a good skill?

Accepted Answer

Start with one task your team repeats. Describe when the skill applies in a single sentence, then write the steps as you would explain them to a new colleague, with examples of good output. Move long reference material into separate files and add scripts for anything that must be exact.

Question 7

What is the difference between a skill and an MCP server?

Accepted Answer

An MCP server gives an agent access to an app or system, such as your calendar or accounting software. A skill tells the agent how to do a task, such as preparing the board report from those numbers. Useful agents combine both, with connections for access and skills for method.

Question 8

Are skills from the registry safe to install?

Accepted Answer

A skill can contain scripts, so read it before you install it, as you would any code from the internet. Check what the scripts do and which tools the instructions ask for. Many teams copy a registry skill into their own workspace, review and adjust it, then let agents use it.

Question 9

How do agents know when to use a skill?

Accepted Answer

Each skill starts with a short name and description. Agents keep those descriptions in view and load the full instructions only when a task matches, which keeps the context small. A clear, specific description is therefore the most important line in any skill.

Question 10

Can I version skills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A skill is a folder of plain files, so you can keep it in Git, review changes in pull requests and roll back a version that made results worse. Publishing to your workspace then makes the agreed version available to every agent your team runs.

Question 11

Do skills work with open-weight models?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A skill is instructions and files, not model-specific code, so agents on the platform use skills with any of its open-weight models. Larger models follow long, multi-step skills more reliably, so test a skill on the model you plan to run it with.

Question 12

How do I share a skill with my team?

Accepted Answer

Publish it to your workspace. Every agent your team runs can then use it, and colleagues can install it in Claude Code or another agent. When you publish an update, the whole team works from the new version.

Claude skills and agent skills that teach your AI agents how your team does a task

How it works

A registry to start from

Write your own in plain language

Shared across your team

An open format

Scripts and reference files

Loaded only when needed

Skills teams write first

Reporting

Contract and policy checks

House style

Runbooks and routines

Skills: common questions

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