How to Create Skills in Claude

Claude Skills Overview

• Claude Skill: Reusable manual for Claude AI. Resolves prompt inconsistency. Packages instructions, rules, resources into skills.md.
• Tools: Browser okay for simple skills. Claude desktop application Co-work tab required for advanced testing, code execution, optimization.

Creation Workflow

• Access: Click "Customized" > "Toolbox" > "Skills".
• Generation: Click plus button > "Create with Claude" (launches pre-loaded skills creator skill).
• Input: Provide high-level prompt, attach reference files (e.g., example transcript, desired output format).
• Output: Claude generates skills.md. Contains:
  • Description: Metadata used by Claude to auto-select skill.
  • Rules: Strict behavioral boundaries.
  • Process: Sequential execution steps.
  • Output Example: Target format template.
• Save: Click "Copy to skills" to register in library.

Testing and Refinement (Co-work Tab)

• Process: Claude Co-work runs programmatic test cases.
• Benchmark: Compares baseline Claude against Claude using custom skill. Generates HTML benchmark report.
• Edge Cases: Adjusts skills.md instructions for long files (e.g., hour-long videos) or variable input formats.

Execution

• Shortcut: Press Shift + Command + O (Mac) for new chat.
• Trigger: Use explicit skill name (e.g., "use YouTube chapter skill to parse this transcript").