Claude Agent Skills
Unlock Claude with modular skills
Claude Skills package rich instructions, scripts, and assets that agents can pull in on demand. Ship reusable expertise bundles that stay portable across Claude surfaces while meeting enterprise governance standards.
Why skills matter for modern agents
Anthropic introduced Agent Skills so builders can curate domain-specific workflows without retraining models. Each skill provides structured know-how while keeping the core model general-purpose, delivering faster iteration and tighter governance.
- Bundle SOPs, recipes, and compliance guardrails in a format that Claude understands natively.
- Enable teams to iterate on automation without waiting for core agent updates or prompt rewrites.
- Wire together multi-step processes that combine MCP tools, external APIs, and human review checkpoints.
Skill package anatomy
SKILL.md acts as the orchestrator, telling Claude when to activate, how to proceed, and which resources to consult. Additional files extend capabilities while staying sandboxed.
Metadata
Each SKILL.md starts with YAML describing the skill, activation guidance, and key constraints.
Instruction layer
Structured prompts, examples, and checklists guide Claude when the skill is invoked.
Resource layer
Optional scripts, templates, schemas, or documents provide deeper context on demand.
Source: Anthropic Agent Skills overview
Composable skill graph
Claude dynamically assembles the right mix of skills for a request, avoiding redundancy while keeping context synchronized.
Portable across surfaces
One skill package runs across Claude.ai, Claude Code, the Agent SDK, and the Claude API without extra configuration.
Performance aware
Progressive disclosure ensures Claude only loads instructions and assets when needed, preserving fast responses.
Enterprise ready
Skill policies, review workflows, and fine-grained permissions keep sensitive data protected at scale.
Launch highlights
- Agent Skills launched to all Claude products in December 2024, introducing cross-surface portability.
- New /v1/skills API operations enable provisioning, auditing, and lifecycle automation.
- Skill Creator templates accelerate authoring with guardrails and best-practice scaffolding.
- Anthropic partnerships (Box, Canva, Notion) showcase enterprise-grade deployments.
Sample SKILL.md scaffold
--- name: brand-guidelines version: 1.2.0 owner: marketing-ops@company.com description: | Enforce brand tone, terminology, and layout rules for all outbound assets. when_to_use: | Apply this skill whenever Claude drafts or reviews customer-facing content. dependencies: - ./style-guardrails.md - ./palette.json --- # Execution brief 1. Audit prompt for brand voice compliance. 2. Apply approved typography, color, and messaging rules. 3. Summarize deviations and request human approval if required.
Impactful skill workflows
Document intelligence
Automate generation, review, and compliance checks for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF files.
Governed creativity
Bundle brand guidelines, tone rules, and reusable assets so teams produce on-brand artifacts.
Engineering accelerators
Ship automation skills for test orchestration, MCP server bootstrapping, and artifact deployment.
Data-driven insights
Codify pipelines that combine structured analysis notebooks with decision-ready summaries.
Curated skill catalog
Anthropic publishes reference skills you can clone, remix, or extend. Organize your own catalog in a similar hierarchy so teams quickly discover the right accelerators.
Operational guardrails
Treat skills as production code. Establish review boards, automate testing, and audit access routinely so Claude agents execute reliably and safely.
Review before install
Evaluate every script and data dependency to block privilege escalation vectors.
Use least privilege
Scope access tokens and external connectors to the minimum viable surface area.
Version intentionally
Tag releases, archive change logs, and rotate credentials in CI/CD runs.
Guard custom code
Instrument scripts with logging and tests before exposing them to production agents.
Skill deployment checklist
- Draft SKILL.md with activation criteria and guardrails.
- Attach scripts and assets; lint and unit test them in CI.
- Submit for security and compliance review before rollout.
- Publish to the Claude workspace catalog with version tags.
- Monitor usage telemetry and iterate based on feedback.
Build once, reuse everywhere.