Skills are markdown files with instructions that Claude Code executes as slash commands. You create a SKILL.md file in a folder, and invoke it with /skill-name. The process stays conversational: you can intervene, correct, and redirect while Claude works through the steps.
For a complete guide with advanced patterns, positional arguments, subagent forking, and dynamic context injection, see the full skills article.
It's not a blind script. It's a guided conversation with predictable steps. This very tip was generated with a skill.
A /review-component example:
/review-component src/components/SearchBar.vue
Reviewing SearchBar.vue against 5 criteria...
| Criterion | Severity | Finding |
|-----------------|----------|------------------------------------|
| Structure | Low | Logic and template well separated |
| Props | Medium | Missing default value for query |
| Accessibility | High | No role="search" on the form |
Setup
1. Create the skill directory
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/review-component
2. Write the SKILL.md
---
name: review-component
description: Review a frontend component against quality criteria.
argument-hint: [path-to-component]
---
Review the component at $ARGUMENTS against these criteria:
1. **Structure**: Clear separation of logic, template, and styles?
2. **Props**: Properly typed? Default values where applicable?
3. **Accessibility**: ARIA roles, labels, keyboard navigation?
Present findings in a table with a severity column.
3. Invoke it
/review-component src/components/SearchBar.vue
Claude applies the same criteria every time, in the same order, with the same output format.
Reference
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
name |
Slash command name (lowercase, numbers, hyphens only) |
description |
When to use the skill. Claude uses this to decide whether to load it automatically |
argument-hint |
Autocomplete hint ([issue-number], [path]) |
disable-model-invocation |
true so only you can invoke it |
context |
fork to run in an isolated subagent |
$ARGUMENTS |
Replaced with whatever you type after the command |
Where to store skills
| Location | Path | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md |
All your projects |
| Project | .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md |
This project only |
Personal skills are the most practical starting point. They work across any project with no extra configuration.
Tip: Start with the instructions you always copy and paste. Put them in a
SKILL.md. That's your first skill. Later you can add arguments, subagent forking, dynamic context injection — but the first step is that markdown file.
Official docs: Extend Claude with skills