How do I know which skill I need?
You have asked your agent to “write it the way I do” a dozen times. Each time you paste the same rules. A skill is those rules saved in a file the agent follows every time, the way you would leave a recipe card for a new cook.
Start with yourself, not the catalogue. Write down five things you do often and want better help with: writing quotes, reading Search Console, planning posts. That is where a skill makes a difference.
Where do I look?
- Anthropic's own collection of skills on GitHub.
- Marketplaces you add to Claude Code with /plugin marketplace add. Then you see which skills and plugins they contain.
- GitHub searches for “claude skills” plus your task, such as “seo” or “proposal”.
- The documentation for skills in Claude Code, which shows how they are built.
I want help with [task]. Find three skills for Claude Code that do it. For each: who wrote it, when it was last updated, what it does, and which tools and files it can reach. Read SKILL.md and every script and say whether anything looks suspicious: network calls, secrets, code that is hard to read. Install nothing.
What do I check before I install?
A skill is instructions the agent follows and can include scripts that run on your computer. Treat it like software.
Safety check
Tick each one only when it is true.
Not yet 0/8
Do not install what you have not read.
Do not install what you have not read. Stars and downloads are clues, not proof.
How do I install it?
- As a folder: put the folder with SKILL.md in ~/.claude/skills/ for all your projects, or in .claude/skills/ inside one project.
- As a plugin: type /plugin marketplace add owner/repo and then /plugin install name.
Ask the agent which skills it has. The new one should be in the list.
How do I know a skill helps?
Run it on a real task and compare with your usual instruction. Is the result better, faster or closer to what you want? If not, remove it. Many skills at once makes it harder for the agent to choose the right one.
What becomes possible?
Skills make an agent work like a specialist in what you do. They can also become something you share or sell.
- A skill for your field that knows quote rules, tone and typical client questions.
- A skill that checks every text against your brand book before it is published.
- A skill you give to a client or colleague as part of how you work.
Look at what I have done with you in the last weeks: which three routines do I repeat that would make good skills? For each, sketch what it should do, which rules and examples it needs and who else would benefit from it.
Questions people ask
Is it dangerous to install skills?
It can be, since skills can contain scripts. That is why you read them first and only install from sources you trust.
How many skills are right?
As few as you need. Start with a few and add when you have a concrete need.
Sources
Who is writing this
I am Nathaniel, a commercial operator. For twenty years, across four continents and more than fifteen ventures, I have taken research and young companies from idea to customer. Two KTH spin-offs reached joint development agreements with Fortune 500 partners. An indoor farm sold its full production within about ninety days and ended in a joint venture exit. This year I am a commercial expert for the European Innovation Council's Tech to Market programme. Now I build agents, because the hard part of new technology is rarely the technology. It is getting people to want it and use it.
Want to do this together?
In two hours I can build this with you: The right skills.