How to install a skill in Claude (claude.ai and Claude Code)

A skill is a folder of instructions that teaches Claude one job, like turning meeting notes into minutes, proofreading an essay or reviewing code. Once it's installed, Claude uses it whenever your request matches, so you don't have to paste the same long prompt every time.

Installing one takes a couple of minutes. This guide covers claude.ai and Claude Code, using the Meeting Minutes skill as the example.

Before you start

• Read the skill first. A skill is instructions Claude follows, and some include scripts Claude may run. Only install skills from sources you trust. On Skillshelf, every file is shown under the skill's Files tab, so you can read it before installing anything.
• Download the .zip. Click Download on the skill's page. You get meeting-minutes.zip, which holds one folder, meeting-minutes, with a SKILL.md inside and sometimes a template or script.

Install a skill on claude.ai

Skills work on every plan, including Free.

1. Turn on code execution. Skills need it. Go to Settings → Capabilities and turn on Code execution and file creation (called Create and edit files in the newer Settings layout). On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner controls this in the organization settings.
2. Open Customize → Skills.
3. Click +, then + Create skill, then Upload a skill.
4. Choose the .zip you downloaded. Upload the .zip itself. Don't unzip it first.
5. Check that it's on. The skill appears in the list with a toggle next to it. Claude can only use skills that are switched on.

Using Safari on a Mac? Safari unzips downloads by default, so you may find a meeting-minutes folder in Downloads instead of a .zip. Right-click the folder and choose Compress "meeting-minutes", then upload the .zip that creates.

Try it

Start a new chat and ask for the job the skill does. For Meeting Minutes, paste some rough notes:

notes from sprint sync tues:
jen says the api is running late, maybe fri?
we agreed to drop dark mode from v1
sam will email the vendor re: pricing

Claude reads each skill's description and uses the skill when your request matches. If it doesn't, name the skill in your request: "Use the meeting-minutes skill on these notes."

Install a skill in Claude Code

Claude Code looks for skills in two places:

The quick way: Install in Claude Code

If you have the Claude desktop app, click Install in Claude Code on a Skillshelf skill page. It opens Claude Code with an install request already typed in: download the .zip, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/, and show you the skill's description. Nothing happens until you send the message, and Claude Code still asks before downloading or writing any files.

By hand

Unzip the download into your personal skills folder.

On macOS or Linux:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
unzip ~/Downloads/meeting-minutes.zip -d ~/.claude/skills

On Windows, in PowerShell:

Expand-Archive "$HOME\Downloads\meeting-minutes.zip" -DestinationPath "$HOME\.claude\skills"

Either way, the skill ends up at ~/.claude/skills/meeting-minutes/SKILL.md. Watch out for an extra folder level, such as ~/.claude/skills/meeting-minutes/meeting-minutes/SKILL.md. Windows' Extract All adds one by default, and Claude Code won't find a skill that's nested too deep.

To share a skill with everyone on a project, put it in the repository's .claude/skills/ folder instead, and commit it.

Check that it loaded

Claude Code picks up new and changed skills during a session, without a restart. Run /skills to see the list.

If ~/.claude/skills didn't exist when your session started, Claude Code isn't watching it yet. Run /reload-skills, or start a new session.

To use the skill, just ask for the job it does, or type /meeting-minutes to run it directly.

Already uploaded it to claude.ai?

Then you may not need to install it again. When you sign in to Claude Code (version 2.1.273 or later) with the same Claude account, it syncs the skills from that account. They show up under claude.ai sync when you run /skills, and changes come through about every 10 minutes.

Sync only goes from claude.ai to Claude Code. It doesn't work when Claude Code signs in with an API key or runs through a cloud provider such as Amazon Bedrock.

Fixes for common problems

There's no Skills section, or skills are greyed out. Code execution is off, either in your Settings → Capabilities or, on Team and Enterprise plans, for the whole organization.

The upload is rejected. Check that:

• you uploaded a .zip with the skill's folder inside it, not a loose SKILL.md;
• the folder name matches the name in SKILL.md (Skillshelf downloads always do);
• the .zip isn't too large;
• the skill's name and description don't contain unusual characters.

"Unexpected key(s) in SKILL.md frontmatter." The skill uses settings that only Claude Code understands, such as argument-hint or context. claude.ai accepts only name, description, license, compatibility, metadata and allowed-tools at the top of SKILL.md. Install the skill in Claude Code instead, or delete the other lines from the top of SKILL.md and zip the folder again.

Claude doesn't use the skill. Make sure its toggle is on, then name the skill in your request. In Claude Code, check that /skills lists it. If it's missing, look for an extra folder level.

You can't upload on a Team or Enterprise plan. An owner may have turned off user-created skills, or your role may not include creating them. Ask an owner, or use the skills your organization provides.

Turn off or remove a skill

• On claude.ai: switch the skill off with its toggle in Customize → Skills. Claude can't use skills that are off.
• In Claude Code: delete the skill's folder from ~/.claude/skills/. To update a skill, replace the folder with the new version. Claude Code notices either change without a restart.

Good skills to start with

Every Skillshelf original comes with a real example of the skill at work, and shows every file before you download it. A few that are useful from day one:

• Meeting Minutes turns messy notes into decisions, owners and due dates.
• Proofreader fixes grammar, spelling and punctuation, and explains each fix in one line.
• Study Planner builds a day-by-day schedule up to your exam, with spaced review and practice tests.
• Code Review checks a diff for bugs and risks, most serious first, each with a concrete fix.

Or browse every skill, or start with the skills for work.