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MasterAI Skills
Skills turn a capable model into a reliable specialist. Learn what Agent Skills are, how the SKILL.md format works, and how to use and build your own — start to finish.
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What Is an AI Skill?
A skill is a small folder that teaches an AI agent how to do one job well — and then loads itself only when that job comes up. A prompt is something you say; a skill is something your agent knows.
Instructions
Plain-Markdown rules and steps that tell the agent how to do the task the way you want it done.
Context
Optional reference files — a style guide, an API cheat sheet — the agent pulls in only when it needs the detail.
Tools
Optional scripts the agent can actually run, so a skill can do things — not just describe them.
The one-line version
Skills (Anthropic calls them Agent Skills) are the missing layer between a one-off prompt and a full custom app. You write the expertise once, and every future conversation can use it. Prefer the long read? What Are AI Skills and How to Use Them.
Guided Lessons
Your Complete Skills Path
Click any lesson to expand it. Work through them in order, or jump straight to what you need.
Strip away the jargon and a skill is three things bundled in one folder: instructions, optional context files, and optional runnable scripts. At its center is a single Markdown file named SKILL.md.
The agent does not read all of it all the time. It reads a one-line summary first, decides whether the skill is relevant, and only then loads the rest. That on-demand behaviour is the whole trick — and it is why you can have dozens of skills installed without slowing anything down.
Mental model
A prompt is something you say. A skill is something your agent knows. Once a skill is installed, the knowledge is simply there, every time.
Keep learning
Prompt Engineering
Skills are built on good instructions. Master prompting first.
AI Automation
Combine skills into automated workflows and agents.
Skills Marketplace
Browse and install free, open-source skills.
What Are AI Skills
The full explainer, in blog form.
Create a Claude Skill
The complete step-by-step build.
Submit a Skill
Built something great? Share it with the community.
Put a skill to work today
Install a free, open-source skill from the marketplace, or build and publish your own.