Claude Code Skills
Claude Code skills areSKILL.md files with YAML frontmatter and Markdown instructions. Claude discovers them at startup and autonomously invokes the right skill based on context.
Skill Locations
Creating a Skill
Create a directory with aSKILL.md file inside:
SKILL.md file has YAML frontmatter followed by Markdown instructions:
description field is what Claude uses to decide when to invoke the skill. Make it specific.
Invoking Skills
Claude invokes skills automatically when a user request matches the skill’s description. You can also trigger them explicitly with slash commands:Copilot Skills
Copilot skills are directories containing askill.json manifest, prompt files, and optional tool definitions.
Structure
skill.json
Loading Skills
Skills are loaded from configured directories when a Copilot session starts. You can disable specific skills by name if needed.Tips
- Write clear descriptions — the agent uses them to decide when to invoke a skill
- Limit tool access — only grant the tools a skill actually needs
- Keep skills focused — one skill per domain works better than a catch-all
- Version project skills — commit
.claude/skills/so your whole team benefits
