To create a Claude skill, write a folder containing a SKILL.md file with a name and a description, ZIP that folder, and upload it in Customize, then Skills, then Create skill, then Upload a skill. If you'd rather not write it yourself, ask Claude to use its skill-creator skill, or record yourself doing the task in Cowork on a Mac and let Claude propose the skill.
Skills are folders of instructions that Claude loads when a task matches them. You don't need to code to make one; the Help Center says simple skills are just instructions written in Markdown. What trips people up is the packaging, the description and the testing, so that's where this walkthrough spends its time.
Three ways to make a skill
| Route | Best for | What you need, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Write it yourself | Short workflows you can describe in clear steps | Any plan with code execution on, and a text editor |
| Ask skill-creator | Your first skill, or one you'll rely on every week | Skills enabled; Claude interviews you and writes the files |
| Record a skill | Screen tasks that are easier to show than explain | Pro, Max or Team plan, in Cowork in Claude for Mac |
Recording is the newest route and the most limited. It's only available on Pro, Max and Team plans, only in Cowork in Claude for Mac, and not in chat, on Windows, or on Free and Enterprise plans. You start it from the plus button in the composer (Record a skill) or from Customize, then Skills, then Add, then Record your screen. A recording can run for about 10 minutes, with a countdown in the last minute. Narrate as you go, because your voice gives Claude reasons it can't see on screen. When you click Done, Claude proposes either a new skill or an update to one you already have, and you Save, Update or Dismiss it. The video and audio aren't kept afterwards; a set of screenshots is saved in the Cowork task. Don't type passwords or show anything private while recording, because everything on screen and everything you say is captured.
skill-creator is Anthropic's skill for building skills. Anthropic describes it as interactive: Claude asks about your workflow, generates the folder structure, formats the SKILL.md file and bundles the resources you need, with no manual file editing. Ask Claude to use the skill-creator skill and describe the job.
Step by step: the hand-written route
- Pick one repeatable task. The Help Center's advice is that the best skills solve a specific, repeatable task and focus on one workflow rather than trying to do everything.
- Create a folder named after the skill in lowercase with hyphens, for example weekly-sales-summary.
- Inside it, create a file called SKILL.md. Start it with YAML frontmatter holding two fields: name and description. The name can be up to 64 characters; the Platform docs say lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only, and no use of the words anthropic or claude.
- Write the description so it says what the skill does and when to use it. Keep it under 200 characters, the Help Center limit, even though the Platform docs allow 1,024.
- Below the frontmatter, write the instructions as plain numbered steps, and include an example of a good input and output so Claude can see what success looks like.
- If you've got long reference material, such as a price list or a style guide, put it in a separate file like REFERENCE.md in the same folder and mention it in SKILL.md. Keep SKILL.md itself under 500 lines.
- Never paste API keys or passwords into a skill. If the skill needs another service, use a connection to that service instead.
Package and upload it
- Check that the folder name matches the skill name exactly.
- Create a ZIP of the folder. The ZIP has to contain the folder as its root, not loose files sitting in the ZIP.
- In Claude, go to Customize, then Skills, click the plus button, choose Create skill, then Upload a skill.
- Upload the ZIP. The skill appears in your list, where you can toggle it on or off.
Claude Code works differently: there's nothing to upload. Save the folder at ~/.claude/skills/weekly-sales-summary/SKILL.md for a personal skill, or in .claude/skills/ inside a project to share it with that project. If you sign in to Claude Code with the same Claude account, version 2.1.273 or later also loads the skills you've enabled in Claude. The API is separate again: a skill uploaded to claude.ai has to be uploaded to the API on its own.
Test it before you trust it
Test a skill the way Claude will meet it, not the way you wrote it. Before uploading, reread SKILL.md for clarity, check the description says when to use it, and make sure every file it mentions exists where it says. After uploading:
- Make sure the skill is toggled on in Customize, then Skills.
- Try several different prompts that should trigger it, worded the way you'd normally ask.
- Read Claude's thinking to confirm it's loading the skill.
- If it doesn't fire, rewrite the description before you touch the instructions.
When you're refining a skill in chat, you can edit the files where they open beside the conversation: highlight the text, click Edit with Claude and say what to change. Anthropic's advice is to test after each significant change rather than building something complex all at once.
When a skill won't upload or won't fire
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Upload fails | ZIP over the size limit, folder name doesn't match, missing SKILL.md, or invalid characters in the name or description | Fix the one that applies and upload again |
| Skills section missing or greyed out | Code execution is off for you or your organisation | Turn on Code execution and file creation in Settings, then Capabilities, or ask your owner |
| No option to create or upload | On Team or Enterprise, an owner has turned off User-created skills, or your custom role lacks Create skills | Ask your organisation owner |
| Claude ignores the skill | It's toggled off, or the description doesn't say when to use it | Toggle it on, sharpen the description, or ask more directly |
Asking more directly works as a quick check: "Use my weekly sales summary skill on these figures." If it fires when named but not otherwise, the description is the problem.
The route I'd take
I'd use skill-creator for your first skill, then open the SKILL.md it writes and edit it by hand, so you learn the structure without starting from a blank page. Skip recording unless you're a Mac user in Cowork with a screen task that's quicker to show than to explain. And remember the difference between a skill and a connection: a skill teaches Claude how to do a job, while MCP connects Claude to your other tools. If you're new to Cowork, start with my guide to using Claude Cowork, and for the bigger picture, see what Claude skills are and when they help.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I create a Claude skill?
Write a folder with a SKILL.md file containing a name, a description and instructions, ZIP the folder with the folder as its root, then upload it in Customize, then Skills, then Create skill, then Upload a skill.
Can Claude create a skill for me?
Yes. Ask Claude to use the skill-creator skill. It asks about your workflow, generates the folder structure, formats the SKILL.md file and bundles the resources.
Can I record a Claude skill instead of writing it?
Yes, on Pro, Max and Team plans in Cowork in Claude for Mac. A recording can run for about 10 minutes, and the video and audio aren't kept afterwards.
Why won't my Claude skill upload?
The Help Center lists four common causes: the ZIP is over the size limit, the folder name doesn't match the skill name, SKILL.md is missing, or the name or description has invalid characters.
Why isn't Claude using my skill?
Check it's toggled on, check the description says clearly when it should be used, and try naming the skill in your request.
