ChatGPT skills are reusable workflows, made of instructions, examples and sometimes code, that ChatGPT uses automatically when they fit your request. You find them under Plugins in the sidebar, then the Skills tab in the Plugin Directory, and you can create one with chat, build one in the editor or upload one from your computer. OpenAI says skills are available to eligible ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu users, depending on workspace settings.
If you've ever pasted the same long set of instructions into ChatGPT for the fifth time that week, skills are the fix. You write the workflow once, install it, and ChatGPT picks it up whenever a task matches.
Here's how it works, based on OpenAI's own help articles, plus the parts of the setup that aren't obvious until you hit them.
Who can use ChatGPT skills
This is the first thing to check, because it's where most confusion starts. OpenAI lists skills for eligible Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu users, subject to workspace settings and product availability. If you're on a personal plan and can't see a Skills tab, that's likely why.
Skills can also be supported in Codex and other OpenAI products, but OpenAI notes that availability, installation and syncing can differ by product and surface.
Skills, apps and plugins: what's the difference?
| Piece | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Skill | Reusable instructions, examples and scripts for a task | Write our weekly client update in house style |
| App | Connects ChatGPT to an outside service | Your Slack or project tool |
| Plugin | Bundles skills, apps or both for a job | A project updates plugin that reads Slack and uses a report skill |
So a skill is the know-how, an app is the connection, and a plugin is the package. A plugin can contain only skills and need no app connection at all.
Where to find your skills
- In the ChatGPT sidebar, select Plugins.
- In the Plugin Directory, select the Skills tab.
- Browse Installed, Created by me, Shared with me and the skills shared by your workspace.
Eligible accounts come with one skill already in place: skill-creator. When you ask ChatGPT to create or change a skill, it uses skill-creator automatically to help generate, update or troubleshoot it.
Three ways to create a skill
- Create with chat. Go to Skills, select Create, then Create with chat. Or just ask ChatGPT to make a skill in a normal conversation. It asks follow-up questions and then prompts you to install it.
- Create with editor. Select Create, then Create with editor, to build and manage the skill by hand.
- Upload from your computer. Select Create, then Upload from your computer, for a skill you've already written.
For most people, chat is the easiest start. Try something like this:
Copy this prompt
Create a skill called client-update.
Use it whenever I ask for a weekly client update.
Structure: what we did this week, what's next, anything we need from the client.
Tone: warm, plain English, no jargon, under 250 words.
Always ask me for the client name and this week's notes if I haven't given them.
What happens when you upload a skill
This is the sourced detail most guides skip. When you upload a skill, ChatGPT scans it before it becomes available. Most are ready as soon as the scan finishes, but some are marked Needs Review, which means you'll see extra information to check before using it, and anything that looks risky is marked Blocked and can't be used.
OpenAI is clear that the scan doesn't replace your own judgement. Skills can include instructions, supporting files and code, so review any skill you downloaded or were sent by another organisation before you upload it.
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Sharing skills with your team
From the Skills tab, open the more options menu (the three dots) on a skill and select Share. You can search for people or groups, copy a sharing link, or limit access to specific people. You can also publish a skill to your workspace library so everyone uses the same workflow.
Admins on Enterprise and Edu decide who can do what. The permissions OpenAI lists are: enable skills, enable skill uploading, share skills, publish skills to the workspace, and install skills for other members so they're used automatically. If a button is missing, that's usually an admin setting, not a bug.
Using skills inside Office apps
Skills aren't limited to the main chat. In ChatGPT for PowerPoint, OpenAI says you click the plus button to reach skills and apps, then select a skill or type @ to invoke it in your prompt. That's handy for repeatable deck formats.
Getting more out of them
- Write one skill per job. A skill that tries to do everything won't trigger reliably.
- Put the trigger words in the description, so ChatGPT knows when to use it.
- Keep your brand rules in one skill and reuse it, instead of repeating them in every prompt.
- Review what a skill produces for the first few runs before you trust it with client work.
Skills work best alongside the other ways ChatGPT remembers things. If you haven't set those up, my guide to ChatGPT memory explains what it keeps between chats, and my ChatGPT power user workflow shows how the pieces fit together.
My verdict: if your business is on a Business plan, skills are the quickest way to stop retyping instructions and get consistent output across a team. Start with your most repeated task. If you'd like help mapping your processes into skills, that's what I do in my one-to-one AI sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What are skills in ChatGPT?
Skills are reusable, shareable workflows that help ChatGPT complete specific tasks more consistently. A skill can include instructions, examples and code, and ChatGPT uses it automatically when it's helpful.
Who can use ChatGPT skills?
OpenAI says skills are available to eligible ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Healthcare and Edu users, subject to workspace settings and product availability.
Where are skills in ChatGPT?
Select Plugins in the sidebar, then the Skills tab in the Plugin Directory.
Why is my uploaded skill blocked?
ChatGPT scans uploaded skills. Some are marked Needs Review and anything that appears to pose a risk is marked Blocked and can't be used.
What is the difference between a skill and a plugin in ChatGPT?
A skill provides reusable instructions. A plugin can bundle skills, apps that connect to outside services, or both.
