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How to use Claude skills and workflows
Skills teach Claude your repeatable processes once, so you stop re-explaining them. What skills are, where they work, how to turn them on, and three business workflows to start with.
If you find yourself pasting the same long instructions into Claude every week ("format the report like this, use these headings, check these numbers"), a skill is the fix. A skill packages instructions, examples, and helper files into a folder Claude can load whenever a task calls for it.
This guide covers what skills are, where they work, how to use them, and good first workflows. To build your own, see how to create a Claude skill.
What a skill is
A skill is a folder with a file called SKILL.md at its center. That file has a short name and description at the top, followed by instructions. The folder can also hold templates, reference documents, and scripts.
- Your request"Draft this week's pipeline report"
- Claude checks skill descriptionsOnly the short summaries
- Matching skill loadsFull instructions and files
- Result in your format
That last point is what makes skills efficient. Claude keeps only a brief summary of each skill in mind, so you can have many installed without slowing anything down. The detailed instructions, and any extra files, are read only when needed.
Skills vs. other ways to give Claude instructions
| What it is | Use it for | |
|---|---|---|
| A prompt | Instructions in one message | One-off tasks |
| A project | Shared instructions and documents for a set of conversations | Ongoing work on one client, product, or topic |
| A skill | A packaged process Claude loads when relevant, anywhere | Repeatable tasks done the same way every time |
Where skills work
- Claude apps (web, desktop, mobile). Anthropic's built-in skills for creating Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files are used automatically when you ask for those documents. You can also add your own skills (see below). Custom skills need a paid plan with code execution turned on, and are added per person.
- Claude Code. Skills live as folders on your computer or in a project's repository. You can call one directly by typing
/and its name, or let Claude pick it up automatically. - The Claude API. Developers can attach skills to requests in their own apps and automations.
Custom skills do not sync between these surfaces. A skill added in the Claude app needs to be added separately to Claude Code or the API.
How to turn skills on in the Claude app
- 1Open Settings and find the skills section. Make sure code execution is enabled, since skills depend on it.
- 2Upload a custom skill as a zip file containing its folder.
- 3Toggle individual skills on or off at any time.
Once a skill is on, you do not need to mention it. Ask for the task in plain language and Claude uses the matching skill. If you want to be certain, name it: "Use the weekly pipeline report skill."
Three business workflows to start with
1. A weekly report in your exact format
Upload last week's numbers (an export from your CRM or a spreadsheet) and ask for the weekly report. The skill holds your headings, the metrics to calculate, how to flag changes, and a template, so every week's report looks the same no matter who runs it.
2. Proposals and quotes in your house style
A skill with your proposal structure, standard terms language, tone rules, and a finished example. You provide the client notes; Claude drafts the proposal in your format for you to review.
3. CRM data cleanup
A skill that knows your field rules: how names and phone numbers should be formatted, which values are allowed in each dropdown, and how to spot likely duplicates. Give it an export and get back a cleaned file plus a list of records that need a human decision.
Running a skill-based workflow
- 01Bring the input
An export, notes, or a document.
- 02Ask for the outcome
In plain language. Claude matches the skill.
- 03Review the result
Check numbers and anything client-facing.
- 04Improve the skill
When you correct the same thing twice, add it to the skill's instructions.
Good habits
- Keep each skill focused on one task. Several small skills beat one giant one.
- Review outputs, especially numbers and anything sent to clients.
- Only install skills you trust. A skill can instruct Claude to run code and use tools. Use ones you wrote, your team wrote, or that come from Anthropic, and read any skill from elsewhere before adding it.
- Update the skill, not the prompt. When you notice a recurring correction, put it in the skill so everyone benefits.
Common questions
Do skills replace projects?
No. Use a project for the knowledge about a subject and skills for how tasks get done. A proposal skill works inside a client's project, using that client's documents.
Can my whole team use the same skill?
In the Claude app, custom skills are added per person, so share the zip file with your team. In Claude Code, a skill stored in a shared repository is available to everyone who works in it.
Do I need to know how to code?
Not to use skills, and not to write simple ones. A skill can be nothing more than clear written instructions. See how to create a Claude skill.