Skills are specialized instruction sets that teach AI assistants how to handle specific tasks. Think of them as expert knowledge modules that your AI can load on-demand.

Simple analogy: Just like you might consult different experts (a designer, a security expert, a marketer), skills let your AI become an expert in different areas when you need them.

📂 Folder Structure

Each skill lives in its own folder with this structure:

skills/
├── skill-name/              # Individual skill folder
│   ├── SKILL.md             # Main skill definition (required)
│   ├── scripts/             # Helper scripts (optional)
│   ├── examples/            # Usage examples (optional)
│   └── resources/           # Templates & resources (optional)

Key point: Only SKILL.md is required. Everything else is optional!

How to Use Skills

Step 1: Make sure skills are installed

Skills should be in your .agent/skills/ directory (or .claude/skills/, .gemini/skills/, etc.)

Step 2: Invoke a skill in your AI chat

Use the @ symbol followed by the skill name:

@brainstorming help me design a todo app

@stripe-integration add payment processing to my app

Step 3: The AI becomes an expert

The AI loads that skill's knowledge and helps you with specialized expertise!

Skill Categories

Creative & Design

Skills for visual design, UI/UX, and artistic creation:

@algorithmic-art - Create algorithmic art with p5.js
@canvas-design - Design posters and artwork (PNG/PDF output)
@frontend-design - Build production-grade frontend interfaces
@ui-ux-pro-max - Professional UI/UX design with color, fonts, layouts
@web-artifacts-builder - Build modern web apps (React, Tailwind, Shadcn/ui)
@theme-factory - Generate themes for documents and presentations
@brand-guidelines - Apply Anthropic brand design standards
@slack-gif-creator - Create high-quality GIFs for Slack

Development & Engineering

Skills for coding, testing, debugging, and code review:

@test-driven-development - Write tests before implementation (TDD)
@systematic-debugging - Debug systematically, not randomly
@webapp-testing - Test web apps with Playwright
@receiving-code-review - Handle code review feedback properly
@requesting-code-review - Request code reviews before merging
@finishing-a-development-branch - Complete dev branches (merge, PR, cleanup)
@subagent-driven-development - Coordinate multiple AI agents for parallel tasks

Documentation & Office

Skills for working with documents and office files:

@doc-coauthoring - Collaborate on structured documents
@docx - Create, edit, and analyze Word documents
@xlsx - Work with Excel spreadsheets (formulas, charts)
@pptx - Create and modify PowerPoint presentations
@pdf - Handle PDFs (extract text, merge, split, fill forms)
@internal-comms - Draft internal communications (reports, announcements)
@notebooklm - Query Google NotebookLM notebooks

Planning & Workflow

Skills for task planning and workflow optimization:

@brainstorming - Brainstorm and design before coding
@writing-plans - Write detailed implementation plans
@planning-with-files - File-based planning system (Manus-style)
@executing-plans - Execute plans with checkpoints and reviews
@using-git-worktrees - Create isolated Git worktrees for parallel work
@verification-before-completion - Verify work before claiming completion
@using-superpowers - Discover and use advanced skills

System Extension

Skills for extending AI capabilities:

@mcp-builder - Build MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers
@skill-creator - Create new skills or update existing ones
@writing-skills - Tools for writing and validating skill files
@dispatching-parallel-agents - Distribute tasks to multiple agents

Finding Skills

Method 1: Browse this folder

ls skills/

Method 2: Search by keyword

ls skills/ | grep "keyword"

Method 3: Check the main README

See the main README for the complete list of all 179+ skills organized by category.

💡 Popular Skills to Try

For beginners:

@brainstorming - Design before coding
@systematic-debugging - Fix bugs methodically
@git-pushing - Commit with good messages

For developers:

@test-driven-development - Write tests first
@react-best-practices - Modern React patterns
@senior-fullstack - Full-stack development

For security:

@ethical-hacking-methodology - Security basics
@burp-suite-testing - Web app security testing

Creating Your Own Skill

Want to create a new skill? Check out:

CONTRIBUTING.md - How to contribute
docs/SKILL_ANATOMY.md - Skill structure guide
@skill-creator - Use this skill to create new skills!

Basic structure:

---
name: my-skill-name
description: "What this skill does"
---

# Skill Title

## Overview
[What this skill does]

## When to Use
- Use when [scenario]

## Instructions
[Step-by-step guide]

## Examples
[Code examples]

Documentation

Getting Started - Quick start guide
Examples - Real-world usage examples
FAQ - Common questions
Visual Guide - Diagrams and flowcharts

🌟 Contributing

Found a skill that needs improvement? Want to add a new skill?

Read CONTRIBUTING.md
Study existing skills in this folder
Create your skill following the structure
Submit a Pull Request

References

Anthropic Skills - Official Anthropic skills
UI/UX Pro Max Skills - Design skills
Superpowers - Original superpowers collection
Planning with Files - Planning patterns
NotebookLM - NotebookLM integration

Need help? Check the FAQ or open an issue on GitHub!