Skills are folders of instructions, scripts and resources that Claude loads when a task needs them. When you ask Claude to do something, it works out which skills are relevant and loads only the information it needs, which helps prevent the chat from getting overloaded. To use skills, code execution has to be turned on in your account. Then you can pick a skill from the Skills Directory or write your own, using simple instructions in Markdown.
Skills are useful when you want a task done the same way every time, such as creating documents that follow your company's brand guidelines or writing communications that follow company email templates. Claude uses Anthropic's own skills automatically when they are relevant, so you do not need to ask for them each time.
Written from Claude's official help page: support.claude.com/en/articles/12512176-what-are-skills. Steps checked on October 14, 2026. Apps change their menus often; if yours looks different, the help page has the latest steps.