Quick Start

Get your first skill running in 30 seconds:

# 1. Install obra's superpowers collection (20+ battle-tested skills)
git clone https://github.com/obra/superpowers ~/.claude/skills/superpowers

# 2. Try test-driven-development skill
# In Claude Code, just say: "Let's use TDD to build a user authentication system"
# Claude will automatically load the TDD skill and guide you through RED-GREEN-REFACTOR!

That's it! Skills load automatically when relevant. No configuration needed.

What are Skills?

Agent Skills are modular capabilities that extend Claude's functionality through organized folders containing instructions, scripts, and resources. Each skill teaches Claude how to perform specialized tasks in a repeatable, standardized way.

Key benefits:

• Efficient: Skills use only 30-50 tokens until loaded
• Portable: Works across Claude Code CLI, Claude.ai, and API
• Composable: Stack multiple skills together
• Context-aware: Claude automatically identifies relevant skills

Skills are available on Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans with code execution enabled.

Featured Skills

Start with these top 10 essential skills:

| Skill | Why You Need It | Category | Verified | |-------|----------------|----------|----------| | test-driven-development | Write bulletproof code with RED-GREEN-REFACTOR workflow | 🧪 Testing | ✅ | | systematic-debugging | Find bugs 10x faster with 4-phase root cause analysis | 🐛 Debugging | ✅ | | using-git-worktrees | Work on multiple features simultaneously without context switching | 🤝 Workflow | ✅ | | mcp-builder | Build custom MCP servers to extend Claude's capabilities | ⚙️ Development | ✅ | | pdf | Extract text, tables, metadata from PDFs with merge & annotation support | 📄 Documents | ✅ | | docx | Create, edit, and analyze Word documents with tracked changes | 📄 Documents | ✅ | | artifacts-builder | Build complex React artifacts with Tailwind CSS and shadcn/ui | ⚙️ Development | ✅ | | skill-creator | Create your own skills and contribute to the ecosystem | 🎯 Meta | ✅ | | requesting-code-review | Pre-review preparation with formatted diffs and clear PR descriptions | 🤝 Workflow | ✅ | | subagent-driven-development | Quality-gated iteration with multi-agent workflows for complex tasks | 🎯 Meta | ✅ |

How to Install Skills

Method 1: Git Clone (Recommended)

# Linux/macOS
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
git clone https://github.com/owner/skill-name ~/.claude/skills/skill-name

# Windows (PowerShell)
mkdir $env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills
git clone https://github.com/owner/skill-name $env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills\skill-name

Pro tip: Clone entire skill collections like obra/superpowers to get 20+ skills at once!

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Create a folder in ~/.claude/skills/
2. Add a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter and instructions
3. (Optional) Include supporting scripts and resources

Verify installation:

# Check if skill is loaded
ls ~/.claude/skills/

# Skills load automatically - just start using Claude!

Skills vs MCP vs System Prompts

Confused about when to use Skills vs other Claude customization methods? Here's the breakdown:

| Feature | Skills | MCP Servers | System Prompts | |---------|--------|-------------|----------------| | Purpose | Task-specific workflows | External tool integration | General behavior modification | | Setup | Git clone to ~/.claude/skills/ | Install & configure MCP server | Edit CLAUDE.md in project | | Activation | Automatic (context-aware) | Explicit tool calls | Always active | | Best For | TDD, debugging, git workflows | APIs, databases, file systems | Project conventions, style guides | | Portability | Cross-platform (CLI, web, API) | Platform-dependent | Project-specific | | Token Cost | 30-50 until loaded | Per-call | Always consuming tokens | | Examples | test-driven-development | Weather API, GitHub integration | "Use TypeScript strict mode" |

When to use what:

• ✅ Skills → Repeatable workflows (TDD, debugging, code review)
• ✅ MCP → External data/tools (APIs, search, databases)
• ✅ System Prompts → Project-specific rules and conventions

Skill Categories

📄 Document & File Processing

pdf

Source: anthropics/skills | Verified: ✅ Description: Extract text, tables, metadata from PDFs. Merge documents and add annotations. Use Case: Processing contracts, extracting data from reports, combining PDF files Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

docx

Source: anthropics/skills | Verified: ✅ Description: Create, edit, and analyze Word documents with support for tracked changes and comments. Use Case: Automating document generation, processing feedback, extracting structured data Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

xlsx

Source: anthropics/skills | Verified: ✅ Description: Excel spreadsheet operations including formulas, charts, pivot tables, and data validation. Use Case: Financial reports, data analysis, automated spreadsheet generation Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

pptx

Source: anthropics/skills | Verified: ✅ Description: PowerPoint presentation creation with templates, charts, and multimedia integration. Use Case: Automated slide generation, presentation analysis, template customization Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🧪 Testing & Quality

test-driven-development

Source: obra/superpowers | Verified: ✅ Description: RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle: write failing tests, implement code, refactor for quality Use Case: Building new features with strong test coverage guarantees Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

webapp-testing

Source: anthropics/skills | Verified: ✅ Description: Playwright-based web app testing for UI verification and debugging Use Case: Testing web UIs, validating user flows, catching visual regressions Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

condition-based-waiting

Source: obra/superpowers | Verified: ✅ Description: Async testing patterns with proper wait conditions to prevent flaky tests Use Case: Testing asynchronous operations, API calls, animations Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

testing-anti-patterns

Source: obra/superpowers | Verified: ✅ Description: Identifies common testing mistakes: brittle assertions, test interdependence, poor isolation Use Case: Code reviews, refactoring existing test suites Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

e2e-testing-skill

Status: Community-needed Description: End-to-end test automation across multiple services and browser environments. Use Case: Integration testing, cross-browser compatibility validation

snapshot-testing

Status: Community-needed Description: Visual regression testing with component snapshot management. Use Case: Component libraries, design system maintenance

🐛 Debugging & Troubleshooting

systematic-debugging

Source: obra/superpowers | Verified: ✅ Description: Four-phase root cause process: reproduce, isolate, identi