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Guide for creating effective skills.
Passed 21 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 14 of 22 without it.
and 8 more in the full report
7 fixed14 passed either way1 still failing0 broke
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
One of 7 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
We have three types of items to include alongside our main instructions: a PDF rotation script, BigQuery database schemas, and HTML starter boilerplate. Which standard subfolder does each item belong in?
| Checked | Without skill | With skill |
|---|---|---|
| Executable code like the rotation script belongs in the scripts folder. | Passed | Passed |
| Documentation files like database schemas belong in the references folder. | Missed | Passed |
| Boilerplate files like HTML starters belong in the assets folder. | Missed | Passed |
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
This skill provides guidance for creating effective skills.
Skills are modular, self-contained packages that extend Claude's capabilities by providing specialized knowledge, workflows, and tools. Think of them as "onboarding guides" for specific domains or tasks—they transform Claude from a general-purpose agent into a specialized agent equipped with procedural knowledge that no model can fully possess.
The context window is a public good. Skills share the context window with everything else Claude needs: system prompt, conversation history, other Skills' metadata, and the actual user request.
Default assumption: Claude is already very smart. Only add context Claude doesn't already have. Challenge each piece of information: "Does Claude really need this explanation?" and "Does this paragraph justify its token cost?"
Prefer concise examples over verbose explanations.
Match the level of specificity to the task's fragility and variability:
High freedom (text-based instructions): Use when multiple approaches are valid, decisions depend on context, or heuristics guide the approach.
Medium freedom (pseudocode or scripts with parameters): Use when a preferred pattern exists, some variation is acceptable, or configuration affects behavior.
Low freedom (specific scripts, few parameters): Use when operations are fragile and error-prone, consistency is critical, or a specific sequence must be followed.
Think of Claude as exploring a path: a narrow bridge with cliffs needs specific guardrails (low freedom), while an open field allows many routes (high freedom).
Every skill consists of a required SKILL.md file and optional bundled resources:
test cases passed, vs 14 / 22 without
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