Instructions
The steps to follow and the order to do them in, so Claude isn't guessing at your process from scratch.
01 The basics
What is a Claude Skill?
Think of it like handing Claude a training folder before you even say hello.
Quick answer: a Claude Skill is a folder of instructions, examples and judgement that you switch on inside your Claude account, so Claude already knows how you like a job done before you ask it anything. It works inside a normal Claude chat, on any plan, and you can turn it on or off any time from Customize → Skills.
Imagine you hire a brilliant new colleague. They're smart, quick, and keen to help, but it's their first day, so they don't yet know how your company writes an email, what your product actually does, or how you like a report laid out. A Claude Skill is what you'd hand them on day one: a folder of instructions, examples and know-how, so they already work your way before you've asked them anything.
A Skill is really three things, bundled
01
02
Examples
What a genuinely good result looks like, so Claude has a real bar to aim for, not just a description.
03
Judgement
The rules for the tricky, in-between cases: the calls that only come from someone who's done the job.
The difference, on the same question
Without a Skill
"Can you review my cold email?"
"Sure! Here are a few general tips for writing better cold emails: keep it short, personalise the opener, and include a clear call to action."
With a Skill switched on
"Can you review my cold email?"
"Line two buries the ask behind two paragraphs of context. Lead with it, cut the rest to one sentence. Here's the rewrite, and why it works better with a buyer who skims…"
02 Mechanics
How does a Skill actually work?
You don't need to understand any of the code behind it. Just this.
STEP 01
You ask
In your own words, in a normal chat. No command to remember, no special format.
STEP 02
Claude checks
It quietly compares what you're asking against every Skill you've switched on.
STEP 03
The Skill guides it
If one fits, Claude follows its instructions instead of guessing from a blank page.
STEP 04
You get it right
Built the way you actually work, the first time, not the fifth.
Once a Skill is switched on, you don't need to open it, name it, or type anything special. You just ask for what you need. If nothing you've switched on fits the question, Claude simply answers the normal way — nothing breaks, nothing gets stuck. Switch a Skill off at any point and Claude goes straight back to answering without it. Nothing you've already sent is affected either way.
Prefer to choose one yourself instead of waiting for Claude to pick it? In the Claude desktop app, type / in the message box and start typing the Skill's name — your installed Skills come up in a list so you can select the one you want directly.
03 The payoff
How a Skill actually helps you.
Four differences most people notice within their first few uses.
01
Saves the retyping
Explain something once, properly, and it sticks. No re-pasting the same brief into every new chat.
02
Consistent every time
The tenth answer follows the same standard as the first, busy Monday or hour six of admin.
03
Built by someone who's done it
The good ones aren't generated from a prompt. They're written by people who know where the job goes wrong.
04
Ready when you open a chat
No warm-up, no re-briefing. Once it's switched on, it's just there, every time.
04 Install
How to install and use a Skill, start to finish.
Six steps, the last one optional. Most people are done in under two minutes; the optional memory step takes one more.
Turn on Code executionGo to Settings → Capabilities and switch on "Code execution and file creation". This only needs doing once. On a Team or Enterprise account, an organisation owner usually does this once for everyone, in Organisation settings → Skills.
Open your Skills pageGo to Customize → Skills. This is the control panel for every Skill on your account: the ones already built in, and any you add yourself.
Switch one onFor a built-in Skill (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF), just flip its toggle. For a Skill sold on Agensi, like rAInmaker, connect Agensi once under Settings → Connectors, then just ask Claude for the Skill by name. Claude only buys it after you approve, and nothing is downloaded.
Just start chattingYou don't need to open the Skill or type a command. Describe what you want in plain language, in any normal chat, and Claude checks whether one of your switched-on Skills fits before it answers. If you'd rather pick one yourself, in the Claude desktop app you can type / and start typing the Skill's name.
Turn it off or remove it any timeGo back to Customize → Skills whenever you like. Flip the toggle to switch a Skill off, or click the "…" next to one you added yourself to delete it. Nothing you've already sent is affected either way.
Optional: turn on memoryOn a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, go to Settings → Memory and switch on "Search and reference chats" and "Generate memory from chats" (on a Team or Enterprise account, an organisation owner may need to turn the second one on). With both on, a Skill can recall things from earlier conversations instead of starting cold every session, which matters most for a Skill built to track something ongoing, like a sales coach following one deal across several weeks. This isn't available on the Free plan, and it's entirely optional everywhere else. Skip it if you'd rather every chat start fresh.
Skills themselves work on every Claude plan: Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise. Only the memory settings in step six are gated by plan, as noted above. Everything else on this page works the same everywhere.
05 Questions
Common beginner questions.
The things people usually ask right after installing their first one.
Do I have to pay to use a Skill?
No. Switching Skills on is a free part of every Claude plan. Some individual Skills are free, others (like rAInmaker) are sold as a one-time purchase — that's down to whoever built the Skill, not to Claude itself.
What if I can't find "Customize" anywhere?
It's usually in your account or settings menu, though exact wording can shift slightly as Claude's interface updates. If you genuinely can't find it, Skills may not be switched on for your account type yet, most commonly on a Team or Enterprise account, where an administrator needs to enable it first.
Will a Skill work on my phone?
A Skill you switch on belongs to your account, not to one device, so in principle it travels with you. The settings screens for adding new Skills tend to appear on desktop first, so if your phone's app doesn't show the option yet, switch it on once from a desktop or laptop browser and carry on the conversation from your phone as normal.
Can I have more than one Skill switched on at once?
Yes. Claude checks everything you've switched on against what you're asking and uses whichever one actually fits, or none at all if nothing matches.
Can I choose which Skill to use myself, instead of leaving it to Claude?
Yes. Claude picks the right Skill automatically most of the time, but in the Claude desktop app you can also type / in the message box and start typing the Skill's name — your installed Skills come up in a list so you can select the one you want directly.
Do I have to turn on memory to use a Skill?
No. A Skill works the moment you switch it on, memory or not. Turning on "Search and reference chats" and "Generate memory from chats" under Settings → Memory just lets Claude carry context between sessions too, which some Skills put to good use and others don't need at all. It's a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise feature, and it's optional either way.
Is rAInmaker a good first Skill to try?
It's a fair one to learn on, since it's a single, well-scoped job (sales coaching) rather than something sprawling. The free Lite tier lets you connect it and see the whole process for yourself without paying anything. Try rAInmaker free →
Ready to see a real Skill in action?
rAInmaker is skillfAIre's own Skill, a blunt AI sales coach you can try for free, then use everything above to switch on for yourself.
Want the deeper, plain-English explanation of what a Skill is? →