Example Skill Template
Teaches the agent the format and structure of Claude Code plugin skills, as a reference template.
- Repository
- anthropics/claude-plugins-official
- Stars
- 45,770
- Licence
- Apache-2.0
- Files
- 1 file
What it does
This is a reference template for writing agent skills. When installed, it tells the agent how a skill folder should be laid out, what frontmatter fields exist (name, description, version, license), and how to write trigger descriptions and clear instructions. It is documentation for skill authors rather than a tool that performs a task for end users.
Great for
- Developers creating their own Claude Code plugin skills for the first time
- Plugin authors who want a starting point for a SKILL.md file's structure
- Teams standardising how their internal skills are documented
Skip it if
- Everyday end users wanting the agent to do a practical task, since it only explains skill formatting (no task capability)
- Anyone expecting it to run code or fetch data; the file contains only guidance text, so it adds no real functionality beyond teaching format
Try asking
- “Show me the skill format for a Claude Code plugin”
- “Create a skill template I can start from”
- “Explain how to write a good description field for a skill”
- “What optional files can a skill folder contain?”
Install in 3 steps
- 1
Download the skill
The ZIP contains the 1 original files, the Apache-2.0 licence and an attribution note.
example-skill.zip - 2
Add it to your agent
Claude Code (all projects)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip example-skill.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)
mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip example-skill.zip -d .claude/skills/Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.
- 3
Ask for the task
No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.
Get better results
- Use it as a starting point, then replace the example content with your own domain-specific instructions
- Make the description field list concrete trigger phrases so the skill activates for the right requests
- Check the example's own advice: keep each skill focused on a single domain and avoid overlapping triggers
What's inside
- SKILL.md
Redistributed unmodified from anthropics/claude-plugins-official under the Apache-2.0 licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.