anthropics/skills
OfficialPublic repository for Agent Skills
Anthropic Agent Skills is the official reference with 112,252 stars -- the most-forked Claude skills library on GitHub. Vibe Builders install in Claude Code with /plugin marketplace add; Developers build custom skills using the open spec and Skills API with Code Execution Tool beta.
Best for
Our Review
Anthropic Agent Skills is Anthropic's official reference repo for Claude Agent Skills -- 112,252 stars and 12,731 forks as of 2026. Self-contained folders teach Claude specialized task behaviors that persist across sessions.
What Anthropic Agent Skills does:
- •17 skill categories covers art, music, code, design, documents, enterprise branding, dev tools, and workflows like frontend-design, mcp-builder, webapp-testing.
- •Production document skills exact docx, xlsx, pdf, pptx handlers powering Claude.ai's document features for paid users.
- •Claude Code integration install with /plugin marketplace add in Claude Code; no additional code or terminal setup needed.
- •Claude.ai direct access paid plans run all example skills instantly without setup.
- •Claude API support upload pre-built or custom skills for agent workflows via the Skills API.
- •Open specification /spec directory defines the Agent Skills standard for custom development.
- •Partner extensions includes Notion Skills and tools like skill-creator for rapid prototyping.
Anthropic Agent Skills ecosystem:
- •Claude Code skills boost default behaviors for vibe building without extra prompts.
- •Claude.ai document skills enable real production use on the web interface.
- •Claude API integrate skills into enterprise agents alongside MCP servers.
- •Anthropic courses pairs with learning resources for skill development.
Getting started:
In Claude Code, type /plugin marketplace add to register the repo as a marketplace. Browse 17 folders in the repo for examples. Upload custom skills via Claude API docs. Paid Claude.ai users access document skills immediately. Full spec at /spec/agent-skills.md.
Limitations:
Document skills (docx, xlsx, pdf, pptx) use a source-available proprietary license, not Apache 2.0. No versioned releases -- updates roll continuously without tags. Requires Claude Code, Claude.ai paid, or API access; free-tier users get limited value. Complex for simple one-off prompts; best when persistent modular behaviors are needed.
Cons
- Document skills for docx, xlsx, pdf, pptx use source-available proprietary license, not fully open.
- No versioned releases; updates roll continuously without tags.
- Requires Claude Code, Claude.ai paid, or API access; basic free users get limited value.
- Complex for simple prompts; best for modular, persistent behaviors.
Our Verdict
Vibe Builders using Claude Code gain instant task specialization. Install skills to make Claude write in brand voice or generate algorithmic art without repeated prompting. Beats prompt libraries by persisting across sessions.
Developers building agents reference the spec to create custom skills. Use mcp-builder for MCP server generation or skill-creator for prototypes. Powers production workflows like Claude.ai document generation.
Skip if you need new tools only -- use MCP servers instead. Skip if the free Claude tier is your limit; the full skills system requires a paid Claude plan or API access.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Anthropic Agent Skills?
Anthropic Agent Skills are self-contained folders that teach Claude specialized behaviors for tasks like documents or design. Choose pdf-qa for querying PDFs via natural language or code-review for analyzing git diffs. The repo holds 17 categories as reference implementations. Anthropic maintains it as the official source with 112,252 stars as of 2026.
How do I install Claude skills in Claude Code?
In Claude Code, run /plugin marketplace add to register the repo, then select document-skills or example-skills and choose Install now. Choose document-skills when processing uploaded files, or example-skills for prompt templates. Skills activate immediately for use in chats. No code or downloads required beyond Claude Code itself.
What is the difference between Claude skills and MCP servers?
Skills modify Claude's default behavior on existing tasks. MCP servers add new tools like database access. For example, an MCP server exposes a /query_inventory command for real-time stock checks. Choose skills when teaching patterns like brand voice. Choose MCP servers when extending Claude's capabilities with new data sources or actions.
Can I create my own custom skill for Claude?
Yes, follow the /spec/agent-skills.md to build folders with instructions and scripts. Upload via Claude API using the Code Execution Tool beta. For example, include a query_api.py script that Claude calls for external data. Test with the skill-creator example in the repository in 2026.
Are the Anthropic skills open source?
Example skills use Apache 2.0 license. Document skills (docx, xlsx, pdf, pptx) are source-available but proprietary -- Anthropic shared these as reference implementations of production Claude.ai features. The pdf skill, for instance, invokes Claude's vision API to extract text and tables from scanned pages.
What is skills?
Anthropic Agent Skills is the official reference with 112,252 stars -- the most-forked Claude skills library on GitHub. Vibe Builders install in Claude Code with /plugin marketplace add; Developers build custom skills using the open spec and Skills API with Code Execution Tool beta.
What license does skills use?
skills uses the Proprietary license.
What are alternatives to skills?
Explore related tools and alternatives on My AI Guide.
Great for: Pro Vibe Builders
Skip if: You need something more beginner-friendly or guided
Open source & community-verified
Proprietary licensed — free to use in any project, no strings attached. 120,333 developers have starred this, meaning the community has reviewed and trusted it.
Reviewed by My AI Guide for relevance, quality, and active maintenance before listing.
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