Claude guide

Install Claude Code skills for personal and project use

4 min readUpdated Skillshop operator and creator of the Maker Evan YouTube channel

Translated from Korean. View original. Some screenshots are available in Korean only.

Use a Claude Code skill by placing its folder containing SKILL.md in a supported location. Put it in your personal folder for use across projects, or in a project folder to share with a team. After installation, try a small task to check that it loads.

Screenshot of the free-skill catalog. Check the detail page for current availability and terms.

View original Korean screenshot
스킬샵 무료 스킬 목록 화면. 무료 표시가 붙은 스킬 카드가 격자로 놓여 있다.
무료 스킬 목록을 캡처한 화면이에요. 현재 제공 여부와 사용 조건은 상세 페이지에서 확인해 주세요.

Should it be personal or project-wide?

Use ~/.claude/skills for your own work across projects, or .claude/skills to share in the current project. Team skills must also be included in the repository for others to receive them.

Plugins can package multiple skills, agents, hooks and MCP settings. For a first skill, choose the personal or project scope you need.

ScopeLocation or formWhere usedSuitable for
Personal~/.claude/skillsYour projects on this computerPersonal work habits
Project.claude/skillsShared in the repositoryCoding rules, deployment or review checklists
PluginA package of skills and related featuresEnvironments where the package is installed and enabledDistributing several skills, agents, hooks and MCP settings
Choose by usage scope and package contents.
Personal~/.claude/skills across projects on this computer.
Project.claude/skills in the repository for the team.
PluginPackage skills with related features.
Choose the location to match the intended scope.
Choose where skills load in Anthropic's English documentation
See Claude Code’s skills documentation.Source: Claude Code documentation
Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
View original Korean screenshot
클로드 코드 공식 문서의 Skills 위치 표. 위치·경로·적용 대상 세 열에 Enterprise·Personal·Project·Plugin 네 행이 있고, Personal 경로는 ~/.claude/skills/ 다.
클로드 코드 공식 문서 · Skills에서 관련 내용을 확인할 수 있어요.출처: 클로드 코드 공식 문서 · Skills

How do you install a downloaded skill?

If delivered as an archive, extract it and inspect the contents. Move the folder containing SKILL.md beneath the chosen skills path, such as .claude/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md.

Move references and scripts too. SKILL.md may point to other files by relative path, so retain the folder structure.

Claude Code detects ordinary skill-folder changes. If a new skill does not appear, or you just created the skills folder, try restarting the session.

  • ~/.claude/skills/Personal skill path
  • skill-name/Copy the entire folder
  • SKILL.mdSkill instructions
  • other filesKeep reference folder structure
~ means your home folder. Check that SKILL.md is directly under the skill folder.

Screenshot of a Skillshop acquisition panel.

View original Korean screenshot
스킬샵 스킬 상세 화면 오른쪽의 받기 박스. 외부 소스 링크 포함, 설치·사용 안내 포함, 내 라이브러리에서 다시 확인 세 줄이 적혀 있다.
스킬샵 스킬 상세 화면 오른쪽의 받기 박스를 캡처한 이미지예요.
  • Extract the archive and inspect SKILL.md and references.
  • Move the entire skill folder under the chosen skills path.
  • Restart the session if it does not appear.

Check that installation worked

Find the skill by name in the / menu or ask to list available skills. Once it appears, invoke it directly on a small example.

For a meeting-note skill, try a short note and ask it to organize decisions and actions. Check both that the name appears and that the result follows the instructions.

Find its nameSearch the skill list or / menu.
Run a small exampleInvoke the skill directly.
Compare the resultCheck the prescribed sequence and format.
After checking the list, try the skill on a real task.

What if the skill does not load?

Check file location, the SKILL.md name and the YAML at the top. Look for an extra enclosing folder or a file accidentally saved as .md.txt.

If direct invocation works but automatic selection does not, inspect the description and invocation settings. Describe a use case such as creating or editing React components rather than “writes good code.”

If direct invocation also fails, inspect the error. Organization policies or permissions may restrict it in addition to path issues.

Direct invocation works
  • Description use case
  • Automatic invocation settings
  • Descriptions of similar skills
Direct invocation fails too
  • Path and filename
  • YAML and folder structure
  • Error and policy restrictions
Use the result of direct invocation to narrow the search.
Frontmatter reference in Anthropic's English documentation
Official reference for SKILL.md YAML fields.Source: Claude Code documentation
Open full-size image (opens in a new tab)
View original Korean screenshot
SKILL.md 상단 YAML에서 사용하는 필드의 공식 참고 문서
SKILL.md 상단 YAML에서 사용하는 필드의 공식 참고 문서예요.출처: 공식 문서에서 자세히 보기
  • Check that the file is named SKILL.md.
  • Check the skills/skill-name/SKILL.md path.
  • Check YAML delimiters and fields.
  • Review the description and automatic invocation settings.
  • If it still fails, inspect the error and tool version.

What if several skills are similar?

Similar descriptions can select an unintended skill. Distinguish each task and when not to use it; for important work, invoke the name directly.

Avoid the same name in personal and project locations. Claude Code gives a personal skill priority over a project skill of the same name, so distinguish names or locations when testing team skills.

Archive unused skills separately or adjust invocation settings to keep the list manageable.

Similar descriptionsSpecify use cases and exclusions.
Same namePersonal skills take priority over project skills; distinguish them.
Unused skillsArchive separately or adjust invocation settings.
Keep names and use cases distinguishable.

What to check when sharing with a team

Include the project’s .claude/skills folder in the repository to share it with teammates. Document required programs, environment-variable names and examples. Do not include secret keys themselves.

Check the seller’s permitted scope before sharing a purchased skill. A private repository does not automatically grant team-wide use or redistribution.

Prepare for sharing
  • Skill and references
  • Required program guidance
  • Examples and review method
Check separately
  • License permits team use
  • Public redistribution is allowed
  • No secrets or client data are included
Check both usage terms and included files before sharing.

Test your first skill on a small task

Choose work with an easily compared result, such as organizing one document or reviewing a short piece of code. Small inputs help separate installation and execution problems.

Use a sample or free skill to learn the format. After inspecting its result, browse the field you need to understand what descriptions and examples help.

Find a category close to the task you want to delegate.

View original Korean screenshot
스킬샵 전체 스킬 목록 화면. 카테고리 탭과 필터, 스킬 카드가 격자로 놓여 있다.
스킬샵 목록에서 맡기고 싶은 작업에 가까운 분야를 찾아보세요.

Screenshot of the Skillshop coding category.

View original Korean screenshot
스킬샵 코딩 카테고리 화면. 할인 중·신규·무료 필터 칩 아래 스킬 카드가 격자로 놓여 있다.
코딩 분야의 스킬을 모아 둔 목록 화면이에요.

Frequently asked questions

Where should Claude Code skills go?

Use ~/.claude/skills for your own work across projects or .claude/skills in the repository for team use. Plugins can package multiple skills and related features.

How can I verify installation?

Find the name in the / menu or request a list of skills. Invoke it on a small task and check whether the specified sequence and output format were followed.

Can I share a purchased skill with teammates?

Check the seller’s team-use and redistribution terms first. A private repository does not automatically grant team use. If permitted, include required programs and execution examples.

Sources