🎛️Claude Skills · Lesson 2

Use Skills in Your Claude Account

Anthropic provides a library of ready-made skills you can install instantly — no code, no SKILL.md files. Add them once and every conversation automatically benefits from that skill's capabilities.

claude.ai/customize/skillsOne-click installSlash command + auto triggerAdded by Anthropic

Skills in Claude.ai vs Claude Code

You've already seen how Claude Code uses SKILL.md files you write yourself. The Claude.ai web account offers a simpler entry point: a curated directory of Anthropic-provided skills you can install with a single click — no files, no terminal, no configuration.

🌐
Claude.ai account skills
✓Install via claude.ai/customize/skills
✓Provided by Anthropic & partners
✓Triggered by slash command or auto
✓No files or code to write
💻
Claude Code SKILL.md
✓Created by you as SKILL.md files
✓Fully customisable instructions
✓Invoked with /skill-name or auto
✓Lives in ~/.claude or project repo

How to install a skill — step by step

Mockup of claude.ai/customize/skills — /skill-creator and /web-artifacts-builder installed and active

← Customize
⊞ Skills
⊟ Connectors
Skills
🔍+
Personal skills
/skill-creator
/web-artifacts-builder
Available in Directory
/canvas-design
/mcp-builder
/theme-factory
skill-creator
Added by
Anthropic
Trigger
Slash command + auto
Description
Create new skills, modify and improve existing skills, and measure skill performance. Use when users want to create a skill from scratch, edit an existing skill, run evals to test a skill, or optimise a skill's description for better triggering accuracy.
1
Open the Skills directory
Go to claude.ai/customize/skills — or navigate to Customize → Skills in the left sidebar.
2
Browse Anthropic-provided skills
Click the + button to open the Directory. Filter by "Anthropic & Partners" to see officially maintained skills. Each card shows the skill name, install count, and a short description.
3
Click the + to install
Click the + icon on any skill card to add it to your personal skills list. It appears immediately in the left panel. Use the toggle in the detail view to enable or disable it at any time.
4
Use it in a conversation
Active skills can be triggered automatically when Claude detects a match, or explicitly with a slash command. The skill detail panel shows which trigger applies.
ℹ️ Info: Skills installed in Customize are account-level — they follow you across all your devices and browsers. Toggling one off also takes effect everywhere immediately.

Skill in action

Here /skill-creator and /web-artifacts-builder are both installed and active. The user sends a plain request and Claude automatically applies /web-artifacts-builder to produce a full HTML artifact — no slash command typed, no special prompt needed.

Without the skill Claude would write a text description of how to build the page instead.

claude.ai/new
+ New conversation
Today
Landing page build
Skill creator setup
MCP server guide
⚡ ACTIVE SKILLS
/skill-creator
/web-artifacts-builder
Build me a landing page for my SaaS product "FocusFlow" — a task management app.
C
FocusFlow Landing Page
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head> ... FocusFlow </head>
<body> ... Hero + CTA </body>
</html>
Created a full HTML artifact with hero section, feature cards, and a sign-up CTA. Preview renders in the artifact panel.
⚡ Built using /web-artifacts-builder skill
Message Claude...
💡 Tip: If you have multiple skills installed, Claude determines which one applies based on your message. It does not blindly run all skills — it picks the most relevant one for what you asked.

Anthropic-provided skills in the directory

These are the skills currently available in the Anthropic & Partners section of the Directory. The library grows — check claude.ai/customize/skills for the latest list.

🛠️
/skill-creator
Create, edit, and improve skills. Run evals to measure performance and optimise trigger accuracy.
🎨
/canvas-design
Create visual art in .png and .pdf documents using design philosophy and layout principles.
🌐
/web-artifacts-builder
Build elaborate, multi-component claude.ai HTML artifacts using modern frontend techniques.
🔌
/mcp-builder
Guide for building high-quality MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for LLM tool integrations.
🖼️
/theme-factory
Style artifacts with a consistent theme — slides, docs, HTML landing pages, and more.
🏷️
/brand-guidelines
Apply Anthropic&apos;s official brand colours and typography to any artifact that benefits from branding.
📝
/doc-coauthoring
Collaboratively draft and refine documents with structured suggestions and tracked changes.
💬
/internal-comms
Write clear internal communications — announcements, memos, and team updates with consistent tone.
⚠️ Warning: The exact skills available depend on your plan and Anthropic's latest release. Always check the Directory in your account for the current list — install counts next to each skill show which ones are most widely used.

Before and after installing a skill

The same prompt, sent with and without /web-artifacts-builder installed:

Without skillPlain response
To build a landing page for FocusFlow, I would suggest structuring it with a hero section at the top, followed by a features grid, social proof, and a clear call-to-action. Use a clean font, plenty of whitespace, and a primary colour that matches your brand.
With /web-artifacts-builderSkill active
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<title>FocusFlow</title>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Hero, Features, CTA -->
</body>
</html>
↑ Full rendered artifact in preview panel

Tips for getting the most from account skills

🎯
Install only what you use regularly
Too many active skills can lead to unexpected triggering. Start with one or two that match your daily work and expand from there.
🔄
Toggle skills per work mode
Enable /web-artifacts-builder for build sessions, switch it off for quick Q&A. Skills toggle instantly — no friction.
✏️
Prompt naturally
You don't need to type the slash command every time. For auto-triggered skills Claude detects when your request matches — just ask normally.
🧪
Check the trigger type
Open the skill detail panel and look at the Trigger field. "Slash command + auto" means both modes work; "Slash command only" means you must type /skill-name.

Quick Reference

ActionHow
Find the skill directoryclaude.ai/customize/skills
Install a skillClick the + icon on a skill card in the Directory
Remove a skillOpen the skill detail, toggle it off or remove from personal skills
See installed skillsLeft panel under "Personal skills" in the Customize view
Skills work across devicesYes — account-level, synced everywhere
Trigger a skill manuallyType /skill-name in the chat input
Trigger a skill autoSkill with "auto" trigger fires when Claude detects a match
Combine multiple skillsInstall as many as you like; Claude picks the most relevant
Skills without codeYes — Anthropic-provided skills need no SKILL.md
Plan requiredCheck claude.ai/pricing — some skills may be Pro/Max only

What's Next

Skills are activated in your account. Next, explore the ready-made skills you can install instantly without writing a single line.