How to install Claude Code skills
Choose one of three ways to install Claude Code skills: copy a complete skill folder, install a plugin from its marketplace, or use npx skills add with Claude Code selected. Start in a disposable project and use the Install tabs on the source-checked entries below to confirm each skill’s own setup.
Before installing: check the source and scope
Read SKILL.md, its license, scripts and linked files before copying or enabling it. Check shell commands, network destinations and requested credentials; a skill can lead an agent to run tools. Plugins can also bundle hooks and MCP servers. Keep secrets and real customer data out of your test project. A source-checked directory listing is not a security audit or a guarantee that a skill is safe.
Compare the three installation methods
| Method | Best fit and prerequisites | Scope and destination | Verify, update and remove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy a SKILL.md folder | One skill from a reviewed GitHub revision; Git for the example below. | .claude/skills/<name>/ for this project; ~/.claude/skills/<name>/ for your local projects. | Check SKILL.md and the / menu. Replace the folder after reviewing changes; remove that folder to uninstall. |
| Claude plugin marketplace | A publisher supplies a plugin and marketplace manifest; needs Claude Code with plugin support. | Choose user, project or local scope in the plugin manager; Claude manages cached plugin files. | Check /plugin → Installed. Review marketplace updates; disable or uninstall through /plugin. |
| npx skills add | Select skills and target agents from a repository; needs Node.js 22.20+ for the current CLI and network access. | Project by default; -g for personal scope. -a claude-code targets Claude’s skills directory; symlink or copy is selectable. | Use npx skills list -a claude-code, then Claude’s / menu. Review npx skills check before updating; use npx skills remove. |
The local paths here refer to Claude Code on your machine. They do not install skills into the Claude.ai website or a remote cloud session.
Method 1: copy a complete SKILL.md folder
This example installs the directory’s pinned Frontend Design skill for one project. Run the shell commands from a fresh test project. Copy supporting files together with SKILL.md.
Get the pinned source
Clone the publisher’s repository and check out the revision shown in the directory. Downloading source does not invoke the skill.
git clone https://github.com/anthropics/skills.git git -C skills checkout dbd4588f9e1033efb41dad4bef2f7947c8993d44Read the complete skill
Open skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md and inspect the rest of that folder, including any referenced scripts. Continue only if you accept its instructions and license.
Copy to the project skills directory
Check that the destination does not already contain a frontend-design folder. Copy the whole folder, then confirm SKILL.md is directly inside it. For personal scope, use ~/.claude/skills instead of .claude/skills.
mkdir -p .claude/skills cp -R skills/skills/frontend-design .claude/skills/frontend-design test -f .claude/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.mdVerify discovery in Claude Code
Start a fresh Claude Code session in this project and check the / menu for frontend-design. Before invoking it, review any requested tools. If it is missing, check the filename, YAML frontmatter and folder nesting.
Method 2: use the Claude plugin marketplace
The Anthropic skills repository publishes document-skills as a plugin containing PDF and other document skills. These slash commands go inside an interactive Claude Code session, not your terminal shell.
Review the marketplace and plugin contents
Read the anthropics/skills README and .claude-plugin/marketplace.json. Confirm the marketplace name is anthropic-agent-skills and that document-skills contains the skills you want. Check each skill’s license separately.
Register the publisher’s marketplace
In Claude Code, add the source repository as a marketplace. Adding a marketplace and installing a plugin are separate operations.
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skillsInstall document-skills and choose its scope
Open the plugin’s install flow. Review its contents and choose local scope for a disposable project, project scope for shared settings, or user scope for your local projects. This installs a bundle, not just PDF.
/plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skillsCheck the installed plugin and skills
Check /plugin → Installed, then start a fresh session and inspect the / menu for the plugin’s namespaced skills, such as /document-skills:pdf. Use /plugin to disable or uninstall the bundle when you finish testing.
Method 3: install with npx skills add
The skills CLI is a separate tool from Vercel Labs. This example selects the existing React Best Practices entry for Claude Code. Run these commands in your terminal from a test project.
Check prerequisites and list available skills
Use Node.js 22.20 or later with npm/npx available. Read the skills CLI README before allowing npx to download and execute it. List the repository’s skills first; this lists choices without installing skills.
node --version npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --listInspect the selected source
Read the React Best Practices source and its rules directory. The skill’s frontmatter name is vercel-react-best-practices; it differs from the repository folder name. The GitHub shorthand follows the default branch, so review its current changes against the directory’s pinned revision.
Select one skill and the Claude Code target
Run the install command and review the destination and symlink/copy choice before confirming. The default scope is this project; add -g only if you want personal scope. Do not install the same skill again through a folder or plugin.
npx skills add vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill vercel-react-best-practices -a claude-codeVerify the selected agent and scope
List the project’s Claude Code skills, then start a fresh Claude Code session and check the / menu. For a global install, add -g to the list command too. Review updates before applying them; use npx skills remove with the matching agent and scope to uninstall.
npx skills list -a claude-code
Source documentation
Checked 25 October 2026. Follow the publisher’s current instructions when your client version or repository layout differs.
- Claude Code skills: Folder locations, SKILL.md format and invocation.
- Claude Code plugins: Marketplace registration, install scopes and plugin management.
- Anthropic skills README: The document-skills marketplace example and per-skill licensing notes.
- Vercel Labs skills CLI: Prerequisites, selection flags, listing and removal; CLI commands are not Claude slash commands.
Source-checked skills and Install tabs
Check each entry’s pinned revision, license and Claude Code Install tab before choosing a method.
Source-linked candidates
FAQ
Where do I put Claude Code skills?
For a local project, put the complete skill folder at .claude/skills/<skill-name>/ with SKILL.md directly inside it. Use ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/ for your projects on this machine. Plugins manage their own skill locations.
How do I install Claude Code skills from GitHub?
Review the repository and license, check out a known revision, and copy the complete skill folder into your chosen skills directory. Keep scripts and reference files together with SKILL.md, then check Claude Code’s / menu in that project.
Can I install skills through the Claude plugin marketplace?
Yes, when the publisher packages them as a plugin. Add its marketplace, install the named plugin, and choose a scope. For anthropics/skills, document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills is the documented document-skill bundle; a bare SKILL.md folder is not automatically a marketplace.
How do I target Claude Code with npx skills add?
Add -a claude-code and use --skill with the skill’s frontmatter name. Installation is project-scoped by default; -g selects personal scope. Use npx skills list -a claude-code to check the project, then verify discovery in Claude Code.
Why is my installed skill not showing up?
Check the project you opened, the chosen scope, the SKILL.md filename, valid YAML frontmatter and accidental extra folder nesting. Start a fresh session, inspect the / menu and check that a plugin is enabled. Plugin skills use a /plugin-name:skill-name namespace.
Reference: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills