Skills are the feature that makes Claude follow your standards. They're built in, free, and off by default. Here's how to switch them on and start using them today.
A Skill is a folder of instructions that Claude reads only when it's relevant. Instead of re-typing the same guidance every session, you write it down once and Claude applies it on demand.
The payoff is consistency. Ask for a presentation without a Skill and you get something generic. Ask with a brand-guidelines Skill turned on and you get your colors, your fonts, your layout — every time.
Skills are off by default, which is why most people never use them. On desktop, open Settings and look for the Skills section. On Claude.ai mobile, the same feature lives under Capabilities — that's where you toggle skills on and off.
Desktop: Settings → Skills Mobile (iOS/Android): Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Once Skills are on, you'll see a set built by Anthropic. The one worth knowing first is skill-creator — it builds new skills for you from a plain-English description, no code required.
Turn on the ones that match how you work and leave skill-creator on permanently. Every custom skill you build later starts here.
There are two ways a skill runs. Claude can pick it automatically when your request matches what the skill does, or you can open the skill menu and choose "Try in chat" to force it.
Either way, glance at the first lines of Claude's reply to confirm the right skill fired. If it didn't, rephrase your request using words that match the skill's purpose.
A short, printable checklist to turn on Skills, pick your starter set, and confirm they're firing.