SkillsRadar
Claude CodeBy agent

Claude Code Skills: how to add, use, and fix them

Claude Code reads Skills from ~/.claude/skills/. Learn how to install from SkillsRadar, run a slash command, and fix the usual “installed but nothing happens” cases.

For Claude Code users8 min to complete
Browse Claude Code SkillsCompare agents
Start here:Add a Skill·Where it looks·It isn’t working

The short answer

  1. 1Put the Skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for every project, or in .claude/skills/ for one repository.
  2. 2Install with npx @skillsradar/cli@latest install <slug> --agent claude-code. That writes into ~/.claude/skills/, which Claude Code actually reads.
  3. 3Type /skills to confirm it’s there, then /skill-name plus your request to run it.
  4. 4Browse ready-made Claude Code Skills on SkillsRadar and install with one command.

How to add Skills to Claude Code

Paste an install prompt into Claude Code, run the SkillsRadar CLI, or copy the folder by hand. Every route ends with the Skill folder inside ~/.claude/skills/.

Easiest if Claude Code is already open

  1. 1

    Copy the install prompt

    Open the Skill on SkillsRadar, select Copy install prompt, then Copy.

  2. 2

    Paste into Claude Code

    Send the prompt. The agent reads SkillsRadar’s install instructions and runs the right command.

    Install prompt
    Read https://skillsradar.dev/skills/<slug>/install.md and follow the instructions to install the skill for Claude Code.
  3. 3

    Approve device login if asked

    When the browser asks you to approve a device code, approve it.

    You should see: You should see Claude Code report the version and folder under ~/.claude/skills/.

Check that Claude Code can see it

  1. 1

    List Skills

    Type /skills. You’ll see your own Skills plus a few that ship with Claude Code, such as /code-review. Press t to sort by how much context each one uses.

  2. 2

    Reload only if needed

    You usually don’t need to restart. Claude Code picks up new and edited Skills in the current session. Exception: if ~/.claude/skills/ didn’t exist when the session started, run /reload-skills once.

Run a Skill as a slash command

Every installed Skill shows up as a slash command. Type the command, then say what you want on the same line.

  1. 1

    Call it by name

    Everything after the name reaches the Skill as $ARGUMENTS.

    Claude Code
    /launch-page Parcelo, a parcel-tracking dashboard for small online shops
  2. 2

    Or describe the task

    Once you’ve seen it work, you can skip the command and describe the job in plain words. Claude loads a Skill on its own when your request matches the Skill’s description.

Where Claude Code looks for Skills

Claude Code collects Skills from several places. Most people only use personal and project folders.

SourceLocationCommand
EnterpriseManaged settings/skill-name
Personal~/.claude/skills/<name>//skill-name
Project.claude/skills/<name>//skill-name
Plugin<plugin>/skills/<name>//plugin-name:skill-name
claude.ai account~/.claude/skills/synced//name or /anthropic-skills:name

When the same name exists in two places, enterprise beats personal and personal beats project. Nested .claude/skills/ folders load the first time Claude works with files under that subfolder.

SKILL.md settings that control when it runs

These fields live in the frontmatter at the top of SKILL.md. Use them when a Skill runs too often, not often enough, or asks for permission at every step.

FieldWhat it does
descriptionWhat Claude reads to decide whether to use the Skill. Together with when_to_use, cut off at 1,536 characters in the Skill list.
allowed-toolsTools Claude can use without asking during the turn that invokes the Skill.
pathsFile patterns. Claude loads the Skill automatically only when working with matching files.

Claude Code Skill not working?

Work from the top. Wrong folder is the most common cause.

Not in /skills

Wrong folder, or an extra ZIP level. Path must be ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md — or reinstall with --agent claude-code.

The folder is brand new

Run /reload-skills once.

Missing in a cloud session

Commit it to the repo’s .claude/skills/, or enable it on claude.ai.

Missing in Cowork

Enable it on your claude.ai account.

Listed but never chosen

Call it with /name to confirm it works, then make the description more specific.

Common questions

Do Skills work in Claude Code?

Yes. Claude Code follows the open Agent Skills standard and loads Skills from your personal folder, the current project, plugins, your organization, and your claude.ai account.

Where are Claude Code Skills stored?

Personal Skills go in ~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md. Project Skills go in .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md inside the repository.

What happened to custom slash commands?

They still work. A file at .claude/commands/deploy.md and a Skill named deploy both give you /deploy. If you have both, the Skill wins.

Why does SkillsRadar need --agent claude-code?

So the CLI writes to ~/.claude/skills/. Other agents use different folders; without the flag (or the Claude Code default), Claude Code may never see the Skill.

Also on Learn

Codex CLICodexCursorCursorCompare all threeMCP guide

Back to the Learn hub.

Next step

Ready to try a verified Skill?

Browse Skills compatible with this agent, or compare how folders and commands differ across Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.

Browse Claude Code SkillsCompare agents