How to Use Claude Code Skills

Claude Code skills are modular prompt workflows that extend the Claude Code CLI with domain-specific development capabilities. They translate natural language into precise, executable commands within your local environment.

Installation & Setup

Skills are installed by placing configuration files (YAML/JSON) in the Claude Code config directory (usually ~/.config/claude/skills/).

YAML Header: Defines name, trigger, and description.
Trigger: Keyword detection like /optimize or /deploy.
Scope: Permissions for file access and subprocess execution.

Tasks You Can Automate

Debugging

Analyze stack traces and suggest patches.

Refactoring

Update legacy syntax and enforce patterns.

Testing

Generate unit tests from function signatures.

Marketplace Skills vs. Custom Prompts

Factor	Marketplace	Custom
Setup	Instant	Variable
Consistency	High	Author-dependent

Best Practices

Be Specific: Instead of "fix bugs", use "refactor /src/auth.js to fix JWT error".
Human-in-the-loop: Always review AI-generated diffs before merging.
Security: Use environment variables for sensitive API keys.