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How to install Claude Code skills

A Claude Code skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file in it. To install one, you put that folder where Claude Code looks for skills. There are three ways to do that: copy the folder by hand, run a one-line install from GitHub, or add a plugin that bundles skills.

This guide covers each method, the folder paths, and how to check that the skill loaded. Facts come from the Claude Code docs, read on October 19, 2026.

Where Claude Code looks for skills

The >Claude Code skills docs list these locations:

A "global" install means the personal folder. On a Mac or Linux, ~ is your home folder. On Windows, it is C:\Users\<you>.

If the same skill name sits in both places, the docs say the personal copy wins over the project copy.

Method 1: copy the folder

1. Find the skill folder in its repo. It holds a SKILL.md file and may hold scripts/, references/, or assets/ folders.
2. Copy the whole folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for every project, or into .claude/skills/ in your repo for one project.
3. Keep the folder name the same as the name field in SKILL.md. The >Agent Skills spec requires the two to match.
4. Start Claude Code with claude in your project.

The docs say Claude Code watches the skills folders and picks up a new skill in the same session. If you made the top-level skills folder after the session started, run /reload-skills.

Method 2: install from GitHub with npx skills

The open source >skills CLI copies or links skills from a Git repo into each agent's folder. You need Node.js.

# list the skills in a repo
npx skills add owner/repo --list

# install one skill for Claude Code in this project
npx skills add owner/repo --skill skill-name --agent claude-code

# install it for your user, in every project
npx skills add owner/repo --skill skill-name --agent claude-code -g

The CLI takes a GitHub shorthand, a full GitHub URL, a direct link to one skill folder, a GitLab URL, or a local path. By default it symlinks files. Add --copy to copy them.

Method 3: install a plugin

A plugin is a folder of skills, agents, hooks, or MCP servers that Claude Code loads as one unit. The >plugins docs say to run /plugin in a Claude Code session and pick one from the Discover tab. Plugins come from a marketplace, which is a repo with a .claude-plugin/marketplace.json file.

Use a plugin when you want a full setup from someone else with updates. Use a plain skill folder when you want one skill. The docs note that each enabled plugin puts the name and description of its skills into context on every turn, so turn off plugins you do not use.

Check that the skill loaded

1. Type / in Claude Code. Your skill shows in the menu under its folder name.
2. Run it by name, for example /summarize-changes.
3. Or ask a question that matches its description. Claude loads the skill when the task fits.

If the skill does not show up

• Wrong depth. The path must be skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md. A SKILL.md one folder deeper or higher than that does not load.
• Nested folder. Skills in a .claude/skills/ below where you started Claude Code load the first time Claude reads or edits a file there.
• Cloud or Cowork session. The docs say those sessions do not read ~/.claude/skills/. Commit the skill to the repo.
• Reserved names. Do not name a folder synced. Claude Code uses that name for skills synced from claude.ai.

Which skills to install

The hard part is picking. Public repos hold tens of thousands of SKILL.md files, and many overlap. SkillsPicker matches them to your project. Paste a repo URL or describe your stack on the free scan. It shows the match count and 2 picks, or the full list free when we have few skills for your stack. Each pick comes with its install command. See skills for Claude Code or browse by stack, such as Next.js or Python.

FAQ

Where are Claude Code skills stored? Personal skills live in ~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/. Project skills live in .claude/skills/<skill-name>/ in your repo.

How do I install a Claude Code skill from GitHub? Run npx skills add owner/repo --skill skill-name --agent claude-code. Or clone the repo and copy the skill folder into .claude/skills/.

How do I install a skill for all projects? Put it in ~/.claude/skills/, or add -g to the npx skills add command.

Do I need to restart Claude Code after I add a skill? No. Claude Code watches the skills folders and picks up changes in the same session. If you created the skills folder after you started, run /reload-skills.

Checked 2026-10-19. Prices and policies change. Confirm on the source before you buy.

Sources

• https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills
• https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins
• https://github.com/vercel-labs/skills
• https://agentskills.io/specification
• https://skillspicker.com/for/claude-code/