Writing and content
Briefs, outlines and drafts that follow your format and tone without a two-page prompt every time.
Claude skills and AI assistant skills you can install today
A skill teaches your AI assistant one job and how to do it the same way every time: a research routine, a review checklist, a house writing style. ZigsFlow collects skills for Claude and ChatGPT. This page shows what's inside a skill, how to install one and how to check it works.
⏱ Setup time5–20 minutes
🎯 DifficultyBeginner friendly
💰 CostWorks on every Claude plan
🧰 You needClaude or ChatGPT
What are Claude skills?
The short version, before the install steps.
A Claude skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file in it. The top of that file holds a name and a one-line description. Below that are the instructions, and the folder can also carry scripts, templates or reference files. Claude reads the description, and when your request matches it, Claude loads the full instructions and follows them. Anthropic's term for the format is Agent Skills.
ChatGPT doesn't load skill folders the same way. Our ChatGPT skills are written as reusable instructions you paste into a project or a custom GPT, so the assistant follows the same process each time.
What AI skills are useful for
Any task where you keep re-explaining the same steps to your assistant.
Research and analysis
A fixed method for digging into a topic, comparing sources and flagging what can't be verified.
Coding
Your team's conventions, review checklist and docs format, applied in Claude Code or the Claude apps.
SEO and marketing
Repeatable audits, keyword grouping or link-prospecting steps your whole team runs the same way.
Where you can use them
Pick the platform first. The install step is different for each.
Claude apps (web, desktop, mobile)
Upload the skill as a ZIP and switch it on in Claude's settings. Skills are available on the Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, with code execution turned on.
Claude Code
Put the skill folder in your personal or project skills folder and Claude Code picks it up. Handy for coding conventions shared across a team.
ChatGPT
Paste the skill's instructions into a ChatGPT project or a custom GPT. Each ChatGPT skill on ZigsFlow says where it works best.
Any assistant, as plain instructions
Every skill is readable Markdown. Even where it can't be installed, you can copy the instructions into a chat.
How to install and use a Claude skill
These steps are for the Claude apps. The ChatGPT version follows below.
- 01
Pick a skill for one job
Skills work best when they do one thing well. Check the platform, what the skill needs and an example of what it produces.
- 02
Download it and read SKILL.md
Open the ZIP and read the SKILL.md file before you install anything. If the folder includes scripts, read those too.
- 03
Check the ZIP structure
The skill's folder should sit at the top of the ZIP, with SKILL.md inside it. If you edit the skill, zip the folder itself, not the files loose.
- 04
Upload it to Claude
Make sure code execution is on, then upload the ZIP in Claude's skills settings and switch the skill on.
- 05
Test it with a real request
Ask for the task the skill is built for. Claude's reasoning should show it loading the skill. If it doesn't, the description at the top of SKILL.md probably needs to be more specific.
- 06
Adjust it to your work
Change the instructions to match your format, tone or tools, then zip and upload the new version.
Using ChatGPT? Open the skill's instruction file, copy it into the instructions of a ChatGPT project or a custom GPT, then test it on a real task the same way.
Security tip: treat a downloaded skill like any code from the internet. A skill can include scripts that run when Claude uses it, so only install ones you've read and understand.
Settings move around as Claude is updated. Anthropic's help article Use custom skills has the current steps.
Example: a small SKILL.md file
This is what the inside of a simple skill looks like. The two lines at the top are what Claude reads to decide when to use it.
meeting-notes/SKILL.mdMarkdown
---
name: meeting-notes
description: Turns a raw meeting transcript into short notes with decisions, owners and deadlines. Use when the user shares a transcript or asks for meeting notes.
---
# Meeting notes
1. Read the whole transcript before writing anything.
2. List every decision in one line each.
3. List action items as: owner, task, due date.
4. If an owner or date is missing, write "not stated". Don't guess.
5. Keep the notes under 200 words.Try it: save this as SKILL.md inside a folder called meeting-notes, zip the folder, upload it, then paste a transcript into Claude.
When a skill doesn't behave
Most problems come down to the description, the ZIP or the settings.
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| The upload fails | The skill folder must be at the top of the ZIP and contain SKILL.md, with a name and description at the top of the file. |
| Claude never uses the skill | Make sure it's switched on, then make the description name the exact task and the words people use to ask for it. |
| Output changes from run to run | Spell out the steps and the output format, and add one example of a good result. |
| A script in the skill fails | Check code execution is on and the script's dependencies are available. |
| The answer contains made-up facts | Add a step that tells the assistant to flag anything it can't verify instead of filling the gap. |
AI skills FAQ
Quick answers about Claude skills and ChatGPT skills.
What are Claude skills?
Claude skills are folders of instructions, and sometimes scripts and reference files, that Claude loads when a task calls for them. Each one has a SKILL.md file whose name and description tell Claude when to use it.
How do I install a Claude skill?
Download the skill's ZIP, turn on code execution, upload the ZIP in Claude's skills settings and switch it on. In Claude Code, you place the skill folder in your skills directory instead.
Which Claude plans support skills?
According to Anthropic, skills are available on the Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, and they need code execution turned on.
Are ChatGPT skills the same as Claude skills?
No. ChatGPT doesn't load SKILL.md folders the way Claude does. Our ChatGPT skills are reusable instructions you add to a ChatGPT project or custom GPT.
Can I make my own skill?
Yes. Write down the task, the steps and the output you want in a SKILL.md file, add a clear description at the top, zip the folder and upload it. Test it on a few real requests and tighten it from there.
Are downloaded AI skills safe?
Not automatically. Read the instructions and any scripts before installing, and never give a skill API keys or confidential data it doesn't need.
Find a Claude skill for your next task
Browse the skills library, or tell us the task you keep explaining to your AI assistant and we'll look at turning it into a skill.