A skill is a saved folder of instructions that Claude loads only when it needs them.
- Each skill has a short description at the top, like a label on a folder, and Claude reads only the labels at first.
- That saves context window, so fifty skills cost far less than pasting fifty prompts.
- A skill can also hold templates, examples, and reference files, not just text.
- If the label is vague, the skill will not get used, and if Claude skips a skill, you can ask for it by name.
Example: Take an instruction you have typed more than twice this month, and ask Claude's skill creator to turn it into a skill.