Mindket

Anthropic Agent Skills

Newversion 2 · updated
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Overview

Anthropic’s public Agent Skills for Claude Code, Claude.ai and the Claude API: folders of instructions and scripts. They teach Claude to work with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files, test web apps, build MCP servers and write new skills.

Anthropic Agent Skills is an open-source project on GitHub in the Developer category, listed by Mindket. It is free. This is version 2, last updated on . Install it from GitHub as its README says. Get Mindket’s setup notes on your Mindket account, as a zip.

At a glance

Runs in
  • Claude Code: the repository is a plugin marketplace named anthropic-agent-skills
  • Claude.ai: paid plans already have the example skills, and you can upload a custom skill as a ZIP
  • Claude API: the pre-built pptx, xlsx, docx and pdf skills run in Anthropic’s code execution environment
Start with
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills

Platform

Claude CodeCoding agent
ClaudeAI chat

About

What it is

Anthropic’s skills repository holds the Agent Skills it publishes as examples for Claude. Each skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file of instructions and metadata, sometimes with scripts, that Claude loads when a task needs it. The set runs from art, music and design to testing web apps, building MCP servers and Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF work. A spec folder and a template sit beside the skills.

  1. You install a plugin from the marketplace
  2. Claude keeps each skill’s name and description
  3. Your request names a skill or matches one
  4. Claude reads its SKILL.md, then any scripts it needs

Who it suits

People who use Claude for office files, and developers who want to see how a skill is built before they write one. The document skills behind Claude’s own file features are here, next to the simplest template.

Who uses it, and how
IndustryWho uses itHow they use itExample
Finance and business analysisAnalystsTurn exports, PDFs and slides into finished files with the xlsx, pdf and pptx skillsAn analyst has Claude build a formatted Excel report from a CSV export.
Operations and administrationOperations staffRead and fill PDF forms with the pdf skill and its forms guideAn operations lead fills the same PDF form for a batch of records.
Software development and QADevelopers and testersTest web apps with webapp-testing, or build an MCP server with mcp-builderA developer tests a local web app with webapp-testing, which drives Python Playwright.
Internal tooling teamsDevelopers who write skills for their teamCopy a folder layout from skill-creator or the template, then write their ownA team studies skill-creator’s folder layout before writing a skill for its own deploy steps.

If you only chat in Claude.ai on a paid plan, you can skip the install: the example skills are already there.

Where to use it

The README gives steps for three places.

  • Claude Code: the repository is a plugin marketplace named anthropic-agent-skills
  • Claude.ai: paid plans already have the example skills, and you can upload a custom skill as a ZIP
  • Claude API: the pre-built pptx, xlsx, docx and pdf skills run in Anthropic’s code execution environment
The five plugins in the marketplace
PluginSkills in it
document-skillsxlsx, docx, pptx, pdf
example-skillsalgorithmic-art, brand-guidelines, canvas-design, doc-coauthoring, frontend-design, internal-comms, mcp-builder, skill-creator, slack-gif-creator, theme-factory, web-artifacts-builder, webapp-testing
claude-apiclaude-api
academy-guideacademy-guide
discernment-nudgediscernment-nudge

How to set it up

Get it saves a zip of Mindket’s setup notes for Claude Code, Claude.ai and the API. In Claude Code you add the marketplace once, then install a plugin from it.

What you need first
NeedDetail
Claude CodeFor the marketplace and its plugins
A paid Claude.ai planFor skills in Claude.ai, with code execution and file creation turned on under Settings > Capabilities
An Anthropic API keyFor the API, with the code execution tool in each request
The tools a skill callsNamed in its SKILL.md, such as Python Playwright for web testing, or pypdf and qpdf for PDFs
  1. In a Claude Code session, run the marketplace line below.
  2. Select Browse and install plugins, then anthropic-agent-skills.
  3. Select document-skills or example-skills, then Install now.
/plugin marketplace add anthropics/skills

The README’s direct lines skip the menu:

/plugin install document-skills@anthropic-agent-skills
/plugin install example-skills@anthropic-agent-skills

The README gives no line for claude-api, academy-guide or discernment-nudge. Run /plugin on its own and pick them from the plugin list it opens.

How to use it

Once a plugin is installed, mention the skill in your request and Claude loads it.

Ways to call a skill
WhereHow
Claude Code, in wordsName the skill in your request, as in “use the PDF skill”
Claude Code, by slashType a slash and pick it as /<plugin>:<skill>, such as /document-skills:pdf
Claude.aiTurn it on under Customize > Skills, then ask
Claude APIGive its skill ID in the request, with the code execution tool

To write a skill of your own, start from the template. Its frontmatter needs only a name and a description, and the instructions follow:

---
name: my-skill-name
description: A clear description of what this skill does and when to use it
---

# My Skill Name

[Add your instructions here that Claude will follow when this skill is active]

Example

With document-skills installed, you ask Claude Code about a PDF on your disk, in the README’s own words.

Use the PDF skill to extract the form fields from path/to/some-file.pdf

Claude loads the pdf skill, follows its forms guide and bundled scripts on that file, and reports the fillable fields it found.

For newcomers and experts

If you are new. A skill is a folder of instructions Claude reads when a task needs it. These come from Anthropic and cover everyday files such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF. Install document-skills and ask Claude to turn a short list into a one-page Word document.

For experts. A skill loads in stages, which keeps the base context small.

What sits in context, and when
Part of a skillWhen Claude reads it
Name and descriptionFrom the start, for every installed skill
SKILL.md bodyOnce a task matches the skill
Scripts and other filesOnly when the instructions call for them

The Agent Skills specification lives in the spec folder, and the standard itself at agentskills.io. Most skills here are Apache 2.0 and fit as templates. The four document skills are proprietary, shared as a reference for a complex skill used in production. Since plugins from this marketplace update themselves, recheck a skill you depend on after an update.

Good to know

Anthropic offers these skills for demonstration and teaching.

  • Behavior: Claude may not act exactly as a skill describes, so test one before you rely on it for important work
  • Claude Code: a skill’s scripts run on your machine through Claude’s own tools, under your permission rules
  • Claude.ai and the API: skills run in Anthropic’s code execution environment
  • Updates: this marketplace’s plugins update automatically by default, and the /plugin menu can turn that off
  • Uploads: a custom skill you upload to Claude.ai stays visible only to you until you share it
Licenses
SkillsLicense
docx, pdf, pptx, xlsxSource-available under Anthropic’s proprietary terms, for use inside its services only
doc-coauthoringNo license file
Most of the othersApache 2.0

README and files

README
# Anthropic Agent Skills: setup notes

This kit holds setup notes written by Mindket. It contains no skill files. The skills and plugins themselves install from Anthropic's repository https://github.com/anthropics/skills.

License: the repository has no single license file. Skill folders carry their own LICENSE.txt. Most use the Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). The docx, pdf, pptx and xlsx skills are source-available under Anthropic's proprietary terms, which allow use only inside Anthropic's services and forbid copying, changing or sharing them. The doc-coauthoring folder has no license file.

Source pages for this file:

- README: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/README.md
- Plugin list: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
- Apache-2.0 skill license, for example: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/skill-creator/LICENSE.txt
- Proprietary skill license, for example: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/docx/LICENSE.txt
- Claude Code plugin docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/discover-plugins

## What installs

The repository is a Claude Code plugin marketplace named anthropic-agent-skills. Its marketplace file lists five plugins, each a set of skills:

- document-skills: xlsx, docx, pptx, pdf
- example-skills: algorithmic-art, brand-guidelines, canvas-design, doc-coauthoring, frontend-design, internal-comms, mcp-builder, skill-creator, slack-gif-creator, theme-factory, web-artifacts-builder, webapp-testing
- claude-api: claude-api
- academy-guide: academy-guide
- discernment-nudge: discernment-nudge

The marketplace file lists only skills for each plugin. Some skills include scripts that Claude may run with its own tools when you use that skill.

## Update or remove

The Claude Code docs say plugins from this marketplace update automatically by default. setup/claude-code.md gives the docs' commands to update, uninstall and remove the marketplace, and how to turn auto-update off.

## Setup notes in this kit

- setup/claude-code.md: add the marketplace, install, use, update and remove
- setup/claude-ai.md: turn skills on and upload a custom skill
- setup/claude-api.md: call a pre-built skill from the API

## Before you rely on a skill

Anthropic's README says these skills are for demonstration and education. Claude may behave differently from what a skill describes, so test a skill before you use it for important work.

## Write your own

The README says a skill needs only a folder with a SKILL.md file. Its YAML frontmatter needs a name and a description, followed by the instructions. The repository's template folder holds a starting SKILL.md, and its spec folder holds the Agent Skills specification (see agentskills.io).
Files
README.md  3 KB
setup/claude-ai.md  1 KB
setup/claude-api.md  1 KB
setup/claude-code.md  2 KB

4 files, 8 KB, downloaded as a zip.

What’s new

  • Version 2 · 2026-11-09

    Updated by Mindket to the current version of this kit.

  • Version 1 · 2026-11-03

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Numbers as Mindket last read them, from 2026-11-09 to 2026-11-14. Activity is read from each project’s last change on GitHub: Active within 30 days, Quiet within 180, Stale after that.

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What people say

Posts and comments that name this project on Hacker News, Bluesky, X, Reddit, Facebook and YouTube, found by a weekly search and on Trendshift. Mindket doesn’t write or check them. Open one to read it where it was posted.

jerryShakerAnthropic's Skill Scanner Defeated by Backdoored Skills2 pointsA♠️亜希用めもᶫᵒᵛᵉ◡̈♡゙ github.com/anthropics/s...5 likes · 1 replyAnon84anthropics/skills: Public repository for Agent Skills2 pointsEdy | Indie BuilderToday's GitHub trending: giving AI agents hands, skills, memory. - milind-soni/OpenMausBot: open-source Grok Bot alternative with a VM for the bot (+1,955 today) - anthropics/skills: Anthropic's Agent Skills repo (+390) - vercel-labs/agent-browser: browser CLI for agents (+190) #buildinpublic #AI4 likes · 1 replyonurkanbkrcAsk HN: How to Use `npx skills add` with On-Prem / Private Repos?As you know, we can install the desired skill using the following command: npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/skills --skill frontend-design Is there a way to achieve the same setup in an on-premise environment without exposing the repository publicly?1 point · 1 reply@hydromo.bsky.socialGitHub weekly Top 10: agent memory, remote control and skills meet games, video and web extraction. Nov 7, 08:08 MST snapshot; page order and figures. Repo uses and links are on the cards. #GitHub #OpenSource #AIAgents #ClaudeCode #Developers2 likes · 1 replyjuungeShow HN: NPM/uv for Claude Code – install skills from GitHub with one commandGot tired of manually copying files to .claude/ and managing skills across projects. So I built agr (agent-resources) — basically open source npm/uv but for Claude Code. The gist: uvx agr add anthropics/skills/skill-creator (Or pip install agr if you want it permanently) Link:…1 point · 1 replyGitHub Trending🚀 Skyrocketing! 🚀 (200+ new stars) 📦 anthropics / skills ⭐ 184,956 (+287) 🗒 Python Public repository for Agent Skills1 like · 1 replyimakaShow HN: CLI to browse and install Anthropic's Claude SkillsAnthropic open-sourced 16 skills for Claude (PDF generation, MCP servers, frontend design, etc.) but there's no easy way to discover or use them. Built a simple CLI: pip install askill skill browse # paginated list of all skills skill search mcp # find by keyword skill use pdf # install to your…2 points@ai-trend-to-know.bsky.socialanthropics/skills 💻 Python #AIAgents #Python #OpenSource #GitHub 🔗 trendtoknow.com/anthropics/s...2 likesinjidupThe AI cost of JavaScript frameworksAnd a little research turns out that anthropic itself makes available a *react* based artifact builder so you don't end up with SLOP from the get go. You could probably modify the template to work with your framework of choice. https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/web-ar...GitHub Trending🚀 Skyrocketing! 🚀 (200+ new stars) 📦 anthropics / skills ⭐ 188,351 (+386) 🗒 Python Public repository for Agent Skills1 reply

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