# Claude Skill Build and Test Kit

Use this kit to build your first Claude Skill, test it, and fix it when Claude does not use it. Work through the parts in order. Features and limits change, so confirm the current rules in Anthropic's help article on creating custom Skills (https://support.claude.com/en/articles/12512198-creating-custom-skills) and the authoring guide (https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices).

## Part 1: Pick one job

A good first Skill is one job you repeat, with steps that stay the same and a result you can judge at a glance.

Answer these before you write anything:

1. What is the job, in one sentence? [your job]
2. What do you give Claude each time? [notes, a draft, a form, a topic]
3. What should come back? [a summary, an email, a table, a checklist]
4. What does a bad result look like? [too long, wrong tone, missing a section]

If you cannot answer question 3 in one line, the job is too big. Split it into two Skills.

## Part 2: The SKILL.md template

Create a folder named after your Skill. Inside it, create a text file named SKILL.md and paste this in.

```
---
name: your-skill-name
description: [What the Skill does, in one sentence]. Use when [the situations or words that should trigger it].
---

# Your Skill Name

## When to use this Skill
[One or two lines. Say what the user is asking for.]

## Steps
1. [First thing Claude should do]
2. [Second thing]
3. [Third thing]

## Output format
[Describe the exact layout: headings, order, length.]

## Rules
- [Something Claude must always do]
- [Something Claude must never do]
- [How to handle missing information, for example: ask me, do not guess]
```

Name rules: lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens only. Keep it short. Do not put "claude" or "anthropic" in the name.

## Part 3: A finished example

This is a complete, working Skill for turning messy meeting notes into a clean summary. Copy it, then change it to fit your job.

Folder name: meeting-notes-summary

```
---
name: meeting-notes-summary
description: Turns messy meeting notes into a short summary with decisions and action items. Use when the user pastes meeting notes, a transcript or a call recap.
---

# Meeting Notes Summary

## When to use this Skill
The user shares notes from a meeting and wants them cleaned up.

## Steps
1. Read all the notes before writing anything.
2. List the decisions that were made.
3. List every action item with an owner and a due date.
4. Write a summary of no more than five lines.

## Output format
Use these headings in this order: Summary, Decisions, Action items.
Action items go in a table with three columns: Task, Owner, Due date.

## Rules
- Use only what is in the notes. Do not invent owners or dates.
- If an owner or date is missing, write "Not stated".
- Keep the summary in plain, friendly language.
```

## Part 4: Write a strong description

Claude reads the description to decide whether to use your Skill. It is the most important line in the file.

Formula:

[Verb] [what it makes or does] [from what]. Use when [situation 1], [situation 2] or [words the user might say].

Rules:

- Write it in the third person ("Turns notes into..."), not "I can help you..." or "You can use this to...".
- Say what the Skill does and when to use it.
- Keep it short. Anthropic's help center lists 200 characters as the limit for Claude.ai, so aim for under 200.
- Use words you would actually type in a request.

Before and after:

| Weak | Strong |
| --- | --- |
| Helps with documents | Turns messy meeting notes into a short summary with action items. Use when the user pastes meeting notes or a call recap. |
| Writes emails | Drafts client emails in a warm, direct tone with a clear next step. Use when the user asks for a reply to a client. |
| Does reports | Builds a weekly status report from bullet points using fixed headings. Use when the user asks for a weekly update or status report. |

## Part 5: Let Claude draft it for you

Claude already knows the Skill format. After you finish a task with Claude the normal way, paste one of these.

> Look at the task we just finished. Create a Skill that captures how we did it. Give me the full SKILL.md with a name, a description under 200 characters, steps, an output format and rules. Keep it short.

> Here are the steps I follow every week for [your job]: [paste your steps]. Turn them into a SKILL.md. Write the description in the third person and include when to use it.

> Review this SKILL.md. Remove anything you already know how to do, tighten the description, and tell me what is missing: [paste your file]

## Part 6: Package and upload

1. Make sure the folder name matches the name line in your SKILL.md.
2. Zip the folder so the folder itself is the root of the ZIP. The ZIP should contain meeting-notes-summary/SKILL.md, not loose files.
3. In Claude, open Customize, then Skills. Use the plus button to upload your ZIP. (Menu wording can change, so check the help article if the buttons look different.)
4. Switch the Skill on.

Custom Skill uploads need a paid plan with code execution turned on. Check the current rules on the pricing page: https://claude.com/pricing

## Part 7: The three-prompt test sheet

Open a new chat and try these three prompts. Write the result of each.

| Test | What to type | Did Claude use the Skill? | Was the result right? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1. The obvious request | A request that matches your description word for word | | |
| 2. A different wording | The same job, asked in the way a colleague would ask it | | |
| 3. A request that should NOT trigger it | A nearby but different job | | |

Pass mark: tests 1 and 2 use the Skill and give a good result, and test 3 does not use it.

To see whether Claude loaded the Skill, look at Claude's thinking for the Skill name.

## Part 8: Fix-it table

| What went wrong | Most likely cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Claude never uses the Skill | The description is vague | Rewrite the description with specific situations and words |
| Claude uses it for the wrong jobs | The description is too broad | Name the exact job and add what it is not for |
| Claude ignores one step | The step is buried or unclear | Move it up, shorten it, and number it |
| The output layout is wrong | The output format is loose | Describe the exact headings and order, add one example |
| Claude makes up details | No rule for missing information | Add: "If something is missing, write Not stated. Do not guess." |
| The Skill is long and slow | Too much explanation | Cut anything Claude already knows. Keep one job per Skill |
| Upload fails | The ZIP structure is wrong | Zip the folder itself, not the files inside it |

Change one thing at a time, then run the three tests again.

## Part 9: Safety and upload checklist

- [ ] The Skill does one job.
- [ ] The name uses lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens.
- [ ] The description says what it does and when to use it.
- [ ] No passwords, API keys or private client details are written inside the file.
- [ ] I read every line of the file, and every extra file in the folder.
- [ ] I am not using a Skill from a stranger that I have not read.
- [ ] The ZIP has the Skill folder as its root.
- [ ] I ran the three tests and wrote the results.
- [ ] I know where my Skill lives, because a Skill added in Claude.ai does not copy itself into Claude Code or the API.

## Part 10: Using the same Skill in Claude Code

Claude Code looks for Skills in a folder. Put the same folder here:

- All your projects: ~/.claude/skills/your-skill-name/SKILL.md
- One project only: .claude/skills/your-skill-name/SKILL.md

Claude uses it when your request matches the description, or you can type /your-skill-name to call it directly.

Claude Skill Build and Test Kit from https://coding180.com