Is it safe to install any skill?

Treat a skill like any code you run. A skill is a set of instructions and sometimes scripts that Claude will follow, so read the SKILL.md and any scripts before installing - especially anything that touches your shell, credentials, or network. Prefer maintained, well-adopted skills, which is exactly what our grades surface.

Where do I put the skill folder?

~/.claude/skills/ makes it available in every project. A project's .claude/skills/ folder scopes it to that project and lets you commit it to the repo.

The skill is not being used - what is wrong?

Check that the folder contains a SKILL.md with a clear description, that it is in the right skills directory, and start a fresh session. Claude uses the description to decide when a skill applies, so a vague description can stop it triggering.

How to install a skill in Claude Code

Installing a Claude Code skill is mostly a matter of putting a folder in the right place. Here is the reliable way to do it, plus the checks worth running first.

Step 1: Read the skill before you install it

A skill is instructions Claude will follow, sometimes alongside scripts it can run. That makes it code, and you should treat it like code. Before installing, open the SKILL.md and skim any scripts. On Skillshelf you can read the real SKILL.md directly on each listing page without leaving the site, and the grade tells you whether the repo is actively maintained and widely used.

Step 2: Get the skill onto your machine

Most skills live in a public GitHub repo. Clone it:

git clone https://github.com/owner/repo

Or use the “Download .zip” link on the listing page if you would rather not clone.

Step 3: Put it in a skills folder

Copy the skill’s folder (the one containing SKILL.md) into one of:

~/.claude/skills/          # available in every project
your-project/.claude/skills/   # scoped to this project

If the repo is a single skill, its SKILL.md is usually at the root - copy the whole folder. If the repo is a collection of skills, copy just the individual skill subfolders you want, not the entire repository.

Step 4: Verify it loaded

Start a fresh Claude Code session and confirm the folder is in place:

ls ~/.claude/skills/

Claude discovers skills from these folders automatically and uses each skill’s description to decide when it applies. If your skill is not triggering, the description is the first thing to check - see where Claude skills are stored for how precedence and discovery work.

A note on plugins

Some entries you will find are plugins rather than single skills - they bundle skills, commands, and hooks together and are typically installed through Claude Code’s plugin system rather than by copying a folder. The listing will point you to the repo’s own instructions when that is the case.

Pick skills that will not rot

The most common bad experience is installing an abandoned skill that no longer matches current behavior. That is exactly what our grading is for: favor skills graded A or B, check the “last commit” on the listing, and you will avoid most of the dead ones.